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Sustainable Development Strategy

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) tabled its current Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) in Parliament on December 13, 2006. Based on lessons learned from previous strategies, and on recommendations made by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, this strategy focuses efforts on fewer and more concrete commitments that will allow CIC to rethink how it approaches sustainable development (SD) and lay a strong foundation on which to build future strategies.

The main challenge for the Department is to establish clear links between its ongoing core activities and its sustainable development objectives. A review of the sustainable development program undertaken in 2008–2009 highlighted the need for CIC to develop management and analytical tools to assist employees and senior management in identifying sustainability issues inherent to the departmental mandate, and establish clear guidelines on how to deal with these issues.

The four key goals of CIC’s Sustainable Development Strategy are to:

1. Promote awareness of sustainable development principles and objectives among departmental staff, clients and stakeholders;
2. Strengthen federal governance and decision making to support sustainable development;
3. Contribute to building sustainable communities that enjoy a prosperous economy, a vibrant and equitable society, and a healthy environment for current and future generations; and
4. Minimize the negative environmental impacts of departmental operations.

The Department’s focus in its 2007–2010 SDS is on governance and capacity building. More specifically, in 2009–2010, CIC will:

• Continue implementing the communications plan developed during SDS III;
• Begin internal consultations to identify gaps in its sustainable development program, define clear departmental requirements, clarify roles and responsibilities, and strengthen its procedures;
• Continue working on the development of a training plan; and
• Review and update its guidelines.

Report on the progress of the SDS is found in CIC’s annual Departmental Performance Report.

SDS Departmental Goal 1: Promote Awareness of Sustainable Development Principles and Objectives among Departmental Staff, Clients and Stakeholders

Federal SD goal, including Greening of Government Operation goals	Activity	Performance measurement from current SDS	Department’s expected results for 2009–10
Sustainable Communities: “Federal SD Goal IV”	Develop and implement an SD training plan for CIC covering topics such as: Principles of SD Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) Waste management Green procurement Fleet management Optimal use of information technologies.	Training material is developed or obtained for each component of the training plan.	In 2009–2010, CIC will make use of the suite of training tools necessary to start building analytical capacity within the Department and ensure that all employees are in a position to integrate the principles of sustainability within their daily work.
	Implementation of the SD communications plan to raise employee awareness of SD throughout the year on various themes, such as: Water conservation Energy efficiency Clean air Waste management Workplace well-being and health and safety programs Green commuting practices Optimal use of information technologies.	An SD resource centre is created by March 2010.	CIC employees will have access to SD-related resources through the departmental library services.
	Develop an integrated policy framework for citizenship to raise the profile of citizenship among newcomers and Canadian-born individuals, and to promote active citizenship.	Number of community-focused citizenship ceremonies.	At least one additional community-focused citizenship ceremony.
	Distribute information on sustainable development and environmental issues to visa-ready immigrants, newly settled immigrants and prospective citizens.	Number of copies of Welcome to Canada and A Newcomer’s Introduction to Canada distributed to immigrants and prospective citizens.	Maintaining distribution to 100% of immigrants.

SDS Departmental Goal 2: Strengthen Federal Governance and Decision Making to Support Sustainable Development

Federal SD goal, including Greening of Government Operation goals	Activity	Performance measurement from current SDS	Department’s expected results for 2009–10
Governance for Sustainable Development: “Federal SD Goal VI”	Take stock of SD capacity in all branches and identify potential activities and approaches to promote SD behaviour before the next SDS.	Number of branches approached in the context of the stock-taking exercise. Gap analysis identifies areas for improvement in CIC’s SD program.	All CIC branches are consulted over the course of SDS IV. At least three areas of improvement are identified for SDS V. At least two options are identified to further integrate SDS into key planning and reporting processes.
	Fully implement CIC’s SEA Policy into policies, plans and program proposals requiring ministerial or Cabinet decisions.	Number and percentage of eligible proposals for which the SEA process is followed. Number and percentage of proposals for which a full SEA is completed.	100% of documents eligible under the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals undergo the SEA process.
	Review and implementation of updated procedures related to CIC’s SD program, including the SEA Policy Statement and Guide.	SD procedural documents are updated or created as needed starting March 2008.	Clear and effective governance mechanisms to integrate SD into decision making.
	CIC will contribute to a joint initiative with other government departments and the Canada School of Public Service to design and deliver new Government of Canada SD training material.	Number of CIC employees participating in training.	90% of CIC policy analysts are trained.

SDS Departmental Goal 3 : Contribute to Building Sustainable Communities That Enjoy a Prosperous Economy, a Vibrant and Equitable Society, and a Healthy Environment for Current and Future Generations

Federal SD goal, including Greening of Government Operation goals	Activity	Performance measurement from current SDS	Department’s expected results for 2009–10
Sustainable Communities: “Federal SD Goal IV”	Ensure that programming supports the successful integration of newcomers into Canadian society and their contribution to a prosperous economy.	CIC’s immigration, citizenship and refugee programs support the successful integration of newcomers into Canadian society and their contribution to a prosperous economy. For details on CIC’s planned activities, see Section II of this report.

SDS Departmental Goal 4: Minimize the Negative Environmental Impacts of Departmental Operations

Federal SD goal, including Greening of Government Operation goals	Activity	Performance measurement from current SDS	Department’s expected results for 2009–10
SD and use of natural resources: “Federal SD Goal V” Reduce greenhouse gas emissions: “Federal SD Goal III”	Implementation of CIC’s Thinking Green Waste Reduction (TGWR) Plan developed and piloted under SDS III at CIC national headquarters.	Number of branches in which the TGWR Plan is implemented.	5% waste reduction in at least 4 of the 6 branches by March 2009. 10% waste reduction in at least 2 of the 6 branches by March 2010.
	Revise CIC’s procurement practices to incorporate new government-wide directions on green procurement.	New green procurement guidelines implemented.	100% of CIC’s administrative assistants will apply the new guidelines.
		Description of tracking and monitoring methodologies.	CIC administrative assistants receive information on green procurement through CIC’s annual Administrative Assistants Conference.
		Total amount of green products and services purchased by CIC between 2007–2008 and 2009–2010.	5% increase over 2 years based on the results of 2007–2008.

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