ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Environment Canada

This page has been archived.

---

The Honourable Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P.
Minister of the Environment

---

Section 1: Overview Section 2: Analysis of Environment Canada's Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Section 3: CERIA

Section 4: Supplementary Information

Section 5: Other Items of Interest

Section 1: Overview

Minister's Message

As Minister of the Environment, I am pleased to put forward the 2006-2007 Report on Plans and Priorities for Environment Canada. This document is an important element of the Government's plan to address head-on the challenges on the environment and to find solutions that deliver tangible results for Canadians.

The Government is focused on "Made-in-Canada" solutions that are results-oriented and have direct benefits to the health of Canadians and the Canadian environment. Our focus is on real domestic action to ensure that Canadians can enjoy clean air, clean water, clean land, and healthy communities.

The Government has already taken action on important environmental initiatives. These include tax credit measures to increase the use of public transport, increasing the average renewable fuel content in gasoline and diesel fuel to five per cent by 2010, reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide and metal pollutants from major industrial sources and eliminating uncontrolled disposal of mercury switches from scrap cars.

Building on these important steps, this report identifies how Environment Canada intends to address the broad range of environmental issues within its mandate and jurisdiction. Over the next three years, the Department will develop a "Made-in-Canada" plan that will:

• Promote cleaner air for Canadians. The health of Canadians is seriously affected by the quality of the air we breathe. Those who are affected the most are our country's most vulnerable: the young, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.
• Reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions.
• Work with partners to promote clean and safe water resources. The threats to the quality of Canada's water resources must be addressed.
• Manage the risks to human and environmental health from toxic chemicals.
• Conserve and protect Canada's significant natural spaces.

Environmental issues such as air pollution and the management of toxic substances are by their nature complex and multi-jurisdictional. Finding solutions requires commitment and a long-term view. It also requires collaboration among all orders of government, industry, and stakeholders. The key challenge is to define a common direction, a collaborative approach and to ensure that partners share a commitment to tangible results that will have lasting benefits for Canadians.

While the Department is working to promote a new and more collaborative approach to environmental management, its commitment to transparency and accountability remains unabated. This report is one of the tools Environment Canada uses to ensure its accountability to Parliament and to Canadians. I encourage you to read it and learn about the actions our Government and our partners are working to set in place for the benefit of all Canadians.

Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P.
Minister of the Environment

Management Representation Statement

I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2006-2007 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) for Environment Canada.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in the Guide to the preparation of Part III of the Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities.

• It adheres to the specific reporting requirements outlined in the TBS guidance;
• It is based on the Department's approved Program Activity Architecture (PAA) as reflected in its MRRS;
• It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and accurate information;
• It provides a basis of accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities entrusted to it; and
• It reports finances based on approved planned spending numbers from the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Michael Horgan
Deputy Minister of the Environment

Departmental Plans and Priorities

OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

Canada is particularly rich in natural assets, containing within its borders 20% of the world's natural areas, 10% of the world's forests, and 7% of the world's renewable fresh water. The Canadian economy benefits greatly from this wealth. Roughly 22% of Canada's GDP is derived from resources such as energy products, forests and agriculture. While Canada is blessed with a richness of natural assets, improved management of these resources is a central need.

Canada is not alone in its efforts to seek out effective ways to manage the environment. Over the last 50 years, the Earth has lost 25% of its topsoil, 33% of its forests, and most of its large fish stocks. The OECD estimates that environmental impacts on human health cost OECD countries 0.5% of GDP and that 20% of the total burden of disease in industrialized countries can be linked to environmental factors.

Environment Canada is open for business 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year from coast to coast and around the world. Every year we: Issue more than 1.5 million public weather forecasts; 200,000 marine and sea state forecasts; 400,000 aviation forecasts; 15,000 warnings and 1,300 ice condition forecasts; Respond to 33 million telephone calls and handle 6 billion Internet hits seeking meteorological and environmental information; Conduct around 10,000 inspections under Canada's environmental laws; Provide spill containment and clean-up advice to lead response agencies at an average of 1,000 significant incidents; Assess nearly 800 new substances, process 8,000 notices for proposed international shipments of hazardous waste permits and over 43,000 manifests associated with actual shipments; Manage 13 million hectares of wildlife habitat; Support hundreds of community-led projects in all regions of the country to protect and restore the environment; Publish over 500 scientific articles.

Health Considerations
Air quality is of increasing concern to Canadians: 60% consider air pollution to be the most important environmental issue. Over half believe it will eventually have a negative impact on their health, and a third believe that air pollution is already having adverse impacts.

There is growing evidence that the state of the environment is significantly impacting human health. Smog, for example, can worsen existing heart and breathing problems and it results in thousands of premature deaths each year. Smog causes hundreds of thousands of severe episodes of asthma and bronchitis annually, particularly among children and the elderly. The Ontario Medical Association estimates that air-related illnesses result in 60,000 emergency visits and 17,000 hospital admissions annually in Ontario alone. Data shows that 12% of children are estimated to have asthma and it is now a leading cause of school absenteeism. An analysis in eight major Canadian cities concluded that air pollution is a factor in 1 in 12 deaths – a total of 5,900 preventable deaths per year.

Some of the same pollutants that cause smog also impair ecosystems and wildlife. Poor air quality, particularly through acid deposition, remains one of the most serious threats to biodiversity, forests and fresh water ecosystems. Hazardous air pollutants such as mercury can be deposited into water and pose risks to wildlife and humans through their accumulation up the food chain.

Economic Considerations
The stress and resulting degradation that is occurring in our environment creates real economic costs associated with, among other things, forgone resource and labour productivity and increased burden on the health care system. In the province of Ontario alone, poor air quality has resulted in an estimated $200 million per year in crop damage, $77 million per year in forest damage, $374 million in lost productivity in 2005, and direct health care costs of $507 million per year.

These types of costs affect all regions and sectors, and cumulatively they represent a serious challenge to Canada's long-term prosperity. In the Okanagan Valley and Alberta oil sands region, for example, economic opportunities are increasingly constrained by water availability, whereas, in the Prairies, Atlantic Canada, and elsewhere, invasive pests that harm crops and forests are estimated to cost Canada's economy $7.5 billion each year.

Natural disasters, particularly those of a meteorological origin like severe thunderstorms, snow, freezing rain, floods or drought, also take a strong economic toll. For example, the insurance industry says it expects to pay out more than $400 million in the wake of a storm that hit southern Ontario on August 19, 2005. This storm was the worst in Ontario's history.

In addition to the departmental Act, the Minister has substantial legal authorities and obligations related to the department and including: Canadian Environmental Protection Act Fisheries Act (subsection 36(3)) Canadian Environmental Assessment Act Species at Risk Act Canada Wildlife Act Canada Water Act Weather Modification Information Act

Competitiveness in the Global Economy
Within the global economy, citizens, investors, and companies are responding to the reality that environmental sustainability is an increasingly important driver of competitiveness.

This fundamental shift in how the environment is valued can be seen in the changing nature of international trade, where countries and industries are increasingly putting in place environmental standards for imported or traded goods and services.

More than ever before, industries are pressured to behave responsibly and adopt sustainable and ethical practices. For example, the world's top wood buyers responded to campaigns calling on them to stop buying wood from endangered forests, affecting their suppliers across North America and Europe.

Investors, including banks and insurers, monitor corporate earnings related to environmental performance and liability. The Carbon Disclosure Project (155 institutional investors representing 40% of the world's managed assets or a total of $21 trillion) now requires disclosure of financial risk of carbon emissions.

Financial indices – such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index – have emerged, adding credence to arguments that environmental sustainability is essential to economic competitiveness in the 21st century, as the companies listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index have outperformed the companies on the Dow Jones World Index over the last 10 years.

Departmental Response and Priorities
The Government will adopt a Made-in-Canada approach to the environment that secures real benefits for Canadians. Recognizing the links between the economy, the environment and human health will build an understanding of the real value of the environment and help in the identification of priority areas for action. The most pressing environmental challenges are those that have the greatest impact on lives of Canadians.

While Environment Canada will continue to provide a wide range of valuable products and services for Canadians, including environmental research and weather information, focusing the Department's efforts on a number of key priorities will ensure that real environmental outcomes that benefit Canadians are achieved. The Government has identified several key areas for action:

Canada is a signatory to some 59 international environmental agreements, including: Bilateral Agreements on key environmental issues, such as: Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Canada-U.S. Agreement on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste. Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) such as: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, Convention on Biological Diversity. Regional Agreements on environmental cooperation, such as: North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

Reducing Air Pollutants
To protect Canadians from the harmful effects of air pollution, Environment Canada will demonstrate federal leadership by tabling a Clean Air Act and introducing new measures to reduce air pollution and achieve tangible reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the Government will focus on promoting new infrastructure and transformative technology, harnessing market forces, and green transportation systems with initiatives like tax credits for public transit users and 5% renewable fuel. The efforts to reduce air emissions will be the first part of a broader environmental strategy that will be developed in collaboration / consultation with partners.

Protecting Canadians from Toxic Substances
Canadians expect that any risks associated with chemicals that are on or entering the marketplace, and to which they may be exposed in air, water, food, products or other elements of indoor or outdoor environments, have been properly assessed, and that adequate measures have been taken to protect their health and that of the natural environment. This reflects a growing awareness of the connection between exposure to certain toxic substances in the environment and a variety of chronic diseases, developmental disorders and other health problems in humans, as well as threats to wildlife and the integrity of natural ecosystems.

Canada is the first country to complete a systematic examination of the hazardous properties of substances that went into use prior to 1994. This review has provided the information baseline to make a shift in the manner in which government and industry work together.

Building on Canada's success in reviewing all chemical substances in use, Environment Canada will continue to work with Health Canada to ensure that toxic substances are managed in a way that protects the health of Canadians. The Government will introduce a strategy to strengthen the sound management of chemicals and will start by taking immediate action to address the substances that have been found to be the most hazardous and take measures to reduce the risks harmful substances pose to the health of Canadians and the environment.

Science provides a foundation for sound policy decisions and actions About 70% of Environment Canada's budget and 60% of its workforce are involved in science and technology related activities; These include: monitoring; providing indicators of ecosystem health; weather forecasting; environmental prediction; undertaking scientific research; and communicating scientific findings in useful format to decision-makers; Environment Canada operates 15 research institutes and labs and is part of a large scientific community.

Ensuring Water Quality and Quantity
The effort to ensure a safe and secure water supply in Canada will focus on priority ecosystems such as the Great Lakes, and also entail work with provinces, territories and municipalities regarding municipal wastewater.

Supporting Clean Land and Biodiversity
Work towards clean land will begin with steps to encourage the clean-up of contaminated sites and brownfields. Adopting a comprehensive, outcomes-based approach to biodiversity will mean focusing on ecosystems rather than species-by-species activities.

The strong links between these areas mean that progress in one area will contribute to progress in another. For example, measures to reduce smog-causing pollutants can also help address greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, as well as acid rain that damages lakes and rivers and their broader ecosystems.

A Made-in-Canada approach to environmental sustainability
The approach to delivering on these priority initiatives will be guided by the notion that achieving environmental quality is a means to protect the health and well-being of Canadians, preserve Canada's natural environment, strengthen Canada's long-term competitiveness and improve Canadians' quality of life. It will focus on achieving results, and aim to reward leaders and empower citizens.

The recognition that Canada's natural assets provide goods and services that fuel the economy and help keep Canadians healthy, provides a new basis for understanding and appreciating natural assets as 'natural capital'. The management of natural capital would benefit from the same rigor that is applied to the management of human and produced capital, including developing an understanding of its real value and tracking its status and rate of depletion.

Other aspects of this approach include an emphasis on taking the long-term perspective that is necessary when it comes to environmental issues. Setting long-term environmental objectives will help coordinate efforts to achieve shared goals, provide predictability and planning certainty for industry and transparency and accountability for citizens, as well as drive investments in technology. Within the federal government, improved sustainability planning and reporting across Sustainable Development Strategies will provide greater coherence, consistency and accountability to Canadians.

Working effectively with partners
The approach to delivering on these priority initiatives will be guided by the notion that achieving environmental quality is a means to protect the health and well-being of Canadians, preserve Canada's natural environment, strengthen Canada's long-term competitiveness and improve Canadians' quality of life. It will focus on achieving results, and aim to reward leaders and empower citizens.

A successful approach will see Environment Canada demonstrating federal leadership and working collaboratively with its partners to organize efforts around common priorities and a long-term outlook. Working with the provinces and territories to achieve shared goals will improve transparency and accountability, and ensure that resources are used most efficiently. Developing single-window approaches to streamline compliance and enforcement, and looking to the long-term will help reduce compliance costs for another important partner, industry. Working with industry and others such as Aboriginal peoples and governments and ENGOs, through such mechanisms as the Sector Sustainability Tables, will help to set shared priorities and generate recommendations about how to achieve objectives in a way that strengthens long-term competitiveness.

In order to encourage the highest level of engagement from key stakeholders, targeted approaches will reach out to Canadians to play a role in the environment, support communities, and implement regulatory processes that are fair, sustainable and transparent and reduce compliance costs for industry.

Principles of good governance provide a foundation for moving forward in advancing the Government's priorities

• Informed, inclusive, and flexible decision-making to align efforts across jurisdictions;
• Usable, accurate information to enable sound decision-making and accountability;
• Nationally coherent science and technology focusing on priorities and key opportunities;
• Clear incentives to drive performance and enforcement integrated across jurisdictions, focused on outcomes; and
• Meaningful education and engagement to empower Canadians and decision-makers.

Strategic Outcomes and Departmental Plans
Environment Canada is implementing a process of transformation to enable the Department to better deliver on its mandate of ensuring the highest quality of environment for Canadians. This transformation includes implementing an integrated approach that is supported by new results management and governance structures.

Environment Canada's new results management and governance structures support the one department approach by better aligning accountabilities and the way the Department's work is organized with the results that we expect to achieve.

In preparing for the 2006-2007 planning cycle, the Department had reorganized its activities and resources into a revised Program Activity Architecture (PAA). This architecture enables the Department to better manage how its activities interact and contribute to its overarching strategic objectives. As well, it provides an important new tool to senior managers for the purposes of reordering the Department's efforts to higher priorities when necessary.

The existing Program Activity Architecture identifies four strategic outcomes:

1. Canada's natural capital is restored, conserved, and enhanced.

2. Weather and environmental predictions and services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians.

3. Canadians and their environment are protected from the effects of pollution and waste.

4. The impacts of climate change on Canada are reduced.

The Department is currently reviewing this PAA structure and strategic outcomes and will be making adjustments to reflect the priorities and direction of the new Government.

In the context of the existing Program Activity Architecture, the Department will organize work to achieve progress towards these strategic outcomes and priorities under four areas:

Ecosystem Sustainability
Goal: To develop and implement innovative strategies, programs, and partnerships to ensure that Canada's natural capital is sustained for present and future generations.

Weather and Environmental Services
Goal: To provide Canadians with world-class meteorological and environmental information, predictions, and services to ensure safety and to support economic activity.

Environmental Protection
Goal: To develop and implement innovative strategies, programs, and partnerships to protect Canadians and their environment from the effects of harmful substances.

Climate Change
Goal: Address the long-term challenge of climate change and help Canada adapt to a changing climate.

The details of the activities to be delivered in support of the outcomes and themes are provided in Section 2 of the RPP.

CONCLUSION

The Department is placing significant emphasis on the further development of environmental sustainability indicators as a means to guide the overall approach to environmental results. Canada's Performance, the annual report to Parliament by the President of the Treasury Board, has included a selection of available indicators to provide a view of change across a certain set of issues. These include indicators related to air quality, biodiversity, climate change, toxic substances in the environment and water use.

To a large extent, Environment Canada's activities are primarily aligned with the Clean and Healthy Environment theme of Canada's Performance. However, consistent with the broader policy vision of natural environment, health, and competitiveness, Environment Canada's activities also contribute significantly to the economic, health and international government-wide themes.

2005-2006 to 2006-2007 Program Activity Architecture (PAA) Crosswalk

Environment Canada received Treasury Board approval to modify its Program Activity Architecture (PAA) for 2006-2007. The table below provides a crosswalk between Environment Canada's 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 Program Activity Architectures.

The Department will be revising the Program Activity Architecture for 2007-2008 as required to reflect the Government's priorities and directions.

