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Sustainable Development Strategy

The Department’s current 2007-2009 sustainable development strategy was tabled in December of 2006 under the provisions of the Auditor General Act. This RPP captures the strategy’s final 8 months of activity (2009) but also straddles the first 3 months of 2010.  For planning purposes, it is being assumed that the strategy will continue into this period and beyond until a further strategy is prepared under the new Federal Sustainable Development Act.

The current strategy has three objectives:

  • Further develop the capacity of the Department to support the provision of legal services related to sustainable development.
  • Incorporate sustainable development principles and practices into the Department’s policy and program operations.
  • Improve the environmental sustainability of the Department’s physical operations.

These objectives, along with their respective targets and performance indicators, are aimed at improving the existing capacity and practices in the Department towards achieving sustainable development in its internal operations, as well as in its work with its client organizations.

The complete text of the Sustainable Development Strategy 2007-2009 may be obtained at: http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/dept-min/pub/sds-sdd/index.html

Objective 1: Further develop the capacity of the Department to support the provision of legal services related to sustainable development.


OBJECTIVES/TARGETS COMMITMENTS
Target 1.1:
The Department’s role in providing legal services related to sustainable development is considered, when appropriate.

Target 1.2:
The Department builds on its current level of awareness of sustainable development by developing a further capacity to provide advice on the legal implications of policy and program decisions related to sustainable development issues facing the government and client departments and agencies, when appropriate.

  • Organize and host a follow-up sustainability conference in March 2009
  • Training sessions on Legal Services support for SD
  • Consider how DoJ legal services can enhance its support of client SD strategies
  • Strengthening of established networks and working groups to consider sustainability in the provision of legal services.
  • Conduct research and analysis of sustainability principles and current issues and identify case law and best practices on the application of these principles and practices in the provision of legal services.
  • Develop a departmental guide for LSUs to assist in their response to environmental petitions
  • Guidelines are developed to support staff in offering additional advice and services.
  • Learning and practical tools are developed to assist employees.
  • Training is offered and conducted to build additional expertise in the Department, when appropriate.
  • Host and promote the sustainable development training course offered by the Canada School of Public Service.
  • Legal risk management is linked to sustainable development.

Objective 2: Incorporate sustainable development principles and practices into the Department’s policy and program operations.


OBJECTIVES/TARGETS COMMITMENTS
Target 2.1:
Sustainable development principles and practices are incorporated in the Department’s policies and programs, when appropriate.
  • Ensure and monitor compliance with Cabinet Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessments
  • Operationalize best practices such as the consideration of sustainable development principles into program and policy development
  • Develop and provide appropriate guidelines and learning tool
  • Policy Branch participation in DOJ’s 2009 Sustainable Development conference
  • Policy Branch to analyse survey of policy staff and partners as part of on-going policy and program research and analysis
Target 2.2:
Sustainable development activities and principles are integrated in the Department’s management and accountability structure.
  • Integrate sustainable development into Departmental business planning
  • Increase the understanding of SD and its relevance to the work of the Department within its managerial community
  • Develop specific targets for inclusion and monitoring of sustainable development commitments into selective senior managers’ performance agreements.

Objective 3: Improve the environmental sustainability of the Department’s physical operations.


OBJECTIVES/TARGETS COMMITMENTS
Target 3.1:
Conservation and waste-management practices are significantly improved.
  • Intensify activities to raise staff awareness of conservation practices
  • Implementing default double-sided printing
  • Introduce battery recovery program
  • Adherence to Government of Canada accommodation standards
  • On-going transfer of select IT assets to the Computer-for-Schools program
  • Enforcement of water policy which supports tap water over bottled water
  • Introduce and encourage measures to reduce energy consumption
Target 3.2:
Government Green Procurement Policy is implemented.
  • On-going training of all appropriate managers and staff to be maintained
  • Implementation of GPP is monitored and enforced
  • IT investment criteria to consider environmental benefits/costs