Sustainable Development Strategy for organizations in Canada SDInfo - Sustainable Development Strategies: Evolution of the Federal Government of Canada Approach is about the Government of Canada finding ways to develop social, financial, and environmental resources that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs in the country. A Sustainable Development StrategyGreening Government - Greening the Federal HouseCanadian Environmental Assessment Agency - Sustainable Development Strategy 2004–2006 for the organization needs to be developed that establishes the Sustainable Development goals and objectives set by the Auditor General Act of Canada and provides the written policies and procedures to achieve them.Environment Canada - A Guide to a Green Government Sustainable Development is based on responsible decision-making, which considers not only the economic benefits of development, but also the short-term and long-term, Canadian environment and environmental impacts.Brundtland ReportSDInfo - Sustainable Development Information Sustaining the Environment and Resources for Canadians

Overview All Canadians have a role to play in advancing Sustainable Development, including all levels of government, business and industry, civil society, community groups and citizens.Environment Canada - What You Can Do The importance of developing a balance between economic growth, social well-being, and the health of the environment is at the forefront of public opinion. Canadians realize that a healthy environment is imperative for our long-term economic, social well-being and quality of life. The organization must have the ability to adopt innovative environmental practices and reduce their ecological footprint. The organization must develop a sustainable future through various strategies, policies, programs, and operations. A key pillar of the organization's approach to Sustainable Development should be to establish a Sustainable Development Strategy. This strategy is an important tool to help guide the organization in systematically integrating the principles of Sustainable Development into their policies, programs, legislation, and operations.

Auditor General Act

In 1995, the Auditor General ActAuditor General Act was amended to encourage stronger Sustainable Development performance by the Federal Government of Canada.Office of the Auditor General - Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

Mission statement

Sustainable Development is a key goal for public policy in Canada and should be made the foundation of the organization's approach to environmental management. This understanding should be reflected in the creation of a Mission Statement for the organization, which outlines its commitment to making Sustainable Development a reality in Canada.SDInfo - Federal Department and Agency Strategies

Environmental Management System (EMS)

The organization should implement an Environmental Management System (EMS). This systematic approach to dealing with the environmental aspects of an organization is a 'tool' that enables an organization to control the impact of its activities, products, and services on the natural environment. The ISO 14001 standard "Environmental management systems--Specification with guidance for use" is the standard within the ISO 14000 series that specifies the requirements of an EMS.Greening Government - Environmental Management SystemsTC207 - EMSEnvironment Canada – EMS Info

Environmental Management System Manual (EMSM) The creation of an Environmental Management System Manual (EMSM) SDInfo - A Guide to Green Government is to provide the framework for the organization's EMS. It should identify the elements and procedures for all staff, relating to environmental management.

Environmental Management System Documentation The organization should establish and maintain information in paper or electronic form, to describe the core elements of the management system and their interaction and provide direction to related documentation.

Environmental Management Program (EMP) The organization requires an Environmental Management Program (EMP), which is developed for environmental aspects to map out the organization's course of action to reduce environmental impact and to turn words into actions. An EMP must describe how targets will be achieved; the performance measures used to report on progress; identify personnel responsible for achieving these targets; and establish time frames for achievement. Generally, an EMP lists what is to be done, how it is to be done, who is going to do it, and how long it is going to take. At the end of every fiscal year, the EMPs are reported on and updated for the next year. The development of an EMP is the key to fulfilling the organization's Sustainable Development strategy for developing and implementing an ISO comparable EMS. This initiative should include integrating environmental best practices into projects, programs, and processes, and strengthening existing environmental practices.National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy - Final Report

Commitment to Sustainable Development The organization should focus on four key goals: Reduce the effects of their operations on land,Environment and Resources - Land air,Environment and Resources - Air and water;Environment and Resources - Water Programs should demonstrate sustainable service delivery; All employees apply Sustainable Development in their jobs; and Employ modern systems that support and maintain Sustainable Development.

