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As Minister of the Environment, I am pleased to present the 2012-2013 Report on Plans and Priorities for Environment Canada. This report outlines the Department’s goals for fiscal 2012-2013 and the plans and activities it will undertake in order to achieve these objectives.
This government remains firmly committed to providing Canadians with the strong leadership necessary to help ensure a clean, safe and sustainable environment in a way that supports our continued economic recovery.
The Government of Canada’s focused and proactive approach towards environmental protection will further our capacity to efficiently and effectively produce results that protect Canada’s environment. In support of this objective, Environment Canada will continue to promote actions that help Canadians address both emerging and longstanding environmental issues that place at risk the health of Canadians and their environment, such as climate change, threats to air and water quality, and exposure to harmful chemicals.
An example of this is the important collaborative work Environment Canada undertakes with its provincial, territorial, municipal and non-governmental partners to achieve Canada’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 607 megatonnes by 2020. The Department is also working constructively with the international community to attain a global climate change agreement that works—one that is inclusive enough to lead to meaningful global greenhouse gas reductions. The Department is similarly exercising leadership as a means to protect and conserve Canada's abundant biodiversity domestically and through international fora.
While, as a leader and collaborator, Environment Canada has a strong role in effecting change, regulations are key components of the Department’s ability to initiate actions. The Department is therefore placing a high value on its commitment to operating as a world class regulator. In the year ahead, it will concentrate on strengthening its regulatory framework to make its regulatory mechanisms as robust, effective, efficient, transparent and adaptable as possible.
Moving forward, the Department will also focus on enhancing valuable services that it delivers. Improvements to Environment Canada’s weather monitoring infrastructure will help to ensure that Canadians continue to receive world class weather forecasts and warnings. Advancements in the Department’s scientific monitoring of changes in the environment will also elevate the Department’s capacity to further protect Canadians. An example of this is the Joint Canada–Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring which will make Canada’s oil sands monitoring stand out as among the best in the world.
These are a few of the initiatives the Department will focus on in the months ahead. I invite you to read this report to learn more about the initiatives that Environment Canada is pursuing in its efforts to protect Canadians and their environment.
The Honourable Peter Kent, P.C., M.P.
Minister of the Environment
Beyond those authorities conferred under the Department of the Environment Act, the Minister of the Environment exercises additional authorities provided under other acts and regulations including (but not limited to) the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), the new Federal Sustainable Development Act, and several pieces of legislation relating to the protection of biodiversity and water and the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations. Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Environment Canada provides information and analysis to others (as a federal authority) and is also a department with decision-making responsibilities (as a responsible authority).
The Department is a key partner for other federal departments (including its ministerial portfolio partners, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and Parks Canada), where statutes provide Environment Canada with secondary or shared responsibility for the successful execution of other federal departments’ mandates. These statutes include, among others, the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act (Transport Canada, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, and Natural Resources Canada), the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology Act (Natural Resources Canada), the Fisheries Act (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) and the Marine Liability Act (Transport Canada).
A wide-ranging role; a solid foundation
The Department supports its stewardship mandate—providing Canadians with a clean, safe and sustainable environment—through an array of diverse programs based on science, technology and strong partnerships. Environment Canada is also a world-class regulator, using a suite of tools for modifying behaviours to achieve specific outcomes.
Environment Canada works for the benefit of Canadians—the Department serves Canadians directly by providing weather and environmental services; and indirectly by protecting fragile ecosystems, promoting compliance with environmental regulations, and cleaning up waters such as those shared by Canada and the United States.
Environment Canada is a science-based department—the Department devotes significant budget and workforce resources to science and technology activities in diverse fields, including biology, chemistry, atmospheric and environmental sciences, hydrology, meteorology, engineering and informatics. Science and technology form the foundation of the Department’s work; they are central to Environment Canada’s capacity to achieve its mandate and legislative obligations. The Department collects and disseminates knowledge to support sound environmental decision-making, and encourages innovation in science and technology.
Environment Canada works collaboratively with many partners—the Department understands that environmental issues have wide-ranging implications for social and economic decisions. Environment Canada works in collaboration with many partners, including other federal government departments, provincial/territorial governments, Aboriginal governments, the governments of other nations, environmental non-governmental organizations, and international organizations. This collaboration enhances the efforts of all partners in working for a clean, safe and sustainable environment.
Environment Canada is a world-class regulator—the Department is one of the federal government’s largest regulators. It works within the broader federal performance-based regulatory system developing, promoting compliance with, and enforcing a wide array of regulations to protect Canadians and their environment. Environment Canada is strengthening its regulatory program to become increasingly evidence-based, effective, efficient, transparent and responsive to change.
Environment Canada fulfills its mandate by promoting three Strategic Outcomes, each contributing to the Government of Canada outcome of a clean and healthy environment.