Totals may differ in and between tabled due to rounding of figures.

Summary Information

Environment Canada's 2006-2007 Main Estimates

Program Activities (millions)	Operating	Capital	Grants	Contributions and other transfers	Less: Revenues credited to the vote	Totals
Biodiversity is conserved and protected	102.0	0.5	--	24.0	(1.2)	125.3
Water is safe, clean and secure	55.3	2.3	--	0.5	(3.1)	54.9
Canadians adopt approaches that ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes	68.4	0.7	--	4.5	(1.7)	71.8
Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making	113.4	12.5	0.0	0.2	(8.5)	117.6
Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions	189.7	7.2	--	7.5	(52.9)	151.6
Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced	226.8	6.2	2.0	8.4	(7.1)	236.3
Canadians adopt sustainable consumption and production approaches	23.3	3.3	--	--	(0.0)	26.6
Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced	18.1	0.4	--	--	(0.1)	18.5
Canadians understand the impacts of climate change and adapt to its effects	1.3	--	--	--	(0.0)	1.3
Total Main Estimates	798.5	33.0	2.0	45.0	(74.7)	803.9
Adjustments						34.5
Total Planned Spending						838.4

Totals may differ between and within tables due to rounding.

Reason for Existence: The legislation and regulations that provide Environment Canada with its mandate and allow it to carry out its programs can be found at: http://www.ec.gc.ca/EnviroRegs/. 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 Coordination of the policies and programs of the Government of Canada respecting the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment.

Planned Financial and Human Resources

Planned Resources	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Financial Resources	$838.4 M	$763.5 M	$751.0 M
Human Resources	6,363 FTEs	6,285 FTEs	6,250 FTEs

 

Strategic Outcomes

Strategic Outcomes	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Canada's natural capital is restored, conserved and enhanced	$266.2 M	$234.9 M	$229.2 M
Weather and environmental services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians	$272.8 M	$265.2 M	$258.1 M
Canadians and their environment are protected from the effects of pollution and waste	$265.0 M	$250.9 M	$249.4 M
The impacts of climate change on Canada are reduced	$34.5 M	$12.5 M	$14.3 M
Total Planned Spending	$838.4 M	$763.5 M	$751.0 M

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

Summary of Departmental Priorities

Strategic Outcome	Priority	Program Activity/ Intermediate Outcome	Planned Spending
			2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Canada's natural capital is restored, conserved and enhanced	Develop and implement innovative strategies, programs, and partnerships to ensure that Canada's natural capital is sustained for present and future generations. (ongoing)	Biodiversity is conserved and protected	125.6	102.5	102.3
		Water is safe, clean and secure	59.7	54.5	54.5
		Canadians adopt approaches that ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes	80.9	77.9	72.4
Weather and environmental services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians	Provide Canadians with world-class meteorological and environmental information, predictions, and services to ensure safety and to support economic activity. (ongoing)	Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions	121.8	121.5	117.1
		Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions	151.0	143.7	141.0
Canadians and their environment are protected from the effects of pollution and waste	Develop and implement innovative strategies, programs, and partnerships to protect Canadians and their environment from the effects of harmful substances. (ongoing)	Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced	238.5	224.4	224.5
		Canadians adopt sustainable consumption and production approaches	26.5	26.5	24.9
The impacts of climate change on Canada are reduced	Address the long-term challenge of climate change and help Canada adapt to a changing climate. (ongoing)	Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced	32.6	10.6	13.0
		Canadians understand the impacts of climate change and adapt to its effects	1.9	1.9	1.3
Totals			$838.4M	$763.5M	$751.0M

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

Section 2: Analysis of Performance by Strategic Outcome

Strategic Outcome 1: Canada's natural capital is restored, conserved and enhanced

Description

Natural capital includes the raw materials used in the production of manufactured goods, the land and water resources that anchor our quality of life and support economic activity, as well as living ecosystems that cleanse polluted air and water, reinvigorate soil, and contribute to a predictable and stable climate. Environment Canada works to restore, conserve, and enhance Canada's natural capital by developing and implementing innovative strategies, programs, and partnerships. The purpose of our work in this area is to ensure that Canada's natural capital is sustained for present and future generations. This work has been organized into three program areas:

1. Biodiversity is conserved and protected

• Wildlife is conserved and protected
• Land and landscapes are managed sustainably

2. Water is safe, clean and secure

• Aquatic ecosystems are conserved and protected

3. Canadians adopt approaches to ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes

• Integrated information and knowledge enable integrated approaches to protecting and conserving priority ecosystems.
• Information, assessment, and understanding of the state of ecosystem sustainability support decision-making.

Planned Financial and Human Resources by Program Activity

	2006-2007		2007-2008		2008-2009
	$	FTE	$	FTE	$	FTE
Biodiversity is conserved and protected	125.6	818	102.5	779	102.3	779
Water is safe, clean and secure	59.7	467	54.5	468	54.5	468
Canadians adopt approaches to ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes	80.9	551	77.9	551	72.4	535
Totals	266.2	1,836	234.9	1,798	229.2	1,782

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

Expected Results and Key Measures

Program Activity	Expected Results	Indicators
Biodiversity is conserved and protected	Wildlife is conserved and protected	Improvement in the status of threatened and endangered species. Maintenance of healthy levels of migratory bird populations.
	Land and landscapes are managed sustainably	% of area (km2) of conserved wildlife habitat that is under direct Environment Canada protection or protected through departmental partnerships and influence.
Water is safe, clean and secure	Aquatic ecosystems are conserved and protected	Economic, social and environmental benefits accrue to Canadians through sustainable and productive use of water resources. Canadians have access to safe drinking water and human health is protected from water quality and quantity-related threats.
Canadians adopt approaches to ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes	Integrated information and knowledge enable integrated approaches to protecting and conserving priority ecosystems.	Declassification of special areas (e.g. areas of concern, restricted fishing areas). Number of partnerships established and/or maintained.
	Information, assessment, and understanding of the state of ecosystem sustainability support decision-making.	New management approaches in project EAs and Strategic EAs are implemented. Establishment of strategic partnerships to advance ecosystem sustainability and decision-making. Increased capacity of Canadian monitoring organizations to implement effective, relevant ecological monitoring programs.

Plans and Priorities

Over the next three years, Environment Canada plans to pursue the following plans and priorities.

1. Develop and implement a nationally-coherent, ecosystem-based approach to planning and delivering initiatives.
2. From an ecosystem perspective, take action to identify and begin addressing the critical knowledge gaps that limit integrated decision-making impacting on natural capital.
3. Implement the Species at Risk Act through a transparent, consistent, and harmonized policy and program framework that ensures stakeholder involvement and the inclusion of both ecological and socio-economic considerations.
4. Implement the North American Bird Conservation Initiative and under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, provide regulatory certainty to stakeholders while conserving and restoring migratory bird populations.
5. Establish a regulation for incidental take under the Migratory Birds Convention Act to ensure effective conservation of migratory bird populations while promoting sustainable economic development.
6. Strengthen federal, provincial, territorial, and international collaboration to address shared water priorities.
7. Improve the Department's ability to gather, integrate, use, and disseminate information in order to support environmental assessment.
8. Improve the management of protected areas and seek opportunities to enhance protected areas networks.

Program Activity 1A -- Biodiversity is conserved and protected

Results Context

Our land, fresh water and oceans, and the diversity of life they support, provide the basis for our health and our economy. They provide a vast array of services to human society – including life-supporting natural processes that clean the air, purify the water, pollinate plants, absorb carbon dioxide, recycle nutrients, process wastes, prevent floods, control pests, and replenish soils. The services provided by natural capital are often very expensive to replace or are irreplaceable.

However, increasing human population combined with increasing demand for goods and services is resulting in the over exploitation of land and water, compromising the long-term viability of ecosystems and threatening to eliminate the services they provide. To secure our essential life support systems and our economic prosperity in Canada, we need to ensure that the continued use of our lands, waterways and oceans is done is such a way that human activities do not undermine the overall ability of the ecosystem to function. For landscape management and sustainability to be a success in Canada, we need to broaden our focus from simply protecting areas of land and water to managing the full continuum of ecosystems from wilderness, parks and working landscapes, to urban centres.

Planning Context

Environment Canada's work in this program area consists of activities to protect and recover species at risk; conserve, restore and rehabilitate significant habitats; and conserve migratory birds. A primary vehicle for the achievement of results under this program is the formation of strategic partnerships for the integrated management of Canada's natural capital including the sustainable management of landscapes. A key principle in support of results under this program is the use of best available science.

Initiatives and activities in this program area flow from the legal obligations under the Canada Wildlife Act (CWA), the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA), the Species at Risk Act (SARA), the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA); and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA).

Current Status and Future Positioning

Environment Canada's main strategy is one of prevention – "keeping common species common." Once a species or ecosystem is in peril, it is more complicated and usually more costly to take measures to reverse the problem. We are able to maximize efficiencies by directing most of our energies on the prevention of problems – whether they be population declines, degradation or fragmentation of habitat or releases of toxic substances into the environment. This strategy focuses our work on restoring, conserving, and enhancing natural capital through a holistic ecosystem approach that identifies, interprets and responds to environmental conservation concerns – an approach to the integrated management of land, water, air, and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. Specifically, the Department is working to:

• Forge agreement on a national framework that sets out agreed upon objectives and outcomes for achieving sustainable land management, conservation of biological diversity, and the maintenance of essential ecosystem goods and services.
• Develop the knowledge, information, monitoring and assessment capacity in Canada to support integrated landscape management.
• Create enabling conditions through new and innovative policy instruments and tools to engage Canadians, support participatory decision-making and foster stewardship.
• Focus our efforts on the recovery and stabilization of populations of at-risk species and the conservation of migratory bird populations through the protection of key habitats, landscapes and ecosystems.

Risks and Challenges

Human impacts on ecosystems are affecting the capacity of nature to continue to provide all of the essential assets and services that are needed now and for future generations. One risk is that environmental change can take place over a long period of time and the impact and consequences of some landscape-based decisions may not become apparent until some future point. It is possible that some impacts, once they are realized, cannot be easily remediated or the natural capital loss restored.

Failure to ensure the conservation of migratory bird species or to address issues associated with wildlife disease and invasive species could lead to population declines and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem health. From a program perspective, impacts on biodiversity could result in additional listings under the Species at Risk Act, resulting in additional processes, legal requirements and the need to develop recovery strategies. Robust monitoring and research programs are required to detect declines in populations of wildlife, understand the factors causing those declines, and take steps to mitigate potential problems.

Program Activity 1B -- Water is safe, clean, and secure

Results Context

Water is emerging as a critical issue of the 21st century. While Canada is recognized around the world for its natural wealth in water resources, these resources are at risk.

Despite significant reductions in point source discharges of contaminants, other key sources of pollution remain, including emerging chemicals, about which little is known. About 1 trillion litres of primary or untreated sewage pour into our water every year. Losses of wetlands continue: 68% of original wetlands in southern Ontario, and 75% of those in southwestern Manitoba have been converted from their natural state. Threats to water quality include the release, redistribution, and biomagnification of contaminants. Adopting an ecosystem or watershed management approach is important to maintaining healthy ecosystems and protecting human health.

Water is also an essential resource for important areas of Canada's economy such as agriculture, pulp and paper, oil and gas, electric power generation, transportation, tourism and other recreational uses. Urban population growth has resulted in pressures on infrastructure for water and economic development is creating competing sectoral demand for scare water resources. Millions of dollars of economic impacts have resulted from flooding in Canada. Canadian business earned $1.4 billion from water-related environmental goods and services in 2000. Upwards of $1.25 billion worth of hydroelectricity is generated on the St. Lawrence system.

Planning Context

This program area is designed to provide policy and science leadership on water quality, quantity and use. The implementation of water policy, management, performance promotion and education and engagement will focus on strengthening federal, provincial, territorial, and international collaboration with a view to identifying benefits and incentives for the sustainable use of water, and ensuring that Canadian water related interests are protected globally. Science under this program will be focused on monitoring and research to understand what is changing in aquatic ecosystems and why, and on providing scientific information and tools to empower Canadians to take action.

Current Status and Future Positioning

Securing clean, safe and secure water for people and ecosystems requires a domestically and internationally shared vision for governments. Provinces are generally the primary managers of water in Canada and are responsible for much of the environmental regulation and policy-making that affects water issues. However, water bodies and watersheds frequently extend across provincial and national boundaries.

Environment Canada provides leadership in setting of overall direction for the management of water resources, the examination of existing arrangements and agreements, and identifying and managing areas of mutual concern. Canada has in place a number of institutional arrangements that help address matters of shared jurisdiction pertaining to waters that span provincial and national borders including the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, a number of domestic water control boards and the International Joint Commission. Furthermore, all governments have major policy and regulatory levers to deploy in support of water management. Ensuring that these levers are used in a harmonized, collaborative, and ecologically, socially and economically beneficial manner is a central challenge of water management in Canada. Within the federal government at least 19 federal departments are in some way implicated in the management of water. This provides a significant horizontal management challenge.

Environment Canada is recognized as the lead for water science in Canada. The Department works in collaboration with other federal departments, provinces and territories, science networks related to work on the environment, as well as the public (including non-governmental organizations, academia and municipalities) to determine priorities for monitoring and research in order to provide timely and integrated scientific information and advice to decision-makers on the status and trends in water quality and aquatic ecosystems, an assessment and determination of the impacts of stressors on aquatic ecosystems and water resources and best management practices for sustaining efficient use of Canada's water.

Risks and Challenges

There is a risk that decision-makers and resource managers will not have adequate or sufficient science-based advice on the impacts and risks to water quality, quantity, and sustainable use including long-term infrastructure costs, urban growth, and economic development in Canada. To mitigate this risk, Environment Canada is working in collaboration with its partners to share information, promote sustainable water use, and build best management practices in Canada.

Securing interdepartmental, intergovernmental, and sectoral cooperation, support, and strategic partnerships is a significant challenge. Environment Canada and interdepartmental committees are looking at ways to improve the integration of federal work related to water.

Program Activity 1C -- Canadians adopt approaches that ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes

Results Context

Priority Ecosystem Initiatives have been developed in an effort to respond to the unique environmental and sustainability issues of targeted ecosystems. They are a key tool to promote and implement ecosystem management in Canada and to get action and results in ecosystems of national importance. Current Priority Ecosystem Initiatives include:

• Atlantic Canada Ecosystems and Communities
• Georgia Basin Ecosystem
• Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem
• Northern Ecosystem
• St. Lawrence River Ecosystem
• Western Boreal Ecosystem

Planning Context

This program area will develop and implement a nationally-coherent, ecosystem-based approach to planning and delivering initiatives. It will facilitate comprehensive departmental action on ecosystems by aligning science and policy expertise and enhancing collaborative governance and decision-making mechanisms. A further feature of this program area will be to take action to identify and begin addressing, from an ecosystem perspective, the critical knowledge gaps that limit integrated decision-making, impacting on natural capital.

The goal of this work is to help decision-makers better understand the impact of their decisions on ecosystem sustainability by shifting from an emphasis on individual elements toward a more holistic consideration of ecological functions and services. Innovative tools will provide decision-makers with a better understanding of ecosystem changes; adaptive management processes will be implemented and supported; and the effectiveness of Environment Canada partner science in reaching decision-makers will be enhanced.

Current Status and Future Positioning

Environment Canada recognizes that an ecosystem approach, based on scientific diagnostic and analysis, will provide a place-focused, analytical planning framework that deliberately integrates environmental, economic, and social objectives, within ecological scales and timeframes. Considering the implications on overall ecosystem sustainability, through innovative approaches (e.g., cumulative effects assessments, integrated ecosystem monitoring), will significantly improve the knowledge base upon which community planning and decisions affecting the ecosystem are made.

A strategic vision will be developed to define the scope and mandate of Priority Ecosystem Initiatives, including the principles for determining relative priorities for each of the priority ecosystems. Plans and priorities include:

• Developing and implementing an Ecosystem approach for the Department.
• Developing a Priority Ecosystem Management Framework.
• Improving the state of Priority Ecosystems across the country through the effective delivery of Priority Ecosystem Initiatives.

