ARCHIVED - Environment Canada - Report

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

Minister’s Message

As Minister of the Environment, I am pleased to present the 2011-2012 Report on Plans and Priorities for Environment Canada. This report outlines Environment Canada’s actions on a wide range of initiatives to address the environmental issues of concern to Canadians and our economy. By moving forward with these initiatives, our government is working to ensure a clean, healthy environment today and well into the future.

Canadians and the international community continue to face the challenge of combating climate change. Our government will maintain its focus on developing and implementing climate change strategies at home and abroad that reflect the interests of Canadians. These efforts will be undertaken through our work with partners to both implement the Copenhagen Accord and complete the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for a comprehensive, legally binding post-2012 agreement, and by developing regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants.

We will also deliver on a number of initiatives important to Canadians, including:

• Implementing our regulatory measures to reduce GHG in transportation and electricity generation, two of the largest sources of emissions in Canada.
• Implementing our climate change plan by developing regulatory measures to address GHG emissions as part of the overall effort to achieve the national target for emission by 2020. We will also design and deliver a world-class environmental monitoring system for the oil sands as well as work with provinces and territories on reducing other air pollution emissions across major industries.
• Implementing a new Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to make the Government of Canada’s environmental decision making more transparent and accountable to Canadians.
• Delivering on the Action Plan for Clean Water.
• Moving forward on regulations to establish Canada-wide performance standards for municipal wastewater effluent.
• Continuing to protect Canadians from potentially harmful substances through our actions under the Chemicals Management Plan.
• Continuing to deliver first rate weather services to Canadians.
• Pursuing a collaborative approach with conservation partners and stakeholders to protect and conserve biodiversity at home and abroad.
• Continuing to implement the Species at Risk Act (SARA), including fulfilling obligations for recovery planning, action planning and implementation to protect species at risk.

Given the need to control spending and better use existing resources, we will strengthen resource management and deliver our programs at a pace consistent with available resources. As programs are subject to periodic review and approvals, Environment Canada will seek renewed investments for programs through the appropriate decision-making processes.

The 2011-2012 Report on Plans and Priorities outlines Environment Canada's upcoming work, including our collaboration with partners, both in Canada and internationally, to protect the environment. Please take the time to read this report and learn more about these efforts.

 

 

---

Section I – Departmental Overview

Raison d’être and Responsibilities

A number of acts and regulations provide the Department with its mandate and allow it to carry out its programs. Under the Department of the Environment Act, the powers, duties and functions of the Minister of the Environment extend to and include matters relating to:

• the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment, including water, air and soil quality;
• renewable resources, including migratory birds and other non-domestic flora and fauna;
• water;
• meteorology;
• the enforcement of any rules or regulations made by the International Joint Commission relating to boundary waters; and
• the coordination of the policies and programs of the Government of Canada respecting the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment.

Additional authorities are provided in other acts and regulations administered by the Department, including the Species at Risk Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, the Federal Sustainable Development Act, the Canada Water Act and the Environmental Enforcement Act. In addition to the statutes administered by its Minister, Environment Canada has responsibilities under other statutes, including the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, either as a federal or a responsible authority. For details on departmental legislation and regulations, please see the following website:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=48D356C1-1.

Environment Canada is also a key partner for other federal departments, where statutes such as the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act, Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology Act, Fisheries Act, and Marine Liability Act provide Environment Canada with secondary or shared responsibility for the successful execution of other federal departments’ mandates.

Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy

Environment Canada is the lead department for the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS). The FSDS represents a major step forward for the Government of Canada by including environmental sustainability and strategic environmental assessment as an integral part of its decision-making processes. The Department’s contributions to the FSDS are further explained in Sections II, III and IV, with additional details provided on the departmental website and in the Greening Government Operations supplementary table. For complete details on the FSDS, please see the FSDS website.

Delivering Our Mandate

Environment Canada is the federal lead department on a wide range of environmental issues important to Canadians. Environment Canada addresses these issues through research, policy development, service delivery to Canadians, regulation and enforcement of environmental laws, and strategic partnerships. The Department’s programs are focused on conserving and restoring Canada’s natural environment; equipping Canadians to make informed decisions on weather, water and climate conditions; and minimizing threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution. The scope of these programs illustrates how the Department is responding to the interdependence between environmental sustainability and economic well-being.