Strategic Outcome 1: Canada’s natural environment is conserved and restored for present and future generations.
This strategic outcome is aimed at ensuring that land, water and biodiversity are sustained so that Canadians can enjoy and benefit from their natural legacy over the long term.
Strategic Outcome 2: Canadians are equipped to make informed decisions on changing weather, water and climate conditions.
Canadians need to have the information and services to be able to respond and adapt to immediate and longer-term change in weather, water and climate conditions that affect their health, safety and economic well-being.
Strategic Outcome 3: Threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution are minimized.
This strategic outcome reflects the need for Environment Canada to manage substances and waste, and reduce pollution that directly or indirectly harms human health or the environment.
Nine Program Activities are aligned to support the achievement of the Department’s three Strategic Outcomes. Together, the Program Activities and Strategic Outcomes support progress against the Department’s stewardship mandate of providing a clean, safe and sustainable environment. In addition to conducting these Program Activities, Environment Canada maintains core internal corporate services.
All of the Department’s Strategic Outcomes, Program Activities and internal services activities are illustrated within Environment Canada’s 2012–2013 Program Activity Architecture (PAA) shown below.Environment Canada maintains four organizational priorities for 2012–2013:
The plans that will be pursued by Environment Canada programs in achieving the Department’s three environment priorities are set out in the following tables. The Department’s transition management priority is supported by separate plans carried out by programs and internal Departmental services.
The intent of these priorities is unchanged from previous RPPs but they have been recast for 2012–2013 to more closely align to the Department’s stewardship mandate which, in turn, directly supports the Government of Canada’s outcome area of a clean and healthy environment.
Type | Links to Strategic Outcome 3: |
---|---|
ongoing (restated) | Threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution are minimized |
Links to Program Activities: | |
3.1 Substances and Waste Management 3.2 Climate Change and Clean Air 3.3 Compliance Promotion and Enforcement—Pollution |
|
Status | |
Why this is a priority Plan for meeting the priority
|
Type | Links to Strategic Outcome 2: |
---|---|
ongoing (restated) | Canadians are equipped to make informed decisions on changing weather, water and climate conditions |
Links to Program Activities: | |
2.1 Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians 2.2 Weather and Environmental Services for Targeted Users |
|
Status | |
Why this is a priority Plan for meeting the priority |
Type | Links to Strategic Outcome 1: |
---|---|
ongoing (restated) | Canada’s natural environment is conserved and restored for present and future generations |
Links to Program Activities: | |
1.1 Biodiversity—Wildlife and Habitat 1.2 Water Resources 1.3 Sustainable Ecosystems 1.4 Compliance Promotion and Enforcement—Wildlife |
|
Status | |
Why this is a priority Plan for meeting the priority
|
Type | Links to all Strategic Outcomes: |
---|---|
ongoing (restated) | 1, 2 and 3 |
Links to: | |
All Program Activities | |
Status | |
Why this is a priority Plan for meeting the priority
|
In view of current economic challenges, Environment Canada faces a number of issues with its programs and priorities. These risks, as drawn from the 2011–2013 Corporate Risk Profile, will be monitored and updated on an as required basis, with adjustments made to Departmental resources or program objectives to support necessary mitigation measures.
Transition: Environment Canada will implement plans and identify core activities to ensure that the Department continues to fulfill its mandate. As well, through this period of fiscal restraint, the Department will be challenged to maintain its investments in key capital assets and its most valuable asset—its workforce. The Department will seek ways to adjust its workforce while maintaining continuity in achieving program and policy results. To manage this risk, Environment Canada will support its workforce so that essential skills, knowledge and experience are maintained and fully developed through cost-effective means.
Engagement: The environment remains an important issue for Canadians. As such, there are high expectations for Environment Canada’s ongoing engagement with its partners and stakeholders in taking measures that help preserve and protect the environment, both at home and internationally. To reduce the risk of not maintaining those connections, the Department will continue to access and implement innovative ways in which to engage and consult with stakeholders through, for example, the use of new technologies. Environment Canada will, as well, retain its focus on fostering key partner and stakeholder relationships (e.g. other jurisdictions, Aboriginal and territorial groups, industry) to best achieve collective progress.
Business Continuity: Environment Canada provides key weather and other environmental information to Canadians and to a host of stakeholders and partners, both domestically and internationally, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To counter the risk that this key service could be interrupted, the Department has developed, and will keep evergreen, a business continuity plan; will negotiate service-level agreements; and will continue to develop professional staff who are experienced in maintaining these key essential services.
In addition, the Department will maintain the capacity to respond to hazards and other environmental emergencies (e.g. extreme weather and climate events). Safeguarding key systems and data is essential to maintaining Environment Canada’s ability to provide the critical services that support the health and safety of Canadians in a timely, coordinated and effective manner.