Risks and Challenges

Without the application of an ecosystem approach to departmental initiatives, we may lose the opportunity to increase the efficiency of our programs in responding to the environmental and sustainability issues of targeted ecosystems. We will also be hampered in progressing towards greater integration of work with other departments and partners.

Strategic Outcome 2: Weather and environmental predictions and services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians

Description

Canadians are affected by environmental and weather conditions such as extremes in temperature and precipitation, variable lake levels, winter storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, floods, smog, sea ice conditions, road icing and aircraft turbulence. These conditions can affect our health and safety, our property, our businesses, the economy, and the environment.

Environment Canada works to provide Canadians with world-class meteorological and environmental information, prediction and services to ensure safety, ecosystem sustainability and enhanced economic activity. Environment Canada's work in this area is organized under two program activities:

• Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making; and
• Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions.

Planned Financial and Human Resources by Program Activity

	2006-2007		2007-2008		2008-2009
	$	FTE	$	FTE	$	FTE
Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making	121.8	1,141	121.5	1,146	117.1	1,145
Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions	151.0	1,342	143.7	1,317	141.0	1,318
Totals	272.8	2,483	265.2	2,463	258.1	2,463

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

Expected Results and Key Measures

Program Activity	Expected Results	Indicators
Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making	Environment Canada has the environmental monitoring capability that allows it to identify, analyse and predict weather, air, water and climate conditions	Integrity of monitoring networks and of their operations (sustainable and affordable networks).
	Science is produced to support weather and environmental services, decision-making and policy development	Science-driven improvements to quality and utility of weather and other environmental services, as expressed by accuracy and timeliness of forecasts and the degree to which environmental science influences policy development and decision-making.
Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions	Environmental forecasts and warnings are produced to enable the public to take action to protect their safety, security and well-being	Quality and lead times of warnings. Accuracy of forecasts. Public satisfaction with quality as measured in surveys.
	Canadians are better informed through improved weather and environmental services and leveraged partnership opportunities	Level of satisfaction of public and weather-sensitive industries. Improvements to key services for weather-sensitive economic sectors. Level of access and enquiry for Environment Canada's products and services. Level of access to international monitoring data through initiatives such as the Global Earth Observation (GEOSS) initiative.
	Canadians benefit from the creation and use of meteorological and environmental information by Environment Canada and partners in support of programs of common interest	Level of satisfaction of partner and client organizations. Accuracy and timeliness of services measured against performance benchmarks.
	Environmental information and services empower Canadians to take action on environmental priorities	Extent to which Canadians are able to use a variety of environmental data and information in their decision-making and have the motivation and tools to take action and to influence others to do so.

Plans and Priorities

Over the next three years, Environment Canada plans to pursue the following plans and priorities.

1. Ensure mandated Environment Canada service commitments continue to be met and improved. (ongoing)
2. Improve accuracy and timeliness of and response to prediction and warnings of environmental hazards. (ongoing)
3. Empower Canadians by developing services, products and tools for better environmental and socio-economic decision-making.
4. Lead, nurture, and enhance international and domestic partnerships (for improved leveraging of resources and access to new information sources, science, technology, and expertise).
5. Ensure policy developers and decision-makers have timely environmental data and information and expert advice to support decision-making (through integrated monitoring, understanding and prediction of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and their interactions with the underlying physical and biological surface).
6. Service improvement and quality management where the service is clearly based on the needs of users.
7. Increase capacity across the Department for environmental prediction to address priority issues.

Program Activity 2A. Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making

Results Context

The availability of timely observational data and information is critical to generating knowledge and information for environmental prediction, air quality forecasts, water quality and supply analyses, climate change and ecosystem sustainability. In particular, monitoring (the systematic measurement of various parameters of the environment, such as winds, temperatures or water levels) enables the detection and prediction, in real time, of hazardous environmental conditions; these activities are critical for reducing risks and contributing to the health and well-being of Canadians. The resulting data and information are used in the development of policy and regulations (e.g. climate change policy and building codes), as well as enabling advances in environmental literacy. Observational information is also needed to quantify the impact of policy decisions.

Monitoring activities are directed at ensuring the acquisition, transmission, archiving, and accessibility of observations pertaining to weather, climate (past weather), water levels and flows, and other environmental matters. These observations are essential to making consistent, reliable data and timely information available to users 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Activities fundamental to achieving these results include monitoring relevant parameters; establishing, maintaining and inspecting the monitoring infrastructure; providing horizontal leadership in environmental monitoring; data stewardship; and reporting on those basic parameters.

Environmental prediction science delivers credible, relevant, integrated, and usable environment predictions, environmental knowledge, advice, and decision-making tools and information on existing and emerging issues. Environment Canada's environmental prediction science helps industry, citizens, communities and governments understand their vulnerabilities to conditions or threats related to health, safety, security, the economy or the environment. This science also provides them with knowledge, predictions, advice, decision-making tools, and information that enable them to prevent the preventable, optimize opportunities, and risk-manage the rest.

Planning Context

This program area consists of environmental science and monitoring activities to detect hazardous conditions, to understand what is changing in the atmosphere (weather, climate, air quality and ultraviolet radiation), hydrosphere (water) and cryosphere (ice and snow), and why. To achieve this, it is necessary to conduct, throughout Canada, consistent, on-going measurements of basic parameters. A key benefit of the results under this program will be to provide improved knowledge, information, and tools on weather and environmental conditions (e.g. a better understanding of the causes of severe weather, the mechanisms that transport chemicals through the atmosphere, the impacts of human activity on the atmosphere, and models based on atmospheric science). These benefits will support the development of policy as well as the delivery of environmental services.

Current Status and Future Positioning

The continuous operation of observational networks, including an increasing role for remote and space-based monitoring systems (e.g. Earth observation satellites), is critical to enable Environment Canada to provide essential environmental predictions. Environment Canada's observational information and data are relied upon to support policies and programs in these areas: forecasting weather, floods and droughts, conducting informed environmental assessments, assessing the impacts of climate change and the effectiveness of adaptation responses, designing buildings and infrastructures, managing and protecting natural resources including water, and forecasting and managing air quality.

To increase data coverage in a cost-effective way, strategic investments in new monitoring technologies and strategies to move towards an appropriate mix of in-situ, remote, airborne and satellite-based monitoring systems are required. In addition, the current mix of data acquisition, transmission, archiving, and dissemination processes is being optimized to ensure efficiency and data integrity. Finally, effective systems for managing the Department's environmental information and making it readily available to researchers and decision makers – like the data management framework currently under development – are also critical to delivering high-quality data products and services in a manner that is convenient and timely for the clients. Together, the actions undertaken will allow the Department to better respond to growing demands for more accurate, comprehensive and timely environmental information and predictions.

From a scientific perspective, current priorities focus on improving scientific models (higher resolution and accuracy), better exploiting data and improving observing systems, shifting to probabilistic outputs (by combining several predictions), and transferring technology and scientific information to operational applications.

Risks and Challenges

Implementing the proposed monitoring approach requires people with very specialized scientific and technological backgrounds. This is particularly important to deliver the scientific information required to address key environmental issues over both the short term and long term (on climate change and the North, or in key sectors such as the social, security, and financial sectors).

Environment Canada will develop and implement an up-to-date formal succession plan and aggressive career development plan to address the very high retirement rate anticipated over the next five years for technical and professional staff and to ensure that appropriately trained employees are available (three to five years of training is required).

Failures of automated data collection systems could result in reliable observational data not being available to forecast meteorological and environmental hazards. Effective maintenance and inspection programs with contingency plans for all networks minimize such risks. In particular, Quality Management System certification (ISO 9001) for data collection networks is being pursued to enhance the integrity of operations and contribute to quality improvements.

Program Activity 2B. Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions

Results Context

Timely warnings of changing weather and environmental conditions that threaten the life and health of Canadians form the raison d'être of this program area. Globally, about 85% of life-threatening hazards are hydrometeorological in nature. Furthermore, public opinion research indicates that the vast majority of Canadians consult weather forecasts every day, for their security and decisions they make in everyday life (e.g. travel planning and recreation). Weather and environmental information is used in making policy and business decisions, particularly in weather-sensitive sectors such as transportation and agriculture. Increasingly, Canadians, governments at all levels, and private industries are seeking other types of environmental information, for example, on air quality or UV radiation.

Accessible and understandable information about the changing physical and chemical environment is a key element to help ensure the health and safety of Canadians. Information on the past, present and future states of the environment is now an important factor in business decisions, particularly in the context of a just-in-time, globally competitive economy. More and more, being able to anticipate how the environment will affect business locally or globally is a key element of competitiveness.

Environment Canada produces weather and environmental forecasts, warnings and information for the health and safety of Canadians, 24 hours a day, every day. It also produces air quality forecasts, and information products for emergency response, such as forecasts of concentrations of hazardous substances like volcanic ash, pollutants or radioactive material. Information is very useful, but, by itself, it is not sufficient to empower Canadians to take action to preserve and protect ecosystems or species at risk; active engagement and outreach approaches are also essential. Through community-based funding, capacity support programs and education initiatives, Environment Canada encourages citizens to take action in their own communities to reduce waste, enhance the natural environment, and reduce air and water pollution.

Planning Context

This program area consists of producing and making available relevant knowledge and information on past, present and future physical and chemical conditions of the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water) and cryosphere (ice and snow). This is in response to the assessed needs of Canadians – be they policy- or decision-makers, business people or individuals, or others who require this information to deliver on departmental or federal responsibilities and obligations (e.g. National Defence, NAV CANADA, Coast Guard icebreaking). Under this program area, information on the state of the environment is produced by integrating environmental data (weather, ice cover, water levels, pollutant releases and transport, etc.), and scientific knowledge into a wide variety of products and services. These products and services aim to empower Canadians to safeguard themselves and their property against environmental hazards like dangerous weather or poor air quality and to help them make better-informed decisions, be they of a social, economic, or environmental nature. By properly taking the past, present and future states of the environment into account, Canadians can make informed decisions for the mutual benefit of the economy and of the environment. Partnerships, domestic and international, are critical to the success of these endeavours.

Current Status and Future Positioning

The production of Environment Canada's meteorological forecast services has been extensively restructured over the past few years to respond effectively to the ever-increasing demands for improved information and services, and so that they can be delivered in a manner that is sustainable in the long-term. Currently in its fourth year, this five-year transition aims to increase the efficiency of production and develop a coherent quality management system while ensuring that environmental information is properly understood and used to its fullest potential, through activities such as outreach to major clients and stakeholders.

In the future, Environment Canada intends to broaden its services to include other forms of environmental predictions. Traditional weather prediction services will expand to include new areas such as the evolution of key ecosystems affected by climate change, or how environmental changes affect economic sectors like transportation or tourism. Other changes expected for the future include improved services to Canadians, including education and engagement activities, modern dissemination systems (e.g. "http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca, " the Canadian Government's most popular Web site with some eight billion visits annually), and performance management. Also, activities worthy of future investments include the international GEOSS initiative (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) which will permit continued leveraging of international monitoring and science activities, thus leading to better environmental prediction services.

Environment Canada cannot achieve its results without many win-win partnerships that allow optimum use of its infrastructure and successful delivery of its services. The introduction of the new 511 telephone services to be offered in partnership with Transport Canada, provincial and territorial governments, the Canadian Urban Transit Association and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Society of Canada is an excellent example. The objective is to offer to all Canadians free bilingual access to current weather information including warnings of high impact weather events as well as travel information, such as road conditions.

Environment Canada will strengthen its links with the media, who not only want and need access to its information and services for their programming, but also represent the single most effective conduit for getting forecasts and warnings to the public – a key aspect of the Department's mandate. A special National Service Office is designing service improvements for the media and operating a web site dedicated to media use. Outreach and warning preparedness officers will liaise with media outlets to improve the quality of the services provided and the priority they give to weather warnings, thus improving the reach of this essential service while obtaining feedback from the media sector. Likewise, work with partners like public safety agencies and emergency measures organizations is crucial to assist them in planning how to mitigate and respond to emergencies, and to fulfill the Department's mandate of informing and protecting Canadians.

Information and data about the state of Canada's environment and how it is affected as a result of human activities (for example, by releases of pollutants into the air or water), may be difficult for citizens to understand. Environment Canada intends to put additional emphasis in the coming years into improved public reporting and contextualization of this type of information to enable individuals, businesses and other decision-makers to take specific action to improve and protect the environment and make better-informed decisions.

Risks and Challenges

Rapid scientific and technological advancements pose a challenge to environmental prediction activities with respect to the acquisition of data and the production and dissemination of forecasts. For example, new generations of satellites are being launched and will provide increasingly voluminous and useful datasets that Environment Canada needs to use for environmental predictions. These volumes of data will require the modernization of ground receiving stations, as well as additional telecommunication bandwidth, supercomputing power and mass storage. A strategic plan under development will address these issues and set a long-term strategy for refits and modernization. Risks related to a sudden loss of data – due to system failure or a termination by a supplier – are mitigated by using multiple sources of data. Effective business resumption planning and systems mitigate the risk of loss of weather and environmental forecasts and planning.

Forecasting is increasingly done using numerical environmental-prediction models that can only be run on the very fastest computers available, making a major failure of the Department's supercomputer a significant risk. This is mitigated by ensuring a robust and reliable supercomputing facility with systems such as uninterruptible power supply, and by securing access to models from other countries (USA, Europe).

Reliance on information technology (IT) through automated systems increases the risk of systems failures. Diligence in defining robust service level agreements and in designing and testing contingency plans will be paramount to mitigating these risks. Increases in IT security threats also pose a risk to the continuous (24 hours, seven days) critical operations. This risk is minimized by implementing Treasury Board guidelines on IT security, implementing increased security zones, and ISO certification considerations to increase system reliability.

Strategic Outcome 3: Canadians and their environment are protected from the effects of pollution and waste

Description

Environment Canada protects the health of Canadians and the environment from the effects of pollution and waste by developing and implementing innovative strategies, programs, and partnerships. Our work in this area has been organized into two program areas:

1. Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced.

• Air quality is improved.
• Risks to Canadians and their environment posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances are assessed.
• Risks to Canadians and their environment posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances are managed.

2. Canadians adopt sustainable consumption and production approaches:

• Canadians are informed of environmental pollution and are engaged in measures to address it.
• Sector-based and other approaches promote sustainable consumption and production.

Planned Financial and Human Resources by Program Activity

	2006-2007		2007-2008		2008-2009
	$	FTE	$	FTE	$	FTE
Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced	238.5	1,658	224.4	1,647	224.5	1,646
Canadians adopt sustainable consumption and production approaches	26.5	184	26.5	185	24.9	185
Totals	265.0	1,842	250.9	1,832	249.4	1,831

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

Expected Results and Key Measures

Program Activity	Expected Results	Indicators
Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced	Air quality is improved	Ambient air quality levels as measured by the National Air Pollution Surveillance Program (NAPS).
	Risks to Canadians and their environment posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances are assessed	Number of categorized commercial chemicals.
	Risks to Canadians and their environment posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances are managed	Quantity of releases or concentration of substance(s) of concern in the ambient environment. Number of preventive or control measures (e.g. regulations or voluntary instruments) in place which address substances of concern.
Canadians adopt sustainable consumption and production approaches	Canadians are informed of environmental pollution and are engaged in measures to address it	Quality of information reported to and contained in the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and the Criteria Air Contaminant (CAC) Emissions Inventory.
	Sector-based and other approaches promote sustainable consumption and production	Strategic approach and policy options for sustainable production and consumption are developed.

Plans and Priorities

Environment Canada plans to pursue the following plans and priorities over the next three years:

1. Advance priority actions for air quality and substances of concern including:

• Developing a Clean Air Act as the basis for a comprehensive clean air strategy;
• Developing and implementing a comprehensive agenda for the sound management of chemicals following the completion of the categorization mandate under CEPA 1999;
• Strategically managing and ensuring the effectiveness of existing and forthcoming environmental protection regulations and the federal contaminated sites program;
• Developing regulations for municipal wastewater effluent;
• Improving information and reporting on pollution;
• Approval of a stewardship policy governance structure for biotechnology; and
• Developing and implementing a strategy to identify and address risks from nanotechnology.

2. Implement key strategic shifts to improve the effectiveness of program approaches, including:

• Using sectoral approaches for risk assessment and risk management, where possible;
• Using equivalency agreements and other federal-provincial-territorial partnership approaches to achieve national targets; and
• Use public education and engagement, including risk communication, effectively.