Environment Canada’s role is multi-faceted. First, we are a science-based department and a leader in scientific innovation (see Measuring Environment Canada’s Research and Development Performance). Over two thirds of our budget and more than half of our workforce is dedicated to science and technology. The Department conducts science and technology activities across the country, including the application of existing scientific knowledge through related scientific activities such as weather and environmental monitoring and prediction, and the development of new scientific knowledge and expertise through research and development activities. This work also affects the delivery of results across programs and initiatives, and thus is central to the Department’s ability to deliver its mandate.

Science and technology form the foundation of our policy and regulatory choices and, in turn, the basis of our reputation with stakeholders and the international community. Environment Canada is committed to improving the understanding of biological, atmospheric and aquatic resources and to reporting on environmental statuses and trends (see Environment Canada’s Science Plan (2007) and Environment Canada's Technology Role), so that our science better responds to the most complicated and pressing environmental challenges. This improves our capacity to design and evaluate programs for the protection of biodiversity; assess policy options for pollution prevention; and deliver state-of-the-art weather services.

Environment Canada is one of the federal government’s most active regulators with statutory and program responsibilities relating to biodiversity and environmental protection. This role is complex, requiring the application of leading-edge research and proven best practices within existing statutory authorities and policy priorities. The objective in supporting this role is first to generate standards and guides for practices that will enhance Canada’s natural capital and, second, to set out boundaries and barriers to activities that put Canada’s environment at risk. Environment Canada has set a goal to maintain and enhance its reputation as a world-class regulator.

In discharging its regulatory responsibilities, Environment Canada also assumes an enforcement function necessary to ensure that companies and individuals comply with pollution prevention and wildlife acts and regulations. This effort, which includes compliance promotion, is undertaken in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, municipalities, national and international agencies, organizations and other government departments. Such enforcement addresses, for example, the use of toxic substances and their release to air, water and land. Wildlife enforcement officers enforce Canadian wildlife legislation, which protects plant and animal species from human interventions, such as hunting or trade that could adversely affect long-term wildlife conservation.

The Department is also a service provider, producing accurate and timely weather forecasts that benefit the economy and individual Canadians alike. Environment Canada also implements programs in direct support of ecosystem sustainability and environmental protection. Environment Canada’s Weather and Environmental Services monitors, produces and delivers weather and environmental services and information to Canadians. Accurate and reliable meteorological and environmental information about the past, present and future states of the environment is essential to sound decision making by Canadians. Access to information on weather, water, air quality and climate conditions also supports public safety objectives and emergency and crisis management responses to high-impact events such as tornadoes, floods and droughts.

Moreover, the Department increasingly pursues its work through effective partnerships. Inside the Government of Canada, Environment Canada’s services, regulations and science combine with the work of other departments to address broad federal priorities. These priorities include environmental assessment, emergency and pandemic preparedness, ecosystem and water resource management, the management of contaminated sites, implementation of land claims, northern development and sovereignty, and energy security. The delivery of Environment Canada’s mandate also gives rise to partnerships with provincial, territorial and Aboriginal governments, and non-governmental organizations. These partnerships directly support a wide range of shared objectives relating to protecting biodiversity, improving water quality, reducing pollution and enforcing various regulatory requirements.

Strategic Outcomes and Program Activity Architecture (PAA)

In 2011–2012, Environment Canada’s Strategic Outcomes and Program Activity levels in the Program Activity Architecture (PAA) will remain the same as in 2010–2011. Minor modifications have been made at the lower levels of the 2011–2012 PAA to better reflect the alignment of programs with expected results. Please see 2011-2012 Program Activity Architecture for an updated PAA diagram.

The Strategic Outcomes represent the long-term and enduring benefits to Canadians that Environment Canada expects to realize through its work to conserve Canada's natural environment, to equip Canadians to make informed decisions on changing weather, water and climate conditions, and to minimize threats from pollution. The PAA also includes a Strategic Outcome and a Program Activity for the Mackenzie Gas Project, transferred to the Department from Industry Canada in 2009–2010, and a Program Activity for the Department’s Internal Services.