Skills: Due to transition alignment challenges, the Department risks being unable to stay current with advances in science and technology. In addition, the recruitment and retention of employees who possess the essential and specific skills and knowledge required to support programs and internal services could pose difficulties, in particular due to the current fiscal environment. In response, Environment Canada will take a proactive role in providing a healthy and flexible work environment, while leveraging opportunities through partnerships to allow the development of its workforce.
2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
---|---|---|
997.6** | 950.1 | 918.3 |
*All figures are net of respendable revenues. Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures.
**This figure includes an amount of $25M approved for Canada's Fast Start Financing under the Copenhagen Accord, which does not appear in Main Estimates, but will be reflected in the 2012-2013 Supplementary Estimates (A).
The Department’s planned spending will decrease by a total of $47.5 million in 2013–2014 compared with spending for the previous year, mainly due to the termination of Canada’s Fast Start financing under the Copenhagen Accord and reduction of funding for the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). The 2014–2015 planned spending reflects a return to SDTC’s baseline funding level. Any funding extensions for temporary funding programs that are expiring in this current or in future fiscal years will be subject to government decision and would be reflected in future RPPs. Please see “Expenditure Profile” for more information.
2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
---|---|---|
6,237 | 6,192 | 6,128 |
**Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures. The FTE numbers exclude students and employees on Interchange assignments.
The human resources required to sustain an average level of employment over 12 months are based on a 37.5-hour work week. One FTE equals one person working full-time on a 37.5-hour work week for the year, or any number of part-time employees whose combined hours of work equals one FTE. An average salary was used to calculate FTEs based on the salary planned spending for the 2012–2013, 2013–2014, and 2014–2015 fiscal years. As a result, Environment Canada plans to use 6,237 FTEs in 2012–2013, with slight decreases of FTE utilization in 2013–2014 and 2014–2015.
Performance Indicators | Targets |
---|---|
Percentage of terrestrial land protected1 as a measure of conservation effort | 17% by 2020 |
Program Activity | Forecast Spending 2011-2012 |
Planned Spending | Alignment with Government of Canada Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | |||
Biodiversity—Wildlife and Habitat | 148.4 | 89.1 | 88.6 | 87.2 | A Clean and Healthy Environment |
Water Resources | 121.5 | 115.5 | 117.2 | 118.0 | |
Sustainable Ecosystems | 75.0 | 62.0 | 62.3 | 69.9 | |
Compliance Promotion and Enforcement—Wildlife | 19.4 | 17.3 | 17.6 | 17.6 | |
Subtotal | 364.4 | 283.9 | 285.7 | 292.7 | |
Less: Respendable Revenues | (18.6) | (20.8) | (21.0) | (21.8) | |
Total Planned Spending | 345.8 | 263.1 | 264.7 | 270.9 |
*Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures.
Note: For the Biodiversity–Wildlife and Habit Program Activity the decrease in spending from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013 is mainly explained by the sunsetting of Species at Risk programming and the inclusion in 2011-2012 of the statutory payment to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Performance Indicators | Targets |
---|---|
Weather Warning Index (a weighted index of weather warning timeliness and accuracy) | 7.6 on a scale of 0 to 10 by 2015 (improvement of 1.3% from current value) |
Program Activity | Forecast Spending 2011-2012 |
Planned Spending | Alignment with Government of Canada Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | |||
Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians | 190.9 | 193.7 | 195.4 | 193.8 | A Clean and Healthy Environment |
Weather and Environmental Services for Targeted Users | 66.9 | 73.7 | 66.9 | 67.2 | |
Subtotal | 257.8 | 267.3 | 262.3 | 260.9 | |
Less: Respendable Revenues | (46.8) | (43.8) | (43.7) | (43.2) | |
Total Planned Spending | 211.0 | 223.5 | 218.6 | 217.7 |
*Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures.
Performance Indicators | Targets |
---|---|
Canadian emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide equivalents) in megatonnes | Canada’s national target is a 17% reduction from 2005 levels by 2020 (i.e. 607Mt) |
Canadian ambient air quality (fine particulate matter) | To be determined. Targets will be determined with the finalization of the air pollutant management approach |
Program Activity | Forecast Spending 2011-2012 |
Planned Spending | Alignment with Government of Canada Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | |||
Substances and Waste Management | 91.0 | 84.0 | 81.5 | 77.9 | A Clean and Healthy Environment |
Climate Change and Clean Air | 156.8 | 212.2 | 172.7 | 139.9 | |
Compliance Promotion and Enforcement—Pollution | 49.9 | 45.6 | 45.5 | 45.5 | |
Subtotal | 297.7 | 341.8 | 299.8 | 263.3 | |
Less: Respendable Revenues | (3.3) | (3.1) | (3.0) | (2.6) | |
Total Planned Spending | 294.4 | 338.7 | 296.8 | 260.7 |
*Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures.