3. Establish a clear and predictable environmental protection regime by developing and implementing a quality management system for decision-making with respect to pollutants.

Program Activity 3A – Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced

Results Context

Pollutants and other harmful or dangerous substances pose considerable threats to the health and well-being of Canadians and have significant negative impacts on air, water, and land. Air pollution, for example, has significant negative impacts on human health, the environment and our society and economy. A recent Health Canada study estimated that 5,900 people in 8 Canadian cities die prematurely each year as a result of air pollution. Acidified lakes are not recovering, toxics are bio-accumulating, and biodiversity is reduced. Air pollution is also resulting in agriculture and forestry losses, reduced productivity, health system costs, and infrastructure damage.

In order to protect the health of Canadians and the environment from the risks posed by pollution, waste, and substances of concern, those risks must be assessed, understood, and managed taking into account the full management cycle including the disposal or recycling of products containing toxic substances. Building this understanding involves considering the risks posed by the legacy of unassessed substances to which we and our environment are exposed each day; avoiding the creation of other such legacies by assessing and managing new chemicals and products of biotechnology before they enter our economy and environment; effectively managing the risks associated with chemicals that are already in our economy and environment; developing scientific tools and technologies important for identifying, measuring, assessing and managing risk; reporting on how well we are doing in delivering on current risk management strategies and tools (e.g., CEPA 1999 instruments such as regulations); ensuring that waste, when it is generated is managed in an environmentally sound manner and looking forward to identify emerging risks with the aim of understanding and managing those risks before they put our health, our environment, or our prosperity at risk. Such knowledge is critical to ensuring that resources and efforts from governments, industry, and individual Canadians are used to maximum advantage in support of our long-term competitiveness, the health of our citizens, and that of our environment.

Planning Context

This program area consists of reducing risks to the environment and to human health posed by pollutant releases related to human activities. Under this program area, environmental and human health threats posed by toxic substances and other substances of concern are understood in terms of their fate and effects and are prevented, reduced, or eliminated through appropriate risk management measures. These substances may exert a direct toxic effect on animals, plants or humans or, due to the volume, nature and manner of release, may pose an immediate or longer-term risk to the environment and human health.

Current Status and Future Positioning

Clean Air
Innovative strategies, programs, and partnerships are required to protect the health of Canadians and the environment from the harmful effects of air pollution. Despite progress in addressing clean air issues and reducing transboundary and international emissions and emissions from major industrial, transportation and other sectors, continued action is needed. Work to improve air quality will focus on developing an integrated sector-based approach; strengthening international cooperation (particularly with the U.S.); and promoting science-based approaches to inform the development of new standards and regulations

A Made-in-Canada plan for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions will focus on realistic and effective reductions in emissions for the long term. It will:

• Take advantage of opportunities to build a competitive and sustainable Canadian economy;
• Be an integral part of our energy security;
• Promote the development and use of new technologies;
• Support regional development; and
• Engage Canadians and communities to take action at the local level

Greenhouse gases and air pollutants share common sources. An integrated approach to regulating air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions is important in order to reduce emissions and pollution in a way that achieves the best possible outcomes. An integrated approach can also increase opportunities for formulating goals that take into account potential problems and conflicts, and increase the possibility of finding an optimal solution for mitigation of both issues.

Regulatory approaches that meet or exceed standards in the U.S. or other key industrialized countries are an important element of the plan. For example, while Canada's emission standards for many classes of on-road vehicle and engines and off-road engines are currently aligned with those of the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to implement more stringent emission requirements for some classes of vehicle and engines, and Canada's emissions standards need to keep pace.

Toxic Substances
Since the early 1990's, Canada and other industrialized nations have had in place processes to assess health and environmental risks associated with new substances before they are allowed to enter the marketplace, backed up by regulatory regimes and other measures to manage those risks so as to prevent unhealthy exposures and ensure effective protection,

However, in Canada, as in other industrialized countries, large numbers of substances that were already in use before new substance review processes were established, have been allowed to remain in commercial use, pending their ultimate assessment for potential health and/or environmental effects. In Canada, this amounts to some 23,000 substances that were in commerce in the mid-1980's, prior to the promulgation of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).

CEPA 1999 required that the Government undertake a comprehensive review of the legacy of unassessed substances to identify whether they potentially present hazards that require further in-depth evaluation to determine their precise health and environmental risks, and how those risks should best be managed. Canada is the first country in the world to have completed a comprehensive review of all substances in commerce This initial categorization resulted in the identification of substances that may pose a concern for human health or the environment, and that therefore now must be evaluated and potentially be subject to some form of risk management measure. This will be accomplished through a new management approach coordinated by Environment Canada and Health Canada.

Delivering on these challenges will require integrated information about our environment and increasingly sophisticated risk assessment methodologies and technologies to ensure that risk assessments, which form the basis for risk management responses, are as complete and thorough as possible.

Risks and Challenges

Internationally, Canada's emissions per capita and per GDP are among the highest of the OECD countries. The 2005 report, The Maple Leaf in the OECD: Comparing progress toward sustainability, showed that out of the 30 OECD countries, Canada ranked 28th overall, based on 29 environmental indicators. Canada's showings include 26th in greenhouse gas emissions, and 27th in pollution from sulphur oxides. In the longer-term, domestic environmental performance could affect Canada's ability to seek international reductions of pollutants that would bring benefits to Canada. There is a risk that Canada's access to international markets may be hampered, potentially affecting its competitive position in the international community.

In order to meet our CEPA 1999-mandated obligations, Environment Canada's mitigation strategy is to evaluate priorities on a yearly basis and focus on "must do" activities. Rigorous priority-setting and leveraging of new opportunities must be accompanied by re-investment in infrastructure, capital, and highly qualified personnel to ensure the continued effective and efficient program delivery from Environment Canada's research and science capacity.

Program Activity 3B – Canadians adopt sustainable consumption and production approaches.

Results Context

The generation and collection of environmental and pollution information is crucial for educating Canadians about the connection between their actions and environmental, health, and economic outcomes. It is also essential for encouraging them to adopt sustainable production and consumption approaches; for supporting risk assessment and risk management activities; for assessing progress; and for enabling decision-makers to make quality decisions in support of Canada's long-term competitiveness and the health of our citizens and our environment. Work in this area will help the Department deliver on its legislative mandate by creating a more systematic approach to the Department's decision-making concerning the assessment, management and prevention of the risks of pollution using a mix of instruments under CEPA, 1999 and the Fisheries Act, as well as non-legislative tools. Legislative approaches will be complemented by developing new approaches that engage more of society and infuse environmental considerations more fully through the production cycle and value chain of products.

Work to promote sustainable consumption and production will improve Environment Canada's decision-making criteria and processes for managing the risks of harmful substances and ensure that the Department has a strong but flexible legislative basis for action. We will seek opportunities to develop more holistic approaches to reducing risks and improving environmental quality by promoting corporate behaviour that contributes to environmental protection, including improved product stewardship and other approaches to sustainable consumption and production.

Planning Context

This program area provides a focus for the Department's longer-term efforts to reduce the cost of unsustainable consumption patterns and to shift industry towards more sustainable forms of production. Much of the activity will be centered around large sector-based approaches to enable collaborative and informed decision-making on environmental objectives. We will also initiate work with small and medium-sized enterprises and the financial sector. Underlying this will be the creation of a clear and predictable environmental protection regime, designed to encourage and enable sustainable production and consumption.

Current Status and Future Positioning

Consistent application of key principles in risk assessment and risk management decision-making will be improved through the development and implementation of a Quality Management System (QMS) for Environment Canada's regulatory responsibilities related to protecting Canadians and their environment from the effects of pollution and waste. This work will focus on improving the clarity of decision-making criteria, processes, and engagement with respect to decisions pertaining to the legislative responsibilities under CEPA and the Fisheries Act. The initial focus will be on risk assessment and risk management, particularly determining priorities for both as well as establishing risk management strategies. This will seek to clarify the application of key principles including the precautionary principle and the use of Schedule 1 of CEPA, 1999. Once these policy issues are clarified, the processes will be documented. Further, Environment Canada will demonstrate leadership in application of principles, government-wide, on regulatory decision-making and work closely with other departments, especially in the area of biotechnology.

Environment Canada has begun to develop an approach for certain aspects of sustainable consumption and production, such as Pollution Prevention Plans, Extended Producer Responsibility approaches, Life Cycle Management and other environmental management systems, corporate sustainability reporting, investor recognition of the benefits of reduced environmental risks, and work with communities on an ad-hoc basis. This work will need to be considered in a holistic way to optimize the Government's leverage to promote sustainable consumption and production as an integrated approach. Upcoming work will examine best practices in product stewardship policy, environmental design, corporate sustainability reporting, and other cutting edge sustainable consumption and production tools to assess their applicability within the Canadian context. By increasing departmental knowledge and engagement on the business value of corporate environmental performance, departmental activities could help support market decision-making, including by companies, the financial sector and consumers, in support of Canada's environmental priorities.

This work will result in longer-term strategies to support key governmental and departmental priorities including innovation and smart regulation to promote early action by industry to reduce risks to health and the environment. While our current risk assessment and risk management processes are directed towards meeting the global challenge associated with the backlog of unassessed existing substances in Canada, environmental sustainability requires a larger societal shift towards sustainable production and consumption practices that do not release harmful substances or result in substantial energy or material waste at any stage in the product cycle. For example, eighty percent of the environmental and economic costs associated with production are predetermined at the product design stage; therefore, encouraging innovation in product design should be a critical aspect of Government support for sustainable production. Concurrently, encouraging market shifts towards more environmentally-friendly products can have immediate environmental results as well as stimulate longer-term innovation in sustainable production.

In the area of generating and collecting environmental and pollution data, the focus will be on improving data quality and harmonizing and integrating reporting. Improvements to the quality of data collected and generated will allow increased confidence in its value to guide decision-making and set priorities. The harmonization and integration of reporting will reduce the efforts required for industry to report and governments to collect the data, as well as ensuring consistency in the data being used and published by different jurisdictions. Together, these efforts will allow the Department to become an authoritative source of information on pollution.

Risks and Challenges

Challenges regarding pollutant information are to provide more comprehensive estimates of pollutant releases for more pollutants, and to undertake greater analysis of pollutant release data alongside other related data sources. Through the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), information on releases from large industrial sources is currently available for over 300 pollutants. Information on air releases from all sources in Canada (including industrial, transportation and residential sources) is only available for certain criteria air contaminants (pollutants that contribute to smog and acid rain), heavy metals (mercury, cadmium and lead) and persistent organic pollutants (dioxins and furans, PAHs). In order to appropriately understand and manage pollution, it is important to have a more comprehensive view of non-industrial sources and releases to media other than air. Greater analysis of pollutant release data alongside other information sources (for example, ambient air quality and economic) will allow a more comprehensive picture of pollution in Canada which will better assist with targeting actions and supporting decision-making.

Strategic Outcome 4: The impacts of climate change on Canada are reduced

Description

Almost one-third of Canada's GDP is affected by climate and weather. Important regional economies and entire economic sectors, such as forestry, agriculture and fisheries, are already being affected and could be devastated by further climate change. The BC forest fires (2003), the Prairie drought (2004), and the Eastern Ontario/Quebec ice storm (1998) all demonstrate how vulnerable Canada is to climate variability and severe weather events. Canada's northern communities and ecosystems are particularly vulnerable and impacts including melting permafrost and shrinking sea ice cover are already being observed.

In order to reduce the social, economic and environmental impacts of climate change on Canada, action needs to be taken on two fronts: first, by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; and second, by strengthening our understanding of the impacts of climate change and taking steps to adapt to its effects.

As such, Environment Canada's work in this area is organized under two program activities:

Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced:

• Made-in-Canada plan for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions is developed and implemented
• Long-term global climate change regime is consistent with Canadian interests

Canadians understand the impacts of climate change and adapt to its effects:

• Adaptive strategies to address the impacts of climate change are developed and implemented for the benefit of Canadians and the environment.

Greenhouse gases and air pollutants share common sources. An integrated approach to regulating air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions is

Planned Financial and Human Resources by Program Activity

	2006-2007		2007-2008		2008-2009
	$	FTE	$	FTE	$	FTE
Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced	32.6	194	10.6	184	13.0	166
Canadians understand the impacts of climate change and adapt to its effects	1.9	8	1.9	8	1.3	8
Totals	34.5	202	12.5	192	14.3	174

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

Expected Results and Key Measures

Program Activity	Expected Results	Indicators
Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced	Made-in-Canada plan for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions is developed and implemented	Emissions from large industries are reduced. Emissions trading infrastructure is developed. Increased integration with Clean Air objectives. Public education and awareness of consumer options increased.
	Long-term global climate change regime is consistent with Canadian interests	Progress achieved at UN meetings towards the approach to global action on climate change reflects Canadian position and national situation.
Canadians understand the impacts of climate change and adapt to its effects	Adaptive strategies to address the impacts of climate change are developed and implemented for the benefit of Canadians and the environment	Level of awareness and understanding by economic sectors, OGD's and other levels of government of their vulnerability to atmospheric change enhanced. Canada's adaptation deficit reduced as measured by: Reductions in the vulnerability to the built environment, human health and ecosystems. Reductions in the vulnerability and increased opportunities for economic competitiveness

Plans and Priorities

Taking effective and realistic action to reduce GHG emissions for the long term will help build a competitive and sustainable Canadian economy. Investors are already putting a value on environmental sustainability. As the world moves to address climate change, those economies and companies that build environmental considerations into their decisions will ultimately have a competitive advantage. We also need to work towards an inclusive long-term international approach to climate change that is consistent with Canadian interests.

The measures to be implemented to address greenhouse gas emissions will be closely aligned and coordinated with action on clean air as described in the previous section under program activity 3A (risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced). This plan for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions will focus on realistic and effective reductions for the long term.

Program Activity 4A – Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced

Results and Planning Context

This program area provides a focus for the Department's activities aimed at reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions as well as those aimed at helping to build a future approach that balances economic prosperity and societal needs with emissions reductions.

The sources of GHG emissions and common air pollutants, as well as the action required to reduce them, are often the same. Efficient strategies should be pursued that address both clean air and climate change in an integrated manner.

Canada intends to work with its international partners to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Canada is prepared to work within all multilateral efforts to ensure effective international cooperation on climate change. Future international cooperation that meets Canada's goals would result in significant global reductions in GHG emissions by all major emitting countries, maintain competitiveness of Canadian enterprises, and generate significant environmental co-benefits.

The approach to addressing climate change in Canada has evolved continuously since the signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992. However, a number of areas require a more focussed approach to achieve realistic and effective reductions in GHG emissions for the long term. This approach will include: reducing air pollutant and GHG emissions from industrial and transportation sectors; supporting the development of new technologies needed to address air quality and climate change for the long term; improving energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewable energy; helping citizens and communities take action; and working with the United States and other countries, through the United Nations process and other multilateral approaches, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Risks and Challenges

Actions to reduce GHG emissions are integral to any strategy for sustainable production and use of energy. The reductions in GHG emissions which will be required in the future can only be achieved if action leading to short-term reductions is balanced with the investment in actions that will pay off on a longer-term time line.

Effectively addressing climate change requires collaboration between many countries with widely varying national circumstances. Canada will continue to be an active participant in the UN process, the G8 + 5 Climate Change Dialogue and is also considering participation in the Asia Pacific Partnership. We will continue to participate in research and technology partnerships that enhance our ability to reduce GHGs domestically while furthering technological development that will benefit the developing world.

Program Activity 4B – Canadians understand the impacts of climate change and adapt to its effects

Results Context

Climate change impacts are real. Changes are already occurring, as documented scientifically and from long-term changes derived from paleo evidence, earth observations, and indigenous communities. The adaptation deficit is growing exponentially, domestically and internationally, as measured, for example, by insured and uninsured losses. These early climate and atmospheric impacts are dramatically increasing demands on all levels of government to act within their areas of responsibility.

