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Message from the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner

At the Canada Revenue Agency, sustainable development is part of the way we do business. Our Sustainable Development Strategy 2014-2017 sets a three-year agenda that continues to green CRA programs and operations, and in turn supports Canada's Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

As the CRA's Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, we are proud to report we have a strong track record to build on. Since 1997, we have implemented sustainable development strategies that focus on improving our operational efficiencies, conserving resources, and reducing the impact of our operations on the environment. Last year's filing season offers a striking example of our success: 64% of individuals and 70% of businesses filed their taxes electronically, saving an estimated 771 million sheets of paper.

We chose this example from among many you will see outlined in this document because it so clearly demonstrates the CRA's commitment to service and innovation. Service because we are meeting the demand for electronic services, which reduces our footprint on the environment, and innovation because we continuously strive to find ways to improve every aspect of our business.

As we move forward with implementing our sustainable development strategy for the coming three years, we are confident that the Canada Revenue Agency will continue to demonstrate its strong support of Canada's Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and will also fulfill its commitment to providing more efficient and cost-effective tax and benefits programs to Canadians.

Andrew Treusch
Commissioner of Revenue and Chief Executive Officer

W. Davern Jones
Deputy Commissioner of Revenue

Executive summary

The Canada Revenue Agency Sustainable Development Strategy 2014-2017 was developed in consultation with sustainable development (SD) coordinators throughout the Agency and subject matter experts in key functional areas. Together they identified four key goals which represent areas for improvement going forward. These are: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from operations; to ensure that environmental considerations are part of all purchasing decisions; to improve sustainability in workplace operations (for example, more sharing of office equipment such as printers); and to provide greener services (for example, more e-services).

For each of the four goals, the CRA has established specific activities and target dates for the next three-year strategy period, along with performance measures and accountabilities. These commitments were established based on the Agency's mandate, the nature of our programs, and our operational realities. They focus on leveraging technologies, improving efficiencies, reducing resource consumption and waste, and ensuring responsible stewardship of our assets. Further details can be found in the SD National Action Plan 2014-2017.

The current Sustainable Development Strategy builds on the significant results and improvements the Agency has achieved over the past 20 years. As of March 31, 2013, the CRA has:

• reduced office paper use by 33% per employee since 2005-2006—spending 27% less annually to meet its business needs;
• reduced the amount of paper used in external publications by 25% compared to 2008-2009;
• introduced the No Waste recycling program in 84% of its facilities where 96% of its employees work—diverting a significant amount of waste from landfill;
• right-sized its fleet of printers by moving from standalone printers to more cost-effective network printers—achieving an average ratio of 9.3 employees per printer;
• reduced greenhouse gas emissions from CRA fleet vehicles by 19.6% from 2005-2006 levels;
• purchased green products and services representing 15.4% of total annual expenditures; and
• supported 64% of individuals and 70% of businesses in filing their taxes electronically—saving an estimated 771 million sheets of paper during the 2012 tax-filing year. ^{Footnote 1}

The CRA will continue to position itself as a strong, responsible contributor to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS).

1.0 SD Strategy planning framework

2.0 Introduction

The 2014-2017 SD Strategy has been developed under the new SD functional model through consultations with CRA management, CRA functional leads, and the federal community. Detailed information on the SD Strategy goals, implementation strategies, targets, and activities can be found in the SD National Action Plan 2014-2017.

The Government of Canada tabled its second Federal Sustainable Development Strategy on November 4, 2013. This updated strategy strengthens Canada's efforts to achieve environmental sustainability by continuing to improve the transparency and accountability in integrating sustainable development within government operations.

Since 1997, the CRA has addressed its federal sustainable development accountabilities through its departmental SD strategy. The newest CRA Strategy and National Action Plan support the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS), continue to green CRA programs and operations, and further integrate SD into the CRA governance framework. The SD Strategy supports the sustainable development content that is included in CRA's Corporate Business Plan 2014-2015 to 2016-2017 and the 2014-2015 Report on Plans and Priorities.

3.0 SD goals and targets

The following table outlines the SD Strategy goals, implementation strategies, and targets, which are relevant to the CRA's operations and represent opportunities to reduce its environmental impacts.

The SD National Action Plan 2014-2017 gives a detailed account of the activities that the SD program will undertake between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2017, to contribute to the strategy's four goals. The action plan outlines the goals, targets, and supporting activities. Outputs, measures, accountability offices, and due dates are also identified to enable implementation and assess progress.

4.0 Forecast expenditures

The SD Strategy will be funded from existing operational budgets within responsibility cost centres.

5.0 Communication plan

The 2014-2017 SD Strategy will be communicated to external and internal audiences. For external audiences, SD information will be posted on the CRA website to meet the requirements of the FSDS and the 2014-2015 Report on Plans and Priorities. The content will include links to the 2014-2017 SD Strategy.

For internal audiences, the CRA will inform employees of the launch of the 2014-2017 SD Strategy through its intranet site, InfoZone. The CRA will also continue to engage the SD Network—consisting of managers, employees, and committees from each branch and region across the CRA—to support and communicate SD initiatives at the branch, regional, and local levels.

6.0 Conclusion

Given the success of the SD program at the CRA over the past 20 years, we anticipate that the 2014-2017 SD Strategy will continue to produce positive SD results for the CRA, support innovation, improve efficiencies, and ensure responsible stewardship of CRA assets.

Internal accountability, monitoring, and reporting structure

The following shows the internal accountability, monitoring, and reporting structure for the SD program:

Date modified:

2014-04-01