2019–20 Departmental sustainable development strategy
1. Context for the departmental sustainable development