Impacts and adaptation programming will focus on science capacity supporting the rapidly growing need for developing science-based adaptation advice that allows decision-makers to understand and risk-manage the impacts of climate change by:

• Addressing the rapidly growing needs for safer, healthier, and more resilient communities with a strong public infrastructure and improved disaster management planning.
• Reducing the risks related to biodiversity losses and environmental damage.
• Minimizing the weather and climate sensitivities of key economic sectors (e.g., forestry, agriculture, energy) and optimizing new economic opportunities for increased efficiency and competitiveness.
• Providing new knowledge, technologies, tools, and advice to support timely decisions by all Canadians.

To manage the risks and optimize the opportunities associated with weather and climate change, Canada must strengthen its capacity to develop and implement, through partnerships, science-based adaptation solutions at the community, regional and national levels.

Planning Context

Building on Environment Canada's work to reduce the impact of weather and related hazards, this program area is focused on understanding and minimizing the negative effects of climate change, developing adaptive strategies, and helping partners implement solutions. This knowledge and information will be provided to policy developers and decision-makers as advice on adaptation to changing weather and climate. Science leadership includes identifying benefits and incentives to guide the development of sound mitigation and adaptation strategies for Canadians. On the international front, Canada will develop synergies with multi-lateral environmental agreements, especially the three United Nations Conventions on sustainable development (Climate, Desertification, and Biological Diversity).

Current Status and Future Positioning

Environment Canada has a long history, credibility and is the recognized source for impacts and adaptation science, methodologies and tools, and interpreting climate and weather data. As a result, Environment Canada is one of the few federal departments to work with more than the typical sector adaptation approach (e.g. issues, sectors, and regions) and to help partners implement adaptation solutions in Canada. Examples of work to date include advice and information on developing Heat Alert systems, water management planning, responding to disaster management legislation (e.g. Bill 148 in Ontario (http://www.hazards.ca/) and the Civil Securities Act in Québec), and developing new winter maintenance by-laws (e.g. city of Ottawa).

Despite the potential impact on Canada's economy, society, environment, and quality of life, adaptation solutions have not been developed for many issues. This program area proposes to develop those solutions using a solid foundation of impacts and adaptation science coupled with strong partnerships including with decision-makers and multi-disciplinary networks. Scientific expertise is needed to identify and prioritize impacts and risks while additional scientific and infrastructure expertise is needed to develop and implement adaptation solutions.

Risks and Challenges

noted that the range and availability of species of polar bear, walrus, seals and caribou are already beginning to change and infrastructure is beginning to fail. Unless we understand the vulnerabilities and impacts of a changing climate, and effectively help to implement adaptation solutions, the Canadian economy, society and ecosystems will be strongly impacted, adding to the pressures pushing against sustainability, and increasing the existing "adaptation deficit." To achieve sustainability, the adaptation deficit, which is already increasing exponentially, must be reduced.

Adaptation solutions currently do not exist for many issues and can only be developed using a solid foundation of impacts and adaptation science coupled with strong partnerships including decision-makers and multi-disciplinary networks.

Canada must accept the challenge of developing a strong adaptation science capacity and providing the science-based solutions needed by all levels of government, economic sectors and society. Such a capacity would initially reduce the adaptation deficit in four key areas: technology (e.g., Canada's critical public infrastructure); human health (e.g. heat alert and air quality warning system), economic competitiveness (e.g. agri-environmental standards for Canadian farmers), resilience in natural ecosystems and biodiversity.

Section 3: CERIA

Canada Emission Reduction Incentives Agency

The Canada Emission Reduction Incentives Agency (CERIA) was established as a result of the 2005 federal budget, which allocated $1 billion over five years to the Agency.

The purpose of the Agency was to provide incentives for the reduction or removal of greenhouse gases through the acquisition, on behalf of the federal government, of eligible domestic and international emission reduction credits.

Although Parliament had approved funding for CERIA, the Agency's funding was frozen pending the approval of the details of the Agency's program design and implementation under its original mandate and the Agency never became operational.

The new Government has stated that it will not purchase international emission credits. Further, the new Government is developing a new approach to address clean air and climate change and therefore the Agency is being wound down.

CERIA Table 1: Departmental Planned Spending and Full-Time Equivalents

		Forecast Spending 2005-2006	Planned Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009
Purchases of domestic credits generated in Canada by the domestic offsets system (see note below)			24.7
Purchases of international credits generated in other countries that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol (see note below)			24.7
Budgetary Main Estimates (gross)			49.4
	Less: Respendable Revenue		--
Total Main Estimates			49.4
Adjustment 2005-2006 Supplementary Estimates and technical adjustments: Reprofiling of 2005-2006 funding			9.5
Total Adjustment			9.5
Total Planned Spending			58.9
Plus: Cost of services received without charge			1.0
Net Cost of Program			59.9
Full Time Equivalents			44

Note: Although originally included in the Main Estimates, the Government will not purchase emissions credits.

CERIA Table 2: Program Activities

2006-2007 ($ millions)
Program Activities	Operating	Capital	Grants	Contributions and Other Transfer Payments	Gross	Respendable Revenue	Total	Adjustments	Total Planned Spending
Purchases of domestic credits generated in Canada by the domestic offsets system (see note below)	24.7						24.7	4.8	29.5
Purchases of international credits generated in other countries that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol (see note below)	24.7						24.7	4.7	29.4
Total	49.4						49.4	9.5	58.9

Note: Although originally included in the Main Estimates, the Government will not purchase emissions credits.

CERIA Table 3: Voted and Statutory Items Listed in the Main Estimates

2006-2007 ($ millions)
Vote or Statutory Item	Truncated Vote or Statutory Item Wording	Current Main Estimates	Previous Main Estimates
(15)	Program expenditures and payments for the acquisition of eligible credits	48.7	--
S	Contributions to employee benefit plans	0.8	--
	Total Department	49.8	--

CERIA Table 4: Services Received Without Charge

($ millions)	2006-2007
Net Planned Spending (Total Main Estimates plus Adjustments as per the Planned Spending Table)	58.9
Plus: Services Received without charge
Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC)	0.6
Contributions covering employers' share of employees' insurance premiums and expenditures paid by Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (excluding revolving funds) Employer's contribution to employees' insured benefits plans and expenditures paid by TBS	0.3
Worker's compensation coverage provided by Social Development Canada	--
Salary and associated expenditures of legal services provided by the Department of Justice Canada	--
Total Services Received Without Charge	1.0
2006–2007 Net cost of Department	59.9

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

The Agency obtains financial service, material management, informatics as well as compensation and benefits under a shared service agreement with Environment Canada.

Section 4: Supplementary Information

Organizational Information

Table 1: Departmental Planned Spending and Full Time Equivalents

Program Activities		Forecast Spending 2005-2006*	Planned Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009
Biodiversity is conserved and protected		122.9	126.5	105.3	105.3
Water is safe, clean and secure		51.6	58.0	57.7	57.8
Canadians adopt approaches that ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes		73.2	73.5	71.9	64.8
Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making		123.5	126.1	126.2	126.4
Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions		221.2	204.4	197.9	195.2
Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced		247.6	243.4	230.2	226.2
Canadians adopt sustainable consumption and production approaches		27.9	26.7	26.6	26.7
Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced		55.2	18.6	11.4	14.0
Canadians understand the impacts of climate change and adapt to its effects		1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3
Budgetary Main Estimates (gross)		914.5	878.6	828.4	817.7
Less: Respendable revenue		(79.3)	(74.7)	(74.6)	(74.7)
Total Main Estimates		835.2	803.9	753.8	743.0
Adjustments:
Procurement savings			(4.7)	(4.7)	(4.7)
Special Warrants / Supplementary Estimates
	2005 United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC)	39.2
	Operating budget carry forward	29.4
	Other technical adjustments	1.1	11.1	(0.8)	(1.2)
	Great Lakes Action Plan	7.3	8.0	8.0	8.0
	Environmental Indicators	6.6	3.6
	Federal Contaminated Site Action Plan (FCSAP)	(17.9)	1.9	2.8	6.8
	Interim Strategy on Existing Climate Change Programs		14.6	4.3	(0.9)
	Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)	150.0
Other
	Salary increases due to the signing of new collective agreements and other salary costs	28.1
	Employee Benefits Plan	6.9
Total Adjustments		250.7	34.5	9.6	8.0
Total Planned Spending		1,085.9	838.4	763.5	751.0
	Less: Non-Respendable Revenue	(11.8)	(12.1)	(12.2)	(12.2)
	Plus: Cost of services received without charge	75.5	71.7	82.1	83.2
Net Cost of Program		1,149.6	898.0	833.4	822.1
Full-time Equivalents		6,438	6,363	6,285	6,250

* Reflects the Department's total spending authorities.

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

 

Table 2: Program Activities

2006-2007 ($ millions)
Program Activity	Budgetary
	Operating	Capital	Grants	Contributions and Other Transfer Payments	Gross	Respendable Revenue	Total	Adjustments	Total Planned Spending
Biodiversity is conserved and protected	102.0	0.5	--	24.0	126.5	(1.2)	125.3	0.3	125.6
Water is safe, clean and secure	55.3	2.3	--	0.5	58.0	(3.1)	54.9	4.8	59.7
Canadians adopt approaches that ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes	68.4	0.7	--	4.5	73.5	(1.7)	71.8	9.0	80.9
Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making	113.4	12.5	0.0	0.2	126.1	(8.5)	117.6	4.2	121.8
Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions	189.7	7.2	--	7.5	204.4	(52.9)	151.6	(0.5)	151.0
Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced	226.8	6.2	2.0	8.4	243.4	(7.1)	236.3	2.2	238.5
Canadians adopt sustainable consumption and production approaches	23.4	3.3	--	--	26.7	(0.0)	26.6	(0.1)	26.5
Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced	18.2	0.4	--	--	18.6	(0.1)	18.5	(14.0)	32.6
Canadians understand the impacts of climate change and adapt to its effect	1.3	--	--	--	1.3	(0.0)	1.3	0.6	1.9
Total	798.5	33.0	2.0	45.0	878.6	(74.7)	803.9	34.5	838.4

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

Table 3: Voted and Statutory Items listed in Main Estimates

2006-2007
Vote or Statutory Item	Truncated Vote or Statutory Item Wording	Current Main Estimates	Previous Main Estimates
1	Operating expenditures	648.2	671.5
5	Capital expenditures	33.0	31.2
10	Grants and contributions	47.1	55.7
(S)	Minister of the Environment salary and motor car allowance	0.1	0.1
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	75.5	76.7
	Total Department or Agency	803.9	835.2

($23.2) million – Operating

The decrease in Operating is mainly due to:

• $12.9M in reduced funding and sunset of Climate Change: International Reporting Obligation and Partnering and Analytical Support.
• $15.5M in funding for the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) – Reassigned Project Funds.
• $9.1M that represents Environment Canada's contributions towards the Expenditure Review Committee (ERC) Departmental Savings.
• $7.4M in reduced funding for the Transformation of the Meteorological Service of Canada.
• $3.3M in reduced funding for the sunset of Climate Change: One Tonne Challenge. This initiative was announced on February 18, 2003 as part of the Government of Canada's Budget 2003.
• $2.7M in sunset funds for Climate Change Offsets
• $2.0M in reduced funding for programs related to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

These decreases are offset by the following increases:

• $17.7M in new funding for the Collective Agreements.
• $5.0M was reprofiled from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 for Climate Change: Large Final Emitters.
• $5.3M in new funding for Environmental Indicators. The initiative was announced as a part of Budget 2004. In Budget 2004, the Government of Canada responded to the recommendations put forward by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) by committing $15 million over two years "to develop and report better environmental indicators on clean air, clean water and greenhouse gas emissions." Over the full five-year framework, the total funding for meeting this commitment was set at $45 million.
• $4.8M in new funding for Northern Energy / Mackenzie Gas Project. The initiative was announced as a part of Budget 2005 for pipeline and increasing oil and gas development in the Northwest Territories (NWT).
   

$1.8 million – Capital

The increase in Capital is mainly due to:

• $2.0M in new funding for Implementation of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).
• $1.0M in new funding for Environmental indicators.

These increases are offset by the following decrease:

• $0.8M reduction in funding for the transformation of the Meteorological Service of Canada.

($8.1) million – Grants and Contributions

The decrease in Grants and Contributions is mainly due to:

• $5.1M in reduced funding to NRCAN for Climate Change: Opportunities Envelope.
• $5.2M in reduced funding for Climate Change: One Tonne Challenge.

These decreases are offset by the following increase:

• $1.0 in new funding for Invasive Alien Species

 

Table 4: Services Received without Charge

($ millions)	2006-2007
Net Planned Spending (Total Main Estimates plus Adjustments as per the Planned Spending Table)	838.4
Plus: Services Received without charge
Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC)	37.0
Contributions covering employers' share of employees' insurance premiums and expenditures paid by Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (excluding revolving funds) Employer's contribution to employees' insured benefits plans and expenditures paid by TBS	30.7
Worker's compensation coverage provided by Social Development Canada	1.2
Salary and associated expenditures of legal services provided by the Department of Justice Canada	2.8
Total Services Received Without Charge	71.7
Less: Non-respendable Revenue	(12.1)
2006–2007 Net cost of Department	898.0

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

Table 5: Summary of Capital Spending by Program Activity

($ millions)		Forecast Spending 2005-2006	Forecast Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009
Canada's natural capital is restored, conserved and enhanced
	Biodiversity is conserved and protected	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
	Water is safe, clean and secure	2.6	2.3	2.3	2.3
	Canadians adopt approaches that ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7
Sub-total		3.7	3.4	3.4	3.5
Weather and environmental predictions and services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians
	Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making	12.7	12.5	12.6	12.6
	Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to current and predicted environmental conditions	7.7	7.2	6.3	5.5
Sub-total		20.4	19.6	18.9	18.2
Canadians and their environment are protected from the effects of pollution and wildlife
	Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced	6.7	6.2	6.2	6.2
	Canadians adopt sustainable consumption and production approaches	2.7	3.3	3.4	3.4
Sub-total		9.4	9.5	9.5	9.6
The impacts of climate change on Canada are reduced
	Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced	0.2	0.4	0.4	0.4
	Canadians understand the impacts of climate change and adapt to its effects	--	--	--	--
Sub-total		0.2	0.4	0.4	0.4
Total		33.8	33.0	32.2	31.6

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

The Long Term Capital Plan (LTCP) is a sub-set of the Department's business plan and, as such, portrays Environment Canada's capital investment on a business line and results basis.

Environment Canada is a science-based department and a significant national science and technology (S&T) performer. Environment Canada's mandate, under the Department of the Environment Act, covers preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment, renewable resources, meteorology, enforcement of the rules of the Canada-U.S. International Joint Commission, and the coordination of federal environmental policies and programs.

Being a science-based department, most of Environment Canada's capital assets are focused on research and other science activities that produce a "public good" – providing knowledge in support of policy development, developing new methods to improve service delivery, and providing technological solutions to meet the Department's mission. The Department operates 15 research institutes and laboratories, has 49 National Wildlife Areas, and over 4,600 air, climate and water monitoring stations in all regions of the country (many of which are operated in partnership with provinces, Canada's universities and international scientific agencies).

There are 4 broad categories of capital assets, including:

• Specialized facilities and land holdings to conduct environmental science research, develop technologies and protect critical wildlife areas.
• Scientific equipment to conduct laboratory analyses and monitor the status and trends in the environment.
• Information technology infrastructure and equipment to run scientific equipment and facilitate communications.
• Fleet, including off-road vehicles, to transport personnel to study sites and allow needs for a speedy response to programs.