Environment Canada continues to seek increased clarity in performance reporting. The Department has made several modifications to its Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) as part of its ongoing process of continuous improvement. The PMF enables the Department to supplement qualitative approaches to performance reporting with quantitative measures of progress toward expected results and Strategic Outcomes. Environment Canada regularly assesses the implementation of the PMF and makes adjustments as needed to ensure that indicators are measurable and provide useful information for decision making and accountability. For several program activities, targets have yet to be determined, pending the collection of sufficient data or the completion of discussions with other governments and with stakeholders. Where targets or indicator values are not available, performance ratings will draw on other sources of information, including indicators associated with lower-level programs. In addition, where applicable, interim targets will be identified for inclusion in any forthcoming changes to the PMF. Doing so will better enable the Department to measure where we stand in terms of overall performance against longer-term objectives.

Linkages to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy

The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) includes the goals and targets undertaken by the Government of Canada to meet its environmental sustainability priorities. A total of 8 goals and 38 targets have been derived interdepartmentally, with progress toward their achievement being a product of shared efforts among multiple departments and agencies. Performance indicators have also been chosen by Environment Canada for those targets that pertain to the Department. Along with their associated FSDS targets, these indicators are presented in the context of each Program Activity in Section II of this report. The FSDS establishes a transparent system of “plan, do, check, improve,” which will enable the goals, indicators and targets to be reviewed and modified over time as needed. Further information regarding Environment Canada’s contribution to the FSDS can be found on Environment Canada’s website.

The EC Program Activities that contribute to the FSDS are highlighted in the PAA diagram on the next page by icons that represent the four FSDS Themes. These icons are defined below.

FSDS Theme Legend:

	Theme I: Addressing Climate Change and Air Quality
	Theme II: Maintaining Water Quality and Availability
	Theme III: Protecting Nature
	Theme IV: Shrinking the Environmental Footprint – Beginning with Government

2011-2012 Program Activity Architecture (PAA)

[D]

Environment Canada’s Operating Context and Priorities

Among the defining characteristics of macro-environmental issues are their global reach and complexity, which affect the interests of multiple stakeholders and jurisdictions. These issues have both long-term implications and local and regional impacts, requiring multilateral cooperation if they are to be addressed meaningfully. It is within this context that Environment Canada operates in support of its Strategic Outcomes.

One of the most prominent issues of broad concern is and will continue to be climate change. Over the course of the planning period, the demanding international agenda on climate change will continue and Environment Canada, leading the Government of Canada at the negotiations, will remain active and constructive in its approach. The focus of the international negotiations in 2011 will be to operationalize the Cancun Agreement reached in December 2010, as well as continue to negotiate on issues that have not yet been concluded, all with a view to implementing the Copenhagen Accord as the basis for a single, legally binding, post-2012 climate change agreement. Environment Canada, on behalf of the Government of Canada, will also continue to honour the Copenhagen Accord’s commitment to provide new and additional financial resources between 2010 and 2012 to support developing countries’ efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. Environment Canada will oversee efforts to ensure that the first installment of $400 million in fast-start financing announced in Budget 2010 is committed by the end of 2010–2011. Details on Canada’s fast-start financing can be found at the following website: http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=5F50D3E9-1. This investment represents Canada's largest-ever contribution to support international efforts to address climate change.

Environment Canada will continue to play a leadership role in the international process to respond to climate change. It will be a negotiator of, and capable and effective partner in multilateral efforts to deal with climate change. It will be a scientific authority, sharing scientific expertise and knowledge of Canada’s approach to its diverse environmental challenges and experiences. It will also be a stakeholder, sharing information on the current impact of climate change on Canada’s environment, including its effects on Canada’s Arctic and many of Canada’s Aboriginal, Inuit and northern communities.

Developing approaches to address climate change to serve the mutual interests of Canada and its domestic, continental and international partners from both environmental and economic perspectives is a particular challenge. Environment Canada will continue to work closely with other federal departments on issues associated with climate change that concern energy security, the environment and the economy to support a whole-of-government approach to climate change.

Environment Canada also operates in a continental context. Addressing air pollution, for instance, depends upon transboundary cooperation and harmonization of policies across jurisdictions. Canada and the United States are working together on several issues of bilateral concern, which creates both opportunities and demands for Environment Canada, given the importance of our countries’ economic relationship and shared environmental challenges.