Note: For the Climate Change and Clean Air Program Activity, the increase of spending from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013 is mainly explained by a transfer of funds from previous years for the Sustainable Development Technology Canada and increase in funding for Fast Start Financing under the Copenhagen Accord.
Program Activity | Forecast Spending 2011-2012 |
Planned Spending | Alignment with Government of Canada Outcomes |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | |||
Internal Services | 212.8 | 172.4 | 170.2 | 169.2 | N/A |
Subtotal | 212.8 | 172.4 | 170.2 | 169.2 | |
Less: Respendable Revenues | 0.0 | (0.2) | (0.2) | (0.2) | |
Total Planned Spending | 212.8 | 172.2 | 170.0 | 169.0 |
*Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures.
The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) outlines the Government of Canada’s commitment to improving the transparency of environmental decision-making by articulating its key strategic environmental goals and targets. Environment Canada ensures that consideration of this commitment is integral to its decision-making processes. In particular, through the federal Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process, any new policy, plan or program initiative includes an analysis of its impact on attaining the FSDS goals and targets. The results of SEAs are made public when an initiative is announced, demonstrating the Department’s commitment to achieving these goals and targets.
The Department contributes to the FSDS themes as denoted, in this document, by the visual identifiers below:
These contributions are components of the following Strategic Outcomes:
For additional details on Environment Canada’s activities to support sustainable development, please see Section II of this RPP and Environment Canada’s website. For complete details on the FSDS, please see the FSDS website.
For the fiscal year 2012–2013, Environment Canada plans to spend $997.6 million to meet the expected results of its Program Activities and contribute to its Strategic Outcomes. The chart below reflects the allocation of Environment Canada’s planned spending by Strategic Outcome for the 2012–2013 fiscal year. Strategic Outcome 3: “Threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution are minimized”, makes up the largest portion of funding, and includes the Clean Air Regulatory Agenda, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and the Chemicals Management Plan.
Note: Figures included in the chart are net of respendable (vote-netted) revenues.
The following graph illustrates Environment Canada’s funding level trend from 2008–2009 to 2014–2015.
Note: These figures are net of respendable revenues. The “Total Spending + Sunset Programs” spending trend line includes the anticipated renewal of temporary funding initiatives for 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Forecast Spending includes 2011–2012 Main Estimates, 2011–2012 Supplementary Estimates B, anticipated Supplementary Estimates C, as well as collective agreement adjustments.
For the period of 2008–2009 to 2010–2011, actual spending represents the actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts. For the 2011–2012 fiscal year, the forecast spending represents the planned budgetary and statutory expenditures as presented in the Estimates documents (Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates). For the period of 2012–2013 to 2014–2015, the planned spending reflects approved funding by Treasury Board to support the Departmental Strategic Outcomes and Program Activities.
Compared to 2008–2009, Environment Canada’s 2009–2010 actual spending decreased by $25.3 million. This decrease is mainly due to reduced payments to foundations such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). These decreases were compensated by increased spending to implement the National Vehicle Scrappage Program and the Action Plan on Clean Water, as well as incremental spending related to Canada’s Economic Action Plan, such as the Modernizing Federal Laboratories Initiatives.
In 2010–2011, Environment Canada’s spending level was $1,089 million, a year-over-year decrease of $6.2 million or 0.6% since 2009–2010. This slight reduction is due to reduced payments to foundations such as the NCC.
The spending trend graph shows a forecast spending decrease of $24.9 million from 2010–2011 to 2011–2012. This planned spending decrease is mainly due to the ending of the Vehicle Scrappage program and a transfer to Shared Services Canada of the control and supervision of certain IM/IT functions.2 This decrease was partially compensated by new funding to improve Canada’s weather services to ensure the integrity of the Government of Canada’s weather and environmental monitoring and supercomputing infrastructure, an increase in payment to the NCC, and the payments in lieu of severance pay for the employees represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).
The decreased planned spending from 2011–2012 to 2012–2013 is the result of sunsetting programs3 such as the Species at Risk programming and Lake Winnipeg and Lake Simcoe programs of the Action Plan on Clean Water initiative. The extension or enhanced funding for programs with temporary funding are subject to government decisions, and the outcomes of these decisions will be reflected in the Department’s future Estimates documents (Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates). In addition, the transfer of responsibilities to Shared Services Canada for the entire year and in-year adjustments contribute to the decrease in planned spending. These decreases were partially compensated by a transfer of funds from previous years for SDTC and increased funding for Canada’s Fast start financing under the Copenhagen Accord.
Please refer to the Planning Summary discussion for details on the Department’s planned spending trend from 2012–2013 to 2014–2015.
For information on the organizational appropriations, please see the 2012–2013 Main Estimates.