Table 6: Sources of Respendable and Non-Respendable Revenue

Table 6a: Sources of Respendable Revenue

($ millions)		Forecast Revenue 2005-2006	Planned Revenue 2006-2007	Planned Revenue 2007-2008	Planned Revenue 2008-2009
Biodiversity is conserved and protected
	Miscellaneous	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Realty (Accommodation)	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Regulatory Services	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3
	Scientific and Professional Services	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8
	Sub-total	1.4	1.2	1.2	1.2
Water is clean, safe and secure
	Realty (Accommodation)	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4
	Scientific and Professional Services	3.0	2.7	2.6	2.6
	Sub-total	3.4	3.1	3.0	3.0
Canadians adopt approaches that ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes
	Information Products	0.3	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Realty (Accommodation)	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
	Regulatory Services	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
	Scientific and Professional Services	0.9	1.2	1.2	1.2
	Sub-total	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.7
Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making
	Information Products	6.3	6.3	6.2	6.4
	Realty (Accommodation)	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Scientific and Professional Services	1.8	2.2	2.1	2.1
	Sub-total	8.3	8.5	8.4	8.6
Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions
	Information Products	47.7	38.5	38.9	39.1
	Miscellaneous	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Realty (Accommodation)	0.3	0.5	0.5	0.5
	Scientific and Professional Services	8.0	13.8	13.6	13.3
	Sub-total	56.1	52.9	53.1	53.0
Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced
	Information Products	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Realty (Accommodation)	0.4	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Regulatory Services	2.0	1.9	1.9	1.9
	Scientific and Professional Services	5.2	4.9	5.0	4.9
	Sub-total	7.8	7.1	7.1	7.1
Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced
	Scientific and Professional Services	0.5	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Sub-total	0.5	0.1	0.1	0.1
Total Respendable Revenue		79.3	74.7	74.6	74.7

 

Table 6b: Sources of Non-Respendable Revenue

($ millions)		Forecast Revenue 2005-2006	Planned Revenue 2006-2007	Planned Revenue 2007-2008	Planned Revenue 2008-2009
Biodiversity is conserved and protected
	Licences and Permits	0.0	4.2	4.2	4.2
	Regulatory Services	4.4	0.2	0.2	0.2
	Miscellaneous	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
	Sub-total	4.4	4.4	4.4	4.4
Water is clean, safe and secure
	Scientific and Professional Services	0.5	0.2	0.2	0.2
	Third Party Agreements	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.2
	Sub-total	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4
Canadians adopt approaches that ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes
	Scientific and Professional Services	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Sub-total	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1
Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making
	Miscellaneous	2.4	2.3	2.3	2.3
	Information Products	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
	Royalties	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.2
	Sub-total	3.4	3.4	3.5	3.5
Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions
	Miscellaneous	2.4	2.3	2.3	2.3
	Information Products	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
	Royalties	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.2
	Sub-total	3.4	3.4	3.5	3.5
Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced
	Miscellaneous	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
	Sub-total	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Total Non-Respendable Revenue		11.8	12.1	12.2	12.2
Total Respendable and Non-Respendable Revenue		91.1	86.8	86.7	86.8

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

* Reflects best forecast of total planned spending to the end of the fiscal year.

Table 6 lists various sources of respendable and non-respendable revenue. To clarify the types of revenues that fall under these sources, short definitions are given below:

Scientific and Professional Services: research and analysis, telecommunications, hydrometrics, consulting services, training, and wildlife studies and surveys.
Information Products: data extracts and access, publications, and hydrometrics and weather products.
Miscellaneous: Employee Benefit Plan (EBP) recoveries and student parking fees.
Regulatory Services: ocean disposal permit applications and monitoring fees, new chemical notification, and other permits and fees.
Realty (Accommodation): living accommodations, rentals, entry fees, concessions, and National Water Research Institute building recoveries.
Royalties: revenues collected from the licensing of Intellectual Property.

Table 7: User Fees

Name of User Fee	Fee Type	Fee Setting Authority	Reason for Fee Introduction or Amendment	Effective date of planned change to take effect	Planned Consultation and Review Process
Ocean dumping permit fee (site monitoring) Regulations	Regulatory Service (R) This is a regulatory fee – charging for a right or privilege	Financial Administration Act	Proposal to cap the fee at $300K to limit cost to large permit holders	2006–2007 and possibly 2007–2008	Discussion document sent to clients, NGO, OGD and aboriginal groups Follow-up consultation report being drafted Follow-up meetings with certain aboriginal and client groups. Analysis of impacts to follow. Review of need for service standards as per User Fees Act.
Wildlife Area Regulations : a) Schedule II - Entrance fee for Cap Tourmente (QC)	Service - Cost Recovery	- Canada Wildlife Act - User Fees Act	Increase fee entrance to cover cost	2007-2008	User information meetings will be held to gather their comments and suggestions with regard to a possible increase in entrance fees. At the start of every summer season, consultations with other similar tourist attractions in the Quebec region are held to ensure that entrance fees are comparable with the market.
Wildlife Area Regulations : b) Schedule III - Permits to hunt Snow Geese	Service - Cost Recovery	- Canada Wildlife Act - User Fees Act	Increase Permit fees to cover cost	2007-2008	A survey form will be distributed to users to gather their comments and suggestions with regard to a possible increase in the price of hunting permits. Consultations will be held with regional hunting and fishing associations as well as with local outfitters to ensure that hunting permits match current prices in this industry.

 

Table 8: Major Regulatory Initiatives

2006-2007 Regulatory Initiatives	Planned Results
Amendments to the Off-Road Compression-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	Amendment will establish more stringent "Tier 4" emission standards for the 2008 and later model year diesel engines used in construction, agriculture, mining and forestry equipment. These planned amendments will maintain alignment with the emission standards of the U.S. and will reduce allowable emission levels by up to 95% for particulate matter and up to 40% for NOx and hydrocarbons.
Marine Spark-Ignition Engine and Off-Road Recreational Vehicle Emission Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	New regulations to establish in Canada emission standards for 2007 and later model year outboard engines, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. These regulations will align emission standards with those of the U.S. and set stringent emissions limits for NOx, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.
Amending the Ozone-depleting Substances Regulations, 1998 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	The amendments to the Regulations will minimize and control exempted uses of methyl bromide by: strengthening the domestic critical and emergency use processes, optimizing the use and increasing the flexibility of the Regulations; helping Canada implement its Canadian National Management Strategy for the Phase-out of Methyl Bromide Critical Use Exemptions; and by improving tracking by imposing further reporting requirements as required under the Montreal Protocol.
Regulations Amending the Vinyl Chloride Release Regulations, 1992 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Vinyl Chloride is a known carcinogen, harmful to the environment and a danger to human health. The intent of the amended Regulations is to continue to protect the environment and health of Canadians by providing improved clarity to the language of the regulation and incorporated reference method.
Amendment to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2005, Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Its Salts and Its Precursors under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	Prohibition on manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale and import of PFOS, its salts and its precursors and products or formulations containing PFOS, its salts and its precursors.
Chromium Electroplating, Chromium Anodizing and Reverse Etching Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Control air releases of hexavalent chromium from the electroplating sector either by limiting release at a point source or by specifying the conditions of use. Result will be a uniform approach to the control of hexavalent chromium releases from this sector in Canada.
Regulations Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Content in Architectural and Industrial Maintenance (AIM) Coatings under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	These new regulations will implement national VOC product content standards for certain categories of products; align with existing requirements in the U.S. to reduce air emissions of VOCs which are precursor pollutants contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate matter.
Regulations Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Content in Consumer Products under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	These new regulations will implement national VOC product content standards for certain categories of products; align with existing requirements in the U.S. to reduce air emissions of VOCs which are precursor pollutants contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate matter.
Regulations Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Content in Automotive Refinish Coatings under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	These new regulations will implement national VOC product content standards for certain categories of products; align with existing requirements in the U.S. to reduce air emissions of VOCs which are precursor pollutants contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate matter.
Regulations Respecting 2-Butoxyethanol under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Protect the health of Canadians by setting limits for the concentration of 2-Butoxyethanol (2-BE) in products designed for indoor use.
Amendments to the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations (MMER) Under the Fisheries Act (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Address some technical matters identified through implementation of the regulations; improve the clarity of interpretation; harmonize some MMER requirements with relevant components of the recently amended Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations; and address issues related to the process of scheduling of tailings impoundment areas.
Amendment to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2005 (2-Methoxyethanol, Pentachlorobenzene and Tetrachlorobenzenes) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Prohibit the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale and import of toxic substances (2-methoxyethanol (2-ME), pentachlorobenzene (QCB), and tetrachlorobenzenes (TeCBs)) to ensure that the environment and health of Canadians is protected from the potential harmful effects attributed to these toxic substances.
Amendment to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2005, Fluorotelomer-based Substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	Prohibit toxic substances (New Fluorotelomer-based Substances) that pose serious risks to Canadians' health or their environment, to ensure the substances are not introduced into the Canadian market.
Final Ministerial Order to add hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) to the Virtual Elimination List (VE) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	This order will establish the Virtual Elimination List, with the addition of this substance (HCBD).
Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	Provide a more effective and comprehensive framework for ending the use of PCBs and destroying PCBs in storage. Set specific end of use and destruction dates and establish reporting and monitoring requirements to measure progress. Ensure Canada fulfills its international obligations.
Federal Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products Storage Tank Systems Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	Provide a more comprehensive framework in order to effectively prevent soil and groundwater contamination from storage tank systems of the Federal House and on Aboriginal lands.
Amendments to the Environmental Emergency Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	Amending the regulation to add 34 substances and associated thresholds quantities to the current list of 174 substances which require facilities to develop and implement Environmental Emergency Plans that address prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Amendment will also clarify requirements for exceptions, annual testing requirements, eliminate potential duplication with the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and ensure capability for accepting electronic filing of notices.
Amendments to the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act (Canada Gazette Part I)	Develop amendments to the Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program to further target monitoring efforts and resources where they are needed most. Amendments would incorporate opportunities for program improvements identified through departmental implementation experience and a recent multistakeholder smart regulation project on EEM.
Amendments to Schedule1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Amend Schedule 1 to modify the legal list of species which immediately provides the protection provisions prescribed under the Act and other provisions as needed.
Amendments to the Migratory Birds Regulations and Wildlife Area Regulations (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Update the definition of non-toxic shot to include tungsten-iron-nickel-copper as an approved non-toxic shot alternative for hunting migratory game birds.
Annual hunting regulations, under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA) (Canada Gazette Part II)	To establish hunting season dates and bag and possession limits for migratory game birds at sustainable levels using the best available science.
Overabundant Snow Geese, under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA) (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Maintain a spring hunting season for snow geese as a population control measure, where needed.
Amendment to the Wildlife Area Regulations under the Canada Wildlife Act (Canada Gazette Part I)	Amendment to maintain and establish protected areas for the conservation of habitat and wildlife. Establish two new National Wildlife Areas, Igaliqtuug and Cape Searle/Reid Bay.
Amendments to the Wildlife Animal and Plant Trade Regulations under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA) (Canada Gazette Part I)	Establish provisions for pre-Convention and exemption regulations for certain specimens as authorized under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
2007-2008 Regulatory Initiatives	Planned Results
Amendments to the Off-Road Compression-Ignition Engine Emission Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Amendment will establish more stringent "Tier 4" emission standards for the 2008 and later model year diesel engines used in construction, agriculture, mining and forestry equipment. These planned amendments will maintain alignment with the emission standards of the U.S. and will reduce allowable emission levels by up to 95% for particulate matter and up to 40% for NOx and hydrocarbons.
Marine Spark-Ignition Engine and Off-Road Recreational Vehicle Emission Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	New regulations to establish in Canada emission standards for 2007 and later model year outboard engines, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. These regulations will align emission standards with those of the U.S. and set stringent emissions limits for NOx, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.
Amendment to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2005, Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Its Salts and Its Precursors under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Prohibition on manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale and import of PFOS, its salts and its precursors and products or formulations containing PFOS, its salts and its precursors.
Regulations Respecting Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Prevent the introduction of the manufacture of toxic substances (polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)) in Canada and minimize their release into the environment from all sources in Canada. For certain PBDEs, prevent their import into Canada.
Regulations Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Content in Paints and Coatings under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	These new regulations will implement national VOC product content standards for certain categories of products; align with existing requirements in the U.S. to reduce air emissions of VOCs which are precursor pollutants contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate matter.
Regulations Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Content in Consumer Products under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	These new regulations will implement national VOC product content standards for certain categories of products; align with existing requirements in the U.S. to reduce air emissions of VOCs which are precursor pollutants contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate matter.
Regulations Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Content in Automotive Refinish Coatings under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	These new regulations will implement national VOC product content standards for certain categories of products; align with existing requirements in the U.S. to reduce air emissions of VOCs which are precursor pollutants contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone and particulate matter.
Municipal Wastewater Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act (Canada Gazette Part I)	New regulations under the Fisheries Act to ensure releases of wastewater effluent from municipal and other publicly-owned wastewater systems do not pose unacceptable risks to human and ecosystem health or fisheries resources.
Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Provide a more effective and comprehensive framework for ending the use of PCBs and destroying PCBs in storage. Set specific end of use and destruction dates and establish reporting and monitoring requirements to measure progress. Ensure Canada fulfills its international obligations.
Federal Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products Storage Tank Systems Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II )	Provide a more comprehensive framework in order to effectively prevent soil and groundwater contamination from storage tank systems of the Federal House and on Aboriginal lands.
Amendments to the Environmental Emergency Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Amending the regulation to add 34 substances and associated thresholds quantities to the current list of 174 substances which require facilities to develop and implement Environmental Emergency Plans that address prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Amendment will also clarify requirements for exceptions, annual testing requirements, eliminate potential duplication with the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and ensure capability for accepting electronic filing of notices.
Amendments to the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act (Canada Gazette Part II)	Develop amendments to the Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program to further target monitoring efforts and resources where they are needed most. Amendments would incorporate opportunities for program improvements identified through departmental implementation experience and a recent multistakeholder smart regulation project on EEM.
Amendments to the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part I)	Provide a more efficient, enforceable, fair and clear notification scheme for new organisms other than micro-organisms (for example, transgenic animals) intended for import or manufacture (including for research purposes) in Canada, while maintaining or improving the safeguard of the environment and human health (pollution prevention)
Amendments to Schedule1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Amend Schedule 1 to modify the legal list of species which immediately provides the protection provisions prescribed under the Act, and other provisions as needed.
Amendments to the Migratory Birds Regulations (Canada Gazette Part I)	Draft provisions for incidental take. Ensuring effective conservation of migratory bird populations while promoting sustainable economic development.
Amendments to the Migratory Birds Regulations (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Draft provisions for handicapped hunters.
Annual hunting regulations, under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA). (Canada Gazette Part II)	To establish hunting season dates and bag and possession limits for migratory game birds at sustainable levels using the best available science.
Overabundant Snow Geese, under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA) to establish a special conservation season (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Maintain a spring hunting season for snow geese as a population control measure, where needed.
2008-2009 Regulatory Initiatives	Planned Results
Amendments to the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA 1999) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Provide a more efficient, enforceable, fair and clear notification scheme for new organisms other than micro-organisms (for example, transgenic animals) intended for import or manufacture (including for research purposes) in Canada, while maintaining or improving the safeguard of the environment and human health (pollution prevention).
Municipal Wastewater Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act (Canada Gazette Part II)	New regulations under the Fisheries Act to ensure releases of wastewater effluent from municipal and other publicly-owned wastewater systems do not pose unacceptable risks to human and ecosystem health or fisheries resources.
Amendments to Schedule1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Amend Schedule 1 to modify the legal list of species which immediately provides the protection provisions prescribed under the Act and other provisions as needed.
Amendments to the Migratory Birds Regulations (Canada Gazette Part II)	Draft provisions for incidental take. Ensuring effective conservation of migratory bird populations while promoting sustainable economic development.
Annual hunting regulations, under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA) (Canada Gazette II)	To establish hunting season dates and bag and possession limits for migratory game birds at sustainable levels using the best available science.
Overabundant Snow Geese, under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA) (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Amendments to establish a special conservation season. Maintain a spring hunting season for snow geese as a population control measure, where needed.
Amendment to the Wildlife Area Regulations under the Canada Wildlife Act (Canada Gazette Part I and II)	Amendments to maintain and establish protected areas for the conservation of habitat and wildlife. Convert Migratory Bird Sanctuaries to National Wildlife Areas and to establish Canada's first Marine Wildlife Area (Scotts Islands National Wildlife Area).
Amendments to Schedule I of the Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations, under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Amend Schedule I of the WAPPRIITA to reflect COP14 meeting decisions and resolutions and to amend Appendices I and II to the Convention.
Amendment to the Wildlife Area Regulations under the Canada Wildlife Act (Canada Gazette Part II)	Amendments to maintain and establish protected areas for the conservation of habitat and wildlife. Establish two new National Wildlife Areas, Igaliqtuug and Cape Searle/Reid Bay.
Amendments to the Wildlife Animal and Plant Trade Regulations under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA) (Canada Gazette Part II)	Establish provisions for pre-Convention and exemption regulations for certain specimens as authorized under CITES.