Environment policy The organization should define the organization's environmental policy and ensure that it is appropriate to the nature, scale, and environmental impacts of its activities, products, and services. That it includes a commitment to continual improvement and prevention of pollution. It provides a commitment to comply with relevant environmental legislation and regulations and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes. Create a framework for setting and reviewing environmental objectives and targets. A documented audit trail that reflects implementation and maintenance of the policy and have it communicated to all employees with availability to the public.

Environmental aspects The organization should establish and maintain procedures to identify the environmental aspectsSDInfo - Science for Sustainable Development of its activities, products, and services that it can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence, in order to determine those, which have or can have significant impacts on the environment. The organization should ensure that the aspects related to these significant impacts are considered in setting its environmental objectives. The organization must keep this information up-to-date.Federal House in Order - GHG Inventory

Legal and other requirements

The organization should establish and maintain a procedure to identify and have access to legal and other requirements to which the organization subscribes, that are applicable to the environmental aspects of its activities, products or services and the relevant Acts.Environment Canada - Environmental Law Enforcement Program

Environmental objectives and targets

The organization should establish and maintain documented environmental objectives and targets, at each relevant function and level within the organization. When establishing and reviewing its objectives, the organization must consider the legal and other requirements, its significant environmental aspects, its technological options and its financial, operational, and business requirements and views of interested parties. The objectives and targets should be consistent with the environmental policy, including the commitment to prevent pollution.Environment Canada - Environmental Assessment ProgramEnvironment and Resources - IndicatorsAuditor General of Canada - Developing Performance Measures for Sustainable Development StrategiesEnvironment Canada - Pollution Prevention: A Federal Strategy for Action

Organizational structure and responsibility

The roles, responsibility and authorities should be defined, documented, and communicated in order to facilitate effective environmental management. The organization should provide resources essential to the implementation and control of the EMS. Resources available should include human resources with specialized skills, technology, and financial resources. The organization's top management should appoint specific management representatives who, irrespective of other responsibilities, have defined roles, responsibilities, and authority for:

Ensuring that EMS requirements are established, implemented and maintained in accordance with this standard; and Reporting on the performance of the EMS to top management for review and as a basis for improvement of the EMS.

Communication

With regard to its environmental aspects and environmental management system, the organization should establish and maintain procedures for internal communication between the various levels and functions of the organization and the receiving, documenting and responding to relevant communication from external interested parties,.SDInfo - Canada's reports to the Commission on Sustainable Development The organization should consider processes for external communication on its significant environmental aspects and record its decisions.Auditor General Act – Section 24Canadian Council of Ministers of the EnvironmentEnvironment Canada - State of the Environment InfobaseGovernment of Canada - Sustainability Reporting Tool Kit

Document control

Documentation should be legible, dated, and readily identifiable, maintained in an orderly manner, and retained for a specified period. Procedures and responsibilities should be established and maintained concerning the creation and modification of the various types of documents. The organization should establish and maintain procedures for controlling all documents required for their Sustainable Development as follows:TC207 - Documentation control

They must be periodically reviewed, revised as necessary and approved for adequacy by authorized personnel; The current versions of relevant documents made available at all locations where operations essential to the effective functioning of the environmental management system are performed; Obsolete documents need to be promptly removed from all points of issue and points of use, or otherwise assured against unintended use; and The obsolete documents should be retained for legal and/or knowledge preservation purposes are suitably identified.

Operational control

The organization should identify those operations and activities that are associated with the identified significant environmental aspects in line with its policy, objectives and targets. They should plan these activities, including maintenance, in order to ensure that they are carried out under specified conditions by:Auditor General Act – Section 23SDInfo - Sustainable Development in Government Operations: A Coordinated ApproachEnvironment Canada - Sustainable Development in Government Operations

Establishing and maintaining documented procedures to cover situations where their absence could lead to deviations from the environmental policy and the objectives and targets; Stipulating operating criteria in the procedures; and Establishing and maintaining procedures related to the identifiable significant environmental aspects of goods and services used by the organization and communicating relevant procedures and requirements to suppliers and contractors.

Emergency preparedness and response