Recent years have witnessed growing expectations among Canadians for the federal government to provide and support environmental policy on several fronts. These expectations continue, with all signs pointing to continued demands for leadership from Environment Canada on a wide range of initiatives, including those concerning the North, biodiversity and water, and regulatory and enforcement initiatives on substances, waste and clean air. These demands include responding to and educating Canadians through outreach efforts in the face of growing public interest in issues concerning the weather, climate, ecosystems and species (e.g. Environment Canada provides comprehensive and free educational resources for educators, from primary school to post-secondary, to support actions and learning activities aimed at protecting our environment).

These outreach and regulatory activities need to be built upon a foundation of effective environmental monitoring and sound science. For example, efforts to protect Canada's water resources require robust, timely monitoring and the coordinated action of governments and key stakeholders. Through the Government's comprehensive approach to water and through targeted investments as part of the Action Plan for Clean Water, important measures are being taken to protect this vital resource. National-level research and data collection are complemented by priority initiatives, such as improvements to how water quality is monitored in the oil sands region. In response to recommendations made by an expert advisory panel in December 2010, the Government has committed to working with the Government of Alberta to build a world-class monitoring system in the oil sands.

Pursuant to the Federal Sustainable Development Act, Environment Canada has responsibility across the federal government to develop and maintain systems and procedures to monitor progress on implementation of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS). The purpose of the FSDS is to make environmental decision making on the part of the federal government more transparent and accountable to Parliament. Under Environment Canada’s leadership, the first Federal Sustainable Development Strategy was tabled in Parliament in October 2010. The Department will continue to lead on the implementation of the FSDS, and regular reports on progress will be issued.

In sum, Environment Canada faces a steady demand for action, working with multiple levels of jurisdiction, domestically, continentally and internationally. These demands pose significant challenges in providing the necessary resources to respond effectively, to set and sequence priorities among initiatives, and to manage key relationships within and across national boundaries.

Over the planning period, the Department expects to deliver a wide range of services, programs and initiatives for Canadians. In particular, the Department will pursue three major priorities, set out in the following tables:

Operational Priority 1: Realize concrete progress on international, continental and domestic initiatives on climate change and clean air

Type: Ongoing

Links to Strategic Outcome(s): SO 3

Plans for meeting the priority: Domestically: Develop and implement climate change strategies that are aligned with those of the United States and help meet our 2020 Copenhagen target (details) Develop and implement a new air management system in collaboration with the provinces and territories and deliver measures to reduce air pollutants (details) Continentally: Continue collaborating with the United States on the development of clean energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gases (details) Continue cooperation with the United States to reduce transboundary air pollution (details) Internationally: Contribute to the achievement and implementation of a new and effective global agreement on climate change for the post-2012 period based on the Copenhagen Accord and the December 2010 Cancun Agreement (details) Strengthen international cooperation with other major economies, in particular China, on reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution. (details)

Operational Priority 2: Enhance environmental conservation, protection and monitoring through the implementation of key national initiatives

Type: Ongoing

Links to Strategic Outcome(s): SOs 1, 2 and 3

Plans for meeting the priority: Deliver the Action Plan for Clean Water (details) Implement the government’s Chemicals Management Plan (details) Continue implementation of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) (details) Advance agreements on the management of wastewater effluents and the development of a wastewater regime for Canada’s North (details) Develop plans to ensure the sustainability and transformation of Environment Canada’s weather and environmental services to improve public safety and security (details) Strengthen environmental enforcement (details)

Management Priority : Foster capacity of enabling functions to support programs

Type: Ongoing	Links to Strategic Outcome(s): SOs 1, 2, 3 and 4
Plans for meeting the priority: Continue to strengthen financial, information management/information technology, and human resources management in concert with the Management Accountability Framework assessments consistent with available resources (details)

Risk Analysis

In addition to the broader international and domestic challenges Environment Canada faces, the Department effectively manages a variety of risks relating to scientific research, program and service delivery and its corporate functions. These risks may ultimately affect the Department's ability to deliver on its priorities and achieve its Strategic Outcomes.