 

Table 9: Details on Projects Spending  

Over the next three years, the following projects have or are expected to exceed their delegated project approval level:

 

2006-2007

1. Weather station construction Eureka N.W.T. (EPA)

2. Canadian Meteorological Centre – Facility Extension (EPA)

3. Modernization of the Climate Observing Program (EPA)

4. Supercomputer Facility Upgrade to Electrical and Cooling Capacity (EPA)

 

2007-2008

1. Weather station construction Eureka N.W.T. (EPA)

2. Canadian Meteorological Centre – Facility Extension (EPA)

 

2008-2009

1. TBD

 

EPA = Effective Project Approval

 

For further information on the above-mentioned projects, see http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/estime.asp

 

Table 10: Details on Transfer Payment Programs

Over the next three years, Environment Canada will manage the following transfer payment programs in excess of $5 million:

 

2006-2007

1. Contributions to Support Environmental and Sustainable Development Initiatives

2. Habitat Stewardship Contribution Program

3. Contribution to EcoAction 2000 – Community Funding Initiative

 

2007-2008

1. Contributions to Support Environmental and Sustainable Development Initiatives

2. Habitat Stewardship Contribution Program

3. Contribution to EcoAction 2000 – Community Funding Initiative

 

2008-2009

1. Contributions to Support Environmental and Sustainable Development Initiatives

2. Habitat Stewardship Contribution Program

3. Contribution to EcoAction 2000 – Community Funding Initiative

 

For further information on the above-mentioned transfer payment programs see http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/estime.asp.

Table 11: Conditional Grants (Foundations)

Environment Canada has conditional grant funding agreements with the organizations identified below. Conditional grants are transfer payments specifically approved by Parliament and made available to an organization at the beginning of a multi-year period, in the form of a lump sum, to cover expenses over a number of years. Since these organizations receive funding to be used over a number of years, departments are to report not only when the funding is provided but also throughout the life of the funding agreement. Further information on these projects can be found at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20062007/p3a-eng.asp.

2006-2007

1. Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS)

2. Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)

3. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Funds (GMF)

4. Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT)

2007-2008

1. Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS)

2. Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)

3. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Funds (GMF)

4. Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT)

2008-2009

1. Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS)

2. Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)

3. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Funds (GMF)

4. Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT)

 

Table 12: Horizontal Initiatives

Over the next three years, Environment Canada will be involved in the following horizontal initiatives either as the lead or as a partner:

 

2006-2007

1. Canadian Biotechnology Strategy (partner)

2. Canadian Group on Earth Observation

3. Canadian Rural Partnership (partner)

4. Clean Air (lead)

5. Climate Change (lead)

6. Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (co-lead)

7. Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Initiative and other Ecosystem Initiatives (lead)

8. Implementation of the Species at Risk Act (lead)

9. Toxics (co-lead)

10. Youth Employment Strategy (partner)

 

For further information on the above-mentioned horizontal initiatives, see: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/estime.asp.

 

Table 13: 2004-2006 Sustainable Development Strategy

Environment Canada's Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) 2004-2006 highlights for Canadians key commitments that the Department has been undertaking over this three-year period to further our sustainable development objectives.

SDS 2004-2006 focuses on four themes that enhance Environment Canada's capacity for integrated decision-making and that strengthen the sustainability of departmental operations:

1. Information for Decision-Making – building a strong knowledge base that puts human and natural capital on an equal footing with economic capital, informs public debate, and supports integrated decision-making.
2. Innovative Instruments – advancing innovative policy instruments to ensure that market signals support and advance a more competitive and prosperous economy and enhanced protection of our natural environment.
3. Partnerships for Sustainable Development – emphasizing partnerships and governance models that enable horizontal decision-making at the government, community, and corporate levels.
4. Managing for Sustainable Development – demonstrating leadership by example in our departmental operations.

Environment Canada's Departmental Performance Report (March 2005) highlights a number of accomplishments achieved in the first year of Strategy implementation. Further information on SDS 2004-2006, including detailed performance information, may be found at: http://www.ec.gc.ca/sd-dd_consult/SDS2004/index_e.cfm.

In 2006, in advance of the preparation of the fourth round of sustainable development strategies, Environment Canada led government-wide efforts to improve coordination and consistency across departmental SD Strategies based on a set of government-wide sustainable development goals and common reporting framework.

Environment Canada is currently renewing its departmental sustainable development strategy for the period 2007-2009. The Department's fourth Strategy will build on results achieved under the current strategy, strengthen results based performance measurement and reporting, and support the coordinated federal approach, aligning government-wide SD goals with departmental Strategic Outcomes, where applicable.

Table 14: Internal Audits and Evaluations

The following internal audit engagements and evaluation projects are planned for 2006-2007.

Evaluation

• Ecosystem Initiatives – Georgia Basin Action Plan
• Environmental Emergencies Program
• Species at Risk Act (Evaluation Plan)
• Canadian Biodiversity Strategy (Evaluation Plan)
• National Environmental Protection Intelligence (Evaluation Plan)
• North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)
• Regulations and Tools – Air Quality Regulations and Programs
• Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program
• Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre
• Public SCRIBE

Internal Audit

• Climate Change – Conference of the Parties (CoP)11
• Montreal Protocol
• Business Continuity for Weather Prediction
• Continual Auditing: Acquisition Cards; Compensation
• Contracts/Contributions
• Decision Support Systems
• Environment Canada's Transformation Agenda Assessment (Plan)
• Hospitality
• Information Technology Security (Audit Plan)
• Information Management/Information Technology (Audit Plan)
• Delegation Authority – Financial
• Employment Equity – Developmental Audit and Value for Money Audit

The Departmental Audit and Evaluation Plan for 2006-2007 to 2008-2009 can be found at the following web-site address: http://www.ec.gc.ca/ae-ve/default.asp.

 

Section 5: Other Items of Interest

Strategic Integration Activities

Description

Clear, consistent, and integrated departmental policy advice, coordinated interactions with partners and stakeholders and effective communication are important tools to help Environment Canada deliver on its mandate and commitments.

Environment Canada is leading the development of federal strategies to integrate environmental sustainability into government-wide policy priorities in a concrete manner. As part of this work, the Department is advancing a policy framework that recognizes the inextricable linkages between the environment, our economic competitiveness, and the health of Canadians.

Environmental Canada's work to develop a unified departmental policy approach is organized into two program areas:

• Integrated policy advice, communications and information strategies enable effective decision-making; and
• Partnerships with other governments and partners are effectively managed in support of environmental priorities.

Plans and Priorities

Over the next three years, Environment Canada plans to focus on:

• Achieving departmental coherence in delivering and communicating environmental policy and program outcomes. Work will include developing strategic plans for the Department's science and technology; developing an international environment framework; developing a natural capital framework and a health framework, communicating environmental policy and program goals and outcomes to target audiences; conducting policy research and leading on the development of a federal sustainable development strategy; working interdepartmentally toward better-integrated federal science and technology; and advancing the competitiveness and environmental sustainability framework as a means to integrate, guide, and promote the federal government's environmental agenda.
• Improving how Environment Canada engages provincial and territorial governments, stakeholders, and citizens in policy development and sustainable actions. The Department plans to advance the development of a national approach through collaboration with provinces and territories to achieve results; develop a strategy and tools to systematically and consistently engage key stakeholders in policy development and environmental education; develop a sector table strategy; and effectively communicate the strategic environmental framework to Canadians.
• Advancing a Canadian environmental sustainability indicators initiative as a first component of a broader state-of-the-environment indicator and information strategy and moving forward on national environmental objectives as core policy tools to guide long-term departmental priority-setting and specific policy deliverables.
• Delivering analytical and evidentiary support to demonstrate explicit linkages between the environment and the economy to allow for informed decision-making on environmental issues and the building of a policy-research-communications strategy to proactively communicate important environmental information to Canadians.

Planning Context

Integrated policy advice, communications, and information strategies enable effective decision-making

A key priority is to improve the coordination of the existing but dispersed policy capacity of the Department in order to work more effectively and bring department-wide perspectives and scientific evidence to bear on all major policy work. Increased focus will be placed on policy research and economic analysis, and on strengthening the linkages between science and policy.

Better coordination and strategic direction for Environment Canada's education and engagement activities is also an important priority. Emphasis will be placed on particular target groups (such as consumers, small and medium sized enterprises, youth, educators, and communities) where greater return can be expected by understanding their needs and challenges, and working to address them. Key partners will be identified and approached, in particular those that are better positioned than Environment Canada to deliver education and engagement activities because they have deeper and broader reach.

Environment Canada's indicator related work is being repositioned to provide better management of environmental and environmentally-related data within the Department; enhanced comparability of the available data and the mechanisms by which that data is available; and data and information that is more relevant to departmental priorities and indicators that can be used to communicate environmental implications to citizens, policy-makers and decision-makers. The Department will continue to develop the partnerships, principles, and technologies required to integrate disparate environmental data and information in a consistent, credible, and timely manner.

Relations with other governments and partners are effectively managed in support of environmental priorities

Environment Canada doesn't achieve environmental outcomes on its own. A more consistent approach within and amongst governments and collaborative partnerships with other governments will help the Department deliver more effectively on its mandate. This program area focuses on managing partnerships and working relationships with provincial and territorial governments, protecting and promoting Canada's environmental interests internationally and engaging stakeholders.

Environment Canada's partnerships and consultations work is aimed at transforming our relationships with key stakeholders (including NGOs, business leaders, the financial community, academia, and the general public) and advancing constructive consultations and participation in Environment Canada priorities. This includes: having clear polices and guidelines to inform the consultations Environment Canada does in developing programs and policies; providing logistical and analytic support to one of Environment Canada's main consultative vehicles, Sector Sustainability Tables; and a new strategy on how we engage with a key partner in sustainability – Aboriginal Peoples.

Many planned activities are new for Environment Canada and stem directly from the Department's vision of helping Canada to build a globally competitive and sustainable economy. Realizing this vision means integrating environmental decision-making into all aspects of our economy. This level of integration will require all players to be more engaged in sustainable development policy development and implementation. The Department's agenda commits the Government to improve its decision-making structures and give stakeholders a more coherent agenda around which to engage, thus reducing conflicting policy signals and burdensome demands on stakeholders time and resources. Effective partnerships and consultations provide critical vehicles for advancing departmental priorities, many of which are best achieved in close cooperation with external economic and societal players.

The oversight and coordination of federal/provincial/territorial relations is key to supporting the implementation of Environment Canada's agenda both on a national basis and on a regional or bilateral basis within a national context. Because provinces and territories share responsibility for environmental management with the federal government, their active engagement is essential to ensure the successful implementation of policy across Canada. Strong relationships and close communication with each province and territory are instrumental to working constructively and achieving common goals in an efficient manner. Work under this program is being repositioned to focus on the most important departmental priorities and to provide a more consistent departmental approach to intergovernmental affairs.

Corporate Services and Corporate Management Activities

Description

Integrated and effective corporate services help Environment Canada deliver on its mandate. The Department is continuing to transform the way it does its business in order to be better positioned to play the central role it was given by Parliament to coordinate the policies and programs of the Government of Canada with respect to the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment. Environment Canada's internal transformation agenda helps the Department deliver on its goal to protect the health of Canadians, preserve our natural environment and strengthen Canada's long-term competitiveness.

Environment Canada is putting significant effort into repositioning its enabling programs and services in order to better support results-based management and internal governance changes in a way that allows the Department to successfully address the environmental priorities of Canadians. This work is organized into two program areas:

• High quality corporate services and advice enable the Department to meet its strategic objectives.
• Strategic management support enables the Department to meet its objectives.

Plans and Priorities

Over the next three years, Environment Canada plans to:

1. Establish a viable foundation for its enabling programs and services, with a focus on high-risk areas in human resources, finance, administration, and IM/IT. Environment Canada continues to build management and staff capacity in human resources, finance, administration and IM/IT so that corporate functions can build internal capacity, appropriately assist other parts of the Department and implement strategies to address the immediate capacity concerns. This work is expected to include implementing strategies to address critical departmental risks including better recruitment and retention plans, training for enabling staff and departmental managers, and implementation of a one-department approach for the provision of core services.
2. Ensure the delivery of essential financial, administrative, human resources, corporate management, and information management and information technology services to address mission critical, operational and key governance needs across Environment Canada. Work to support the greening of federal government operations and the government-wide Corporate Administrative Shared Services (CASS) initiative are also priorities.

Planning Context

The Department is continuing with its process of transformation that will enable it to fully plan, manage, and report by results. The transformation has involved the re-definition of the results structure (Program Activity Architecture), the establishment of new management structures and processes, and the re-structuring of the organization.

These changes promote integrated management and decision-making in the context of a clearer view of results and strategic direction. Financial and human resources are clearly linked to results through a planning process that connects capacity to work. Performance information will support informed departmental decisions and transparent and balanced public reporting.

Results in this area are aimed at transforming Environment Canada's management framework in order to strengthen control and accountability, provide high quality service, support and systems related to governance and program delivery, and support key departmental and government-wide management initiatives. The Department's corporate services activities are organized as follows:

• Corporate management and planning support departmental progress on results;
• Financial management frameworks are established and high quality financial services are provided;
• Administration and assets management enable effective, efficient and accountable departmental activities;
• Information and technology are managed as critical enabling assets; and
• Human resources are managed effectively and strategically in support of departmental objectives.

Department-wide Services

Planning

Environment Canada has significantly revised and improved its overall approach to planning. The former decentralized approach has given way to a centralized "one-department" approach that aligns planning, priority-setting and resource allocation functions to the new Program Activity Architecture. The revised approach significantly enhances the overall transparency of proposed plans and priorities enabling senior executive direction, engagement, and strategic decision-making.

The planning process incorporates corporate planning and decision-making and ensures that internal decision-making on priorities is aligned to annual reporting to Parliament through the Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP). Senior managers undertake business planning through results-based committees and teams. Managers at all levels from across the Department are engaged in the process to ensure consistent application of planning and reporting requirements. National management meetings are held to provide opportunities for managers to work through significant planning tasks on a collaborative basis.

An important focus of the planning process is to fully integrate the financial planning, human resource planning, and business planning. The Department's human resource capacity has been aligned along functional lines through the organizational structure to bring together communities of practice and build collective skills and expertise. The planning of work is done through a series of projects defined through the results structure. The planning process provides the means to connect the skills and expertise of people from across the Department with the work project where those skills are needed and can best be used. The allocation of financial resources to work projects according to priority completes the integration of the planning process. Management tools have been developed and are being deployed to facilitate the integrated process. These tools help identify skill needs and gaps at a working level for business planning. They also provide the means to identify longer-term skills development and recruitment needs and support the development of strategic human resource plans. The management tools also will provide for the planning and tracking of financial, HR, and results related information across the results management structure.

Information Management and Information Technology (IM-IT)

The IM-IT function in Environment Canada is presently in the midst of moving from a decentralized operational structure where associated resources were embedded in program areas to one in which the large majority of our IM-IT staff work under the direction of a Chief Information Officer (CIO). The objective in making this change is to provide more effective, efficient and equitable levels of IM-IT services to all areas of program delivery across the Department, and to develop the capacity needed to provide coherent, authoritative and trusted information systems needed to achieve Government and departmental objectives.

Management efforts in this domain will be directed towards re-alignment of our IM-IT resources to ensure the best outcomes from existing and evolving technological capacities. They will also be highly focused on ensuring that Environment Canada's data and information holdings can be and are treated as critical departmental assets. This will involve providing leadership in Information Management through the development of an integrated IM plan for the Department, by developing and promoting policies and best practices for the management of information, and implementing and maintaining technologies to support the function.

Another key area of focus will be ensuring that the informatics systems used in support of our mission critical and other service support requirements continue to operate without interruption. This will be particularly true for the systems used on a 24-7 basis in support of weather prediction, environmental emergency response, etc given their direct link to the safety and well-being of Canadians. A prime example of such a system is the Departmental supercomputer and related infrastructure used in the production of weather warnings and forecasts.

IM-IT remains a key enabler of program delivery in all strategic outcome areas through the provision of email, processing data storage and network infrastructure and the development and maintenance of software tools to facilitate data and information collection, analysis and dissemination.

Ongoing investment will be required to support the existing infrastructure as well as to respond to new work requirements and evolving technologies being introduced in the workplace. The ongoing development of a comprehensive IM-IT architecture will help in guiding these efforts as it will help in adopting and utilizing consistent policies, standards and technologies that are compliant with those in use in the Government of Canada. The architecture will be supplemented by other efforts to ensure the efficient and effective application of IM-IT in the Department. These efforts include a software management board along with new "greening" policies to promote the effective use and life cycle management of IT while reducing the potential negative environmental impacts associated with that use. Through these policies, we hope to establish Environment Canada as a leader in this area.

Legal Services

The Department of Justice is responsible for the legal affairs of the Government as a whole and for providing legal services to individual departments and agencies. Services provided by Justice Canada include providing legal advice, preparing legal documents, drafting legislation, regulating or conducting litigation, and overseeing the legal mechanisms used to achieve the overall objectives of the Government.

Justice Canada provides legal services to Environment Canada primarily through Environment Canada's Legal Services Unit (Environment Canada Legal Services). Justice Canada also provides services through its Environmental Drafting Services Section, the Federal Prosecution Services and other units located at Justice Headquarters and in the regions.

High-quality legal advice enables Environment Canada to take decisions that are based on a thorough understanding of its legal authorities and relevant legal risks. Legal Services is committed to deliver results by ensuring that Environment Canada has access to appropriate levels of legal expertise; by identifying primary legal risks to the Department; and by making legal training available to Environment Canada officials where needs arise.

Like Environment Canada's other corporate functions, Environment Canada Legal Services is moving towards a "one-department" model with the aim of providing effective and efficient legal support of departmental priorities and objectives.

Audit and Evaluation

Audits and evaluations are used to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of departmental policies, programs, and management. The November 2004 Report of Auditor General outlined the need to improve the quality of the internal audit function across Government and a new government-wide Policy on Internal Audit came into effect on April 1, 2006. The TBS Evaluation Policy requires departments to evaluate programs, policies and initiatives, to use a risk-based planning approach in identifying projects, to use structured and disciplined approaches in carrying out evaluations, and to ensure the four key evaluation issues are addressed (i.e., relevance, success, cost-effectiveness, and design and delivery).

Audits and evaluations are particularly important in the context of the implementation of the new governance framework. To reflect a stronger commitment to the audit and evaluation functions across the federal government, internal audit and evaluation has been bolstered to ensure a comprehensive audit and evaluation program based on sound risk analysis of all departmental activities. To accomplish this, the Department is renewing and strengthening the capacity of the audit and evaluation function to ensure it is well-positioned to provide assurance and advice to senior management.

Integrated Departmental Enforcement

Environment Canada's policy and program initiatives require credible backstops to compel compliance with the law where voluntary behaviour change encouraged through program incentives, education and compliance promotion is not occurring, or not meeting identified goals. A credible capacity to enforce regulations and legislation in a fair, predictable and consistent manner is required to protect Canadians and the environment, and ensure a level playing field for those subject to regulation.

Enforcement activity is aligned with Environment Canada Program Activities of "Biodiversity is Conserved and Protected" and "Risks Posed by Pollutants or Other Harmful or Dangerous Substances in the Environment are Reduced."

An immediate priority is to continue with the integration of two previously distinct enforcement programs while ensuring that enforcement activities continue to be delivered to the highest standards. In the medium term, progress will be made towards the establishment of a more effective and efficient environment and wildlife protection law enforcement function in fulfillment of statutory requirements under the Acts administered by the Department.

 

Supplementary Information

• Details on Project Spending
• Details on Transfer Payment Programs
• Conditional Grants

Table 9: Details on Project Spending

($ millions)	Current Estimated Total Cost	Forecast Spending to March 31, 2006	Planned Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009	Future Years Spending Requirement
Reduced Impact of Weather and Related Hazards
Weather station construction Eureka, NWT (EPA) (Project Implementation)	14.7	12.9	1.0	0.8	0.0	0.0
Hydrometric Program (Project Close-out)	10.0	10.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Canadians Meteorological Centre -- Facility Extension (EPA) (Project Implementation)	8.3	7.8	0.3	0.2	0.0	0.0
Supercomputer Facility Upgrade to Electrical and Cooling Capacity (EPA)  (Project Implementation)	6.1	0.1	6.0	--	--	--
Adaptation to Environmental Changes
Modernization of the Climate Observing Program (EPA) (Project Implementation)	8.6	7.0	1.6	--	--	--

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

Table 9 lists the major projects by program activity that exceed the departmental project approval. All of the major projects listed have received Effective Project Approval (EPA).

Effective Project Approval implies Treasury Board's approval of, and expenditure authorization for, the objectives of the project implementation phase. Sponsoring departments and agencies are to request EPA only when the scope of the overall project has been defined and when the estimates have been refined to the substantive level.

Environment Canada's delegated authority is $2.5 million for general projects, $2 million for new technology (with a $5 million replacement limit) and $2.5 million for real property projects.

Table 10: Details on Transfer Payment Programs

1) Name of Transfer Payment Program: Contributions to support environmental and sustainable development initiatives
2) Start Date: August 1999		3) End Date: March 31, 2009
4) Description: The objective of this class contribution is to enable Canadian groups, associations and organizations to become actively involved in environmental and sustainable development initiatives while accommodating regional ecosystem and socio-economic considerations. Contributions enable recipients to plan, manage and complete environmental and sustainable development initiatives at the regional or ecosystem level. This funding also serves to increase awareness and understanding of environmental and sustainable development issues and to encourage environmentally responsible action.
5) Strategic Outcomes and Expected Results: Reduced adverse human impact on the atmosphere and on air quality; Understanding, and prevention or reduction of the environmental and human health threats posed by toxic substances of concern; Conservation of biological diversity; Understanding and reduction of human impacts on the health of ecosystems; Conservation and restoration of priority ecosystems; Reduced impact of weather and related hazards on health, safety and the economy; Adaptation to day-to-day and longer-term changes in atmospheric, hydrological and ice conditions; Strategic and integrated policy priorities and plans; or A well-performing organization supported by efficient and innovative services.
	Forecast Spending 2005-2006	Planned Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009
Biodiversity is conserved and protected	8.4	9.3	4.7	4.7
Water is clean, safe and secure	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5
Canadians adopt approaches that ensure the sustainable use and management of natural capital and working landscapes	5.4	4.5	4.9	4.7
Improved knowledge and information on weather and environmental conditions influences decision-making	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions	0.3	0.4	0.0	0.0
Risks posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances in the environment are reduced	1.9	2.1	1.4	1.4
Net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced	4.9	0.5	--	--
Total Transfer Payment Program	16.7	17.5	11.7	11.5
1) Name of Transfer Payment Program: Habitat Stewardship Contribution Program
2) Start Date: August 20, 2000		3) End Date: March 31, 2008
4) Description: Contribute to the recovery of endangered, threatened, and other species of concern, and to prevent other species from becoming a conservation concern, by engaging Canadians in conservation actions to benefit wildlife; and Enable non-government organizations, landowners, the private sector, Aboriginal organizations, educational institutions, community groups, and other levels of government to plan, manage and complete projects that will achieve the program goal.
5) Strategic Outcomes and Expected Results: Supporting habitat projects that benefit species at risk; Enabling Canadians to become actively and concretely involved in stewardship projects for species at risk that will result in tangible, measurable environmental benefits; Improving scientific, sociological, and economic understanding of the role stewardship has as a conservation tool; Securing or protecting important habitat to protect species at risk and support their recovery; Mitigating threats to species at risk caused by human activities; and Achieving measurable results that contribute to Environment Canada's program activities.
	Forecast Spending 2005-2006	Planned Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009
Biodiversity is conserved and protected	10.0	9.5	9.0	9.0
Total Transfer Payment Program	10.0	9.5	9.0	9.0
1) Name of Transfer Payment Program: Contributions to EcoAction Community Funding Initiative
2) Start Date: 1998		3) End Date: March 31, 2009
4) Description: Provide financial support to non-profit organizations to undertake environmental projects that yield positive, measurable results and increase public capacity and awareness at the community level.
5) Strategic Outcomes and Expected Results: To support and promote environmental improvements by funding community groups undertaking action, outreach and/or capacity building activities that address the following Government of Canada and EC priorities: climate change, nature, water quality and air quality; To lever monetary and voluntary in-kind support for environmental activities which have measurable environmental benefits; To provide Canadians with the tools they need to act on their knowledge and values as individuals and members of communities in support of sustainable development. The successful completion of community-based projects that support action, capacity building and outreach on priority environmental issues at the local and regional levels; Measurable results that are supportive of the Government of Canada's climate change objectives, as detailed in the Climate Change Plan for Canada and the One-Tonne Challenge; and Supporting the implementation of other priority activities in recovery strategies or action plans, where these are in place or under development.
	Forecast Spending 2005-2006	Planned Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009
Canadians are informed of, and respond appropriately to, current and predicted environmental conditions	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
Total Transfer Payment Program	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0

Table 11: Conditional Grants (Foundations)

1) Name of Foundation: Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS)
2) Start Date: February 2000	3) End Date: 2010	4) Total Funding : $110M
5) Description: To invest strategically in excellent university-based research to: provide relevant science to policy makers; generate better knowledge of climate change and its impacts on the natural environment; provide results to help Canada respond to its international environmental commitments; and ensure a supply of skilled human resources to meet future environmental challenges.
6) Strategic Outcomes: Canada's natural capital is restored, conserved and enhanced; Weather and environmental predictions and services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians; Canadians and their environment are protected from the effects of pollution and waste; The impacts of climate change on Canada are reduced
7) Summary of Annual Plans of Recipient CFCAS supports efforts to: Understand our climate system, high-impact weather, air quality and ocean-atmosphere interactions; Improve weather predictions; Generate skilled human resources; Provide scientific information to support federal policymaking and service delivery. CFCAS is currently preparing a report to Canadians on the science of climate change. It continues to support projects as well as major group and networked initiatives, stimulate research in priority areas, foster work on the impacts of our changing climate and encourage multidisciplinary research. CFCAS-funded research is increasing Canada's intellectual resources in climate and atmospheric sciences through training and retention of researchers, helping generate and disseminate relevant new knowledge, increasing the transfer of scientific findings to stakeholders and raising Canada's scientific profile internationally. Benefits include better information to support policy development, improved operational forecasting, better adaptation to climate changes and more effective management of climate-related risks.
8) Planned Audits and Evaluations
9) URL to Recipient Site: http://www.cfcas.org/index_e.html
1) Name of Foundation: Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)
2) Start Date: March 26, 2001	3) End Date: June 30, 2015	4) Total Funding : $550M*
5) Description: To stimulate the development and demonstration of Canadian technologies aimed at climate change, clean air, clean water and clean soil.
6) Strategic Outcomes: Canada's natural capital is restored, conserved and enhanced; Weather and environmental predictions and services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians; Canadians and their environment are protected from the effects of pollution and waste; The impacts of climate change on Canada are reduced
7) Summary of Annual Plans of Recipient As of July 2006 (last funding announcement), SDTC had completed eight funding rounds and allocated a total of $217 million to 97 projects. That amount will be leveraged with an additional $560 million in contribution from private and public project partners, for a total project value of $777 million. Of those contributions, some 60 percent will come from private sources. According to SDTC, the projects it has funded sicne 2002 have an estimated potential to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 megatonnes by the end of 2010. SDTC holds two rounds of funding each year (January and August), initially requesting Statements of Interest (SOI) from applicants. Contract announcements are made about nine months after the acceptance of SOIs. In 2006 and 2007, funding allocations are targeted at $100M and $106M respectively with annual project disbursement payments projected to be $49M and $79M. SDTC publishes a corporate plan in November of each year which describes plans for the current year and provides a forecast for the following year. It includes a disbursement plan, planned administration expenditures, objectives and proposed actions, an investment update, operating strategy, and performance expectations. The SDTC Annual Report and a summary of the corporate plan are tabled in the House of Commons by the Minister of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), usually in July-August.
8) Planned Audits and Evaluations: Planned Audits and Evaluations: In December 2005, the Office of the Auditor General's Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (OAG CESD) initiated an audit of SDTC. It encompasses all aspects of SDTC's operations and is part of the CESD audit of climate change programs in the federal government. The objective is to assess how well SDTC is fulfilling its mandate to support and finance the development and demonstration of clean technologies to address the issues related to climate change and to act as a catalyst in building sustainable development technology infrastructure in Canada. The audit will also include an examination of the federal government relationship with SDTC since its creation in 2001. It will focus primarily on Natural Resources Canada and Environment Canada, SDTC's two sponsoring departments and signatories to its Funding Agreements. The OAG/CESD report will be tabled in September 2006. SDTC has completed its first interim evaluation for operations ending December 31, 2005, the results of which are posted on SDTC's web site. A second interim evaluation will be due in 2009 or after two-thirds of the funds have been committed, whichever comes first.
9) URL to Recipient Site: http://www.sdtc.ca/en/
* EC's share is $275M
1) Name of Foundation: Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) Green Municipal Fund (GMF) formerly known as the Green Municipal Enabling Fund (GMEF) and the Green Municipal Investment Fund (GMIF)
2) Start Date: February 2000	3) End Date: In perpetuity	4) Total Funding : $550M*
5) Description: The intent of the GMF is to encourage investment in environmental municipal infrastructure. Specifically, the priorities of the fund are to have a positive impact on the health and the quality of life of Canadians by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improving local air, water and soil quality and promoting renewable energy by supporting environmental studies and projects within the municipal sector. The GMF is equally co-funded by NRCan and Environment Canada (EC) who manage the fund at arms' length creating a strong partnership between the FCM and the Government of Canada. The FCM Board of Directors, formally designated as the decision-making body for the funds, is advised by a 15-member council with five federal appointees. The Council plays a key role, supported by the FCM secretariat and the GMF Peer Review Committee. Created in Budget 2000 with an endowment of $125M, the Green Municipal Funds were doubled in Budget 2002 with an additional $125M, consisting of the GMEF and the GMIF. The $50M GMEF has provided grants to support feasibility studies to increase municipal expertise and knowledge of leading-edge environmental technologies and practices. The $200M GMIF has provided loans and loan guarantees to leverage municipal investment in innovative environmental infrastructure projects. Budget 2005 announced $300M of additional funding to the GMF in fiscal year 2004-2005. With Budget 2005, the GMEF and GMIF were merged into one fund known as the Green Municipal Fund (GMF), combining the $250M from the old GMF with the new $300M into a revolving fund. This fund supports grants, loans and loan guarantees and is consistent with the purpose and intent of the original agreements. $150 million dollars of this fund is to be used exclusively to provide loans for the clean-up and redevelopment of brownfields. The amount of GMF financing available to municipalities is directly related to the environmental benefits and/or innovation of the projects undertaken, with grant/loan combinations of up to 80% of eligible costs available for projects with exceptional environmental benefits.
6) Strategic Outcomes: Canada's natural capital is restored, conserved and enhanced; Weather and environmental predictions and services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians; Canadians and their environment are protected from the effects of pollution and waste; The impacts of climate change on Canada are reduced
7) Summary of Annual Plans of Recipient In accordance with the agreement, the FCM submits their annual statement of plans and objectives to the Minister at the end of each fiscal year.
8) Planned Audits and Evaluations:
9) URL to Recipient Site: http://www.fcm.ca/english/gmf/gmf.html
* EC's share is $275M
1) Name of Foundation: Clayoquot Biosphere Trust
2) Start Date: February 2000	3) End Date: In perpetuity	4) Total Funding: $12M
5) Description: To create an endowment fund for the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) - the cornerstone of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The CBT will use the income from the endowment fund to support local research, education and training in the Biosphere Reserve region.
6) Strategic Outcomes: Canada's natural capital is restored, conserved and enhanced; Weather and environmental predictions and services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians; Canadians and their environment are protected from the effects of pollution and waste; The impacts of climate change on Canada are reduced
7) Summary of Annual Plans of Recipient Establish and implement technical committees in marine/aquatic, terrestrial, education and community development to provide support and recommendations for approval of community-based initiatives. Improve outreach to communities to facilitate better understanding and participation in the work of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust. Maintain current funding initiatives and explore other funding sources to maximize community benefit through educational scholarships, project funding, and collaborative partnerships. Pursue targeted initiatives and partnerships to provide significant community benefit and provide opportunity to develop collaborative ventures
8) Planned Audits and Evaluations:
9) URL to Recipient Site: http://www.clayoquotbiosphere.org/