• External dependencies: As a science-based department responsible for contributing to the government priority of addressing climate change and preserving the environment, Environment Canada establishes and maintains domestic, continental and international relationships with other governments, scientific departments and partner organizations. Given this high degree of interaction, there is the risk that there may be failures on the part of third parties or partners on which Environment Canada relies, or that the Department will be unable to create, sustain and effectively manage these relationships. In response, Environment Canada has adopted mitigation measures such as environmental cooperation agreements and initiatives with a number of partners, including the United States, Mexico, the European Union, China, Brazil and India.

• Business continuity: Environment Canada operates in a very complex regulatory and operational environment that includes the provision of Government of Canada-critical services through the operation of a 24/7 infrastructure that supports the Department's Weather and Environmental Services activities and operations. Rapidly escalating costs, advances in technology, and hazards ranging from extreme weather to pandemics provide constant challenges to this service requirement. Consequently, there is a risk that Environment Canada may be unable to continue to provide critical services in a timely, coordinated and effective manner. In terms of mitigation measures, the Department is developing a series of integrated, multi-level business continuity plans and readiness programs, as well as completing the certification and accreditation of mission-critical systems.

• Resource management: Given the challenging fiscal conditions that the government of Canada is facing, more pressure has been put on the Department to perform the already complex task of making optimal allocations of the Department's finite resource envelope. The risk is that the effectiveness of Environment Canada's decision-makers in managing the Department’s resources may be negatively impacted. Managing this risk will require innovative, risk-based decision making to optimize programming opportunities and to maximize value for money. Current mitigation activities include the enhancement of departmental integrated planning, performance measurement, and the implementation of a departmental budgetary control framework that includes close monitoring of expenditures, and frequent and regular reporting accompanied by in-depth financial analysis and oversight by senior management.

• Capital assets functionality: The increasingly frequent and severe weather events compounded by the rapid evolution of monitoring, detection and communications technology is placing more pressure than ever before on an aging capital asset infrastructure. Consequently, there is a risk that the Department's capital assets, in particular the atmospheric and hydrologic monitoring infrastructure, weather radars, super-computer and fleet, may become unreliable or costly to maintain due to a lack of timely investment, and a related lack of accurate and timely information about the current status of Environment Canada's assets. To mitigate these challenges, Environment Canada is building on its Integrated Investment Planning process to improve its ability to make strategic investment decisions. In addition, the Department is strengthening its assets management function through the implementation of a comprehensive life-cycle management application, and associated policies and procedures to enhance and standardize assets management within the Department.

• Information for decision making: As a science-based, regulatory and enforcement department, Environment Canada’s mandate and reputation are dependent on quality information and data as well as on rigorous record keeping and data management. The ability of the organization to make informed decisions, adapt to change, respond to emergencies and ensure compliance with regulations is dependant on decision-makers receiving timely and accurate information. Given the rapid evolution of science and technology and an aging IM/IT infrastructure, there is a risk that management information may be insufficient, unavailable or not flowing correctly within the Department, which will impact sound decision making. Environment Canada continues to develop and implement strategies and tools to improve the way it stores, accesses, searches and reports financial and non-financial information. These improvements will be undertaken through activities ranging from a complete threat and risk assessment on all systems, to the departmental Enterprise Safeguard Implementation plan, to the establishment of a data management stewardship structure for departmental data.

• Human resources skills: The potential people impacts associated with the current fiscal realities pose significant risks to recruiting, developing and retaining the skills and experience required to continue to deliver on Environment Canada’s mandate. In addition, given retirements within the Public Service of Canada and the Department's need for specific knowledge- and science-based skill sets, Environment Canada will face recruiting challenges in the coming years. This poses unique challenges for recruitment efforts, given the demand for these skills across the economy and the current high level of employee mobility in the federal public service. To minimize this risk, senior executives will continue to focus on improving talent through increased recruitment activities, a strong focus on learning and development of employees, building a representative and diverse workforce and succession planning for key positions.

Planning Summary

The following tables provide a summary of the planned financial and human resources for the next three years.

Financial Resources ($ millions)*

2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
872.1	857.0	820.1

* All figures are net of respendable revenue. “Respendable revenue” refers to revenue received through offering of products or services that can be “respent” or “used” to help offset the Department’s voted operating funding requirements.

Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalents – FTEs**)

2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
6,038	5,774	5,762

** FTEs are extracted from the Department's Salary Management System.

The Department’s planned spending will decrease by a total of $15.1 million in 2012–2013 compared with spending for the previous year, due to the ending of the Species at Risk Program and the Clean Air Agenda temporary funding¹, which expires in 2011–2012. Also contributing to this decrease is the reduction in funding requirements for such programs as the Action Plan on Clean Water and the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan. These decreases are partially offset by a transfer of funds from 2010–2011 to 2012–2013 to support a grant to the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development and Technology (SDTC). The 2013–2014 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 approval by decision-makers and would be reflected in future RPPs.

Strategic Outcome 1: Canada's natural environment is conserved and restored for present and future generations

Performance Indicators	Targets
Percentage of Canadian ecosystems where ecosystem health has been assessed as good	To be determined. A baseline value for this indicator will be reported in the 2010–2011 Departmental Performance Report (DPR).

Program Activity2	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)*	Planned Spending ($ millions)*			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Biodiversity – Wildlife and Habitat	106.9	107.8	95.8	95.3	Clean and Healthy Environment
Water Resources	123.5	109.6	107.1	104.4
Sustainable Ecosystems	72.1	75.2	66.2	69.7
Compliance Promotion and Enforcement – Wildlife	19.5	18.3	18.1	19.0
Subtotal	322.0	310.7	287.1	288.5
Deduct: Respendable Revenue**	(16.8)	(17.3)	(16.9)	(16.9)
Total	305.1	293.4	270.2***	271.6

* Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures.
** “Respendable revenue” refers to revenue received through offering of products or services that can be respent or used to help offset the Department’s voted operating funding requirements.
*** The decrease in 2012–2013 is primarily due to the termination of temporary funding for the Species at Risk program and the reduced funding required for the Action Plan on Clean Water.

Strategic Outcome 2: Canadians are equipped to make informed decisions on changing weather, water and climate conditions

Performance Indicators	Targets
Percentage of the population surveyed (adult Canadians) who indicate having received enough notice to properly react to a warning of an approaching winter storm always or most of the time	85% by 2012.
Percentage of municipalities that rank atmospheric hazards among the top 10 hazards affecting their community, based on relative risk	70% of Canadian municipalities by 2015.

Program Activity3	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)*	Planned Spending ($ millions)*			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians	171.8	158.4	154.7	158.9	Clean and Healthy Environment
Weather and Environmental Services for Targeted Users	64.1	62.1	61.1	60.7
Subtotal	235.8	220.5	215.8	219.6
Deduct: Respendable Revenue**	(44.7)	(44.1)	(43.0)	(42.8)
Total	191.2	176.4***	172.8	176.9

*Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures.
** “Respendable revenue” refers to revenue received through offering of products or services that can be respent or used to help offset the Department’s voted operating funding requirements.
*** The decrease in 2011–2012 is due to the termination of temporary funding for the Air Quality Health Index and the Adaptation programs in support to the Clean Air Agenda.

Strategic Outcome 3: Threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution are minimized

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.
Canadian ambient air quality (ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter)	To be determined. Targets will be determined with the finalization of the air pollutant management approach.
Percentage decrease of concentrations of selected substances in air, soil, sediment, water and/or biota from baseline data	To be determined. Baseline values for this indicator will be reported in the 2010–2011 DPR.

Program Activity4	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)*	Planned Spending ($ millions)*			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Substances and Waste Management	115.2	61.2	59.6	61.0	Clean and Healthy Environment
Climate Change and Clean Air	201.3	100.1	120.4	78.1
Compliance Promotion and Enforcement – Pollution	41.6	39.7	38.6	39.5
Subtotal	358.1	201.0	218.6	178.6
Deduct: Respendable Revenue**	(4.2)	(3.3)	(3.3)	(3.3)
Total	353.9	197.7***	215.3	175.3

*Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures.
** “Respendable revenue” refers to revenue received through offering of products or services that can be respent or used to help offset the Department’s voted operating funding requirements.
*** The decrease in planned spending in 2011–2012 is primarily due to reductions of temporarily funded programs such as the Chemicals Management Plan and the Clean Air Agenda, which are scheduled to sunset at the end of 2010–2011. Please note that this amount reflects sunset funding, including the termination of temporary funding, for which the Department may receive program extensions subsequent to the tabling of this RPP.

Strategic Outcome 4: Canadians benefit from the responsible development of the Mackenzie gas resources

Program Activity5	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)	Planned Spending ($ millions)			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Mackenzie Gas Project	2.3	(0.0)	(0.0)	(0.0)	Strong Economic Growth
Subtotal	2.3	(0.0)	(0.0)	(0.0)
Deduct: Respendable Revenue	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Total	2.3	(0.0)	(0.0)	(0.0)

Note:
At the time of production of this RPP, the federal government is considering final approval for the proponents to proceed with the Mackenzie Gas Project. However, proponents have indicated that a decision on whether to construct the pipeline will not be made until late 2013. As a result, there is currently no funding planned for the Mackenzie Gas Project Office in 2011–2012 and beyond. Any funding renewals or extensions will be subject to the appropriate decision-making and budgetary processes in the future. Please see Strategic Outcome 4 for more details.

Internal Services (Program Activity)

Program Activity6	Forecast Spending 2010–2011 ($ millions)*	Planned Spending ($ millions)*			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2011–2012	2012–2013	2013–2014
Internal Services	208	204.5	198.6	196.4	N/A
Subtotal	208	204.5	198.6	196.4
Deduct: Respendable Revenue	(0.0)	(0.0)	(0.0)	(0.0)
Total	208	204.5	198.6	196.4

*Totals may differ within and between tables due to rounding of figures.

Internal Services reflect the full range of policy, communication, management and administration activities for the Department. These activities include costs related to that portion of real property, laboratories, systems and infrastructure assets that has not been attributed to specific programs. Please see Internal Services for a further description of the Department’s Internal Services.

Expenditure Profile

For the 2011–2012 fiscal year, Environment Canada plans to spend $872.1 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 2011–2012 fiscal year. Strategic Outcome 1: “Canada's natural environmental is conserved and restored for the present and future generations” makes up the largest portion of the funding, and includes the Species at Risk Program, the Migratory Birds Program, the Great Lake Action Plan, the Action Plan on Clean Water, and water quality and quantity research and monitoring.

Note: Figures included in the chart are net of respendable (vote-netted) revenues.

[D]

The following graph illustrates Environment Canada’s funding level trend from 2007–2008 to 2013–2014.

Note: These figures are net of respendable revenues. Forecast Spending includes 2010–2011 Main Estimates, plus 2010–2011 Supplementary Estimates A and B, anticipated C, as well as collective agreement pressures.

[D]

For the period of 2007–2008 to 2009–2010, actual spending represents the actual expenditures as reported in the Public Accounts. For the 2010–2011 fiscal year, the forecast spending represents the planned budgetary and statutory expenditures as presented in the Estimates documents (Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates) and an anticipated lapse. For the period of 2011–2012 to 2013–2014, the planned spending reflects approved funding by Treasury Board to support the departmental strategic outcomes.

For the period from 2007–2008 to 2008–2009, Environment Canada’s spending level increased mainly due to new temporary and sunsetting funding received and spent for the Chemicals Management Plan, the National Vehicle Scrappage Program, the Enforcement Program, the Clean Air Agenda, and the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology (SDTC). The transfer of responsibility for the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative and the Harbourfront Centre to the Minister for Environment Canada also contributed to the spending increase during this period.

Environment Canada’s 2009–2010 actual spending was $1.095 billion, a year-over-year decrease of $25.3 million or 2% from 2008–2009 spending. This slight net decrease is mainly due to reduced payments to foundations such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada and SDTC. These decreases were offset 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.

The spending trend graph shows a forecast spending reduction of $34.5M from 2009–2010 to 2010–2011. This planned spending reduction is due to a decrease in program funding (e.g. the Mackenzie Gas Project, the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and the International Polar Year), the Strategic Review and the Budget 2010 containment measures.

In addition, the decreased planned spending from 2010–2011 to 2013–2014 is the result of sun-setting programs, which include the Chemicals Management Plan, Species at Risk, Clean Air Agenda and Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan. The extension or enhanced funding for sun-setting programs are subject to government decisions. The outcomes of these decisions will, therefore, be reflected in the Department’s future budget exercises, since this extension had not yet been confirmed at the time of production of this Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP).

Estimates by Vote

Estimates by Vote are presented in the 2011–2012 Main Estimates, which are available at the following link:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20112012/me-bpd/toc-tdm-eng.asp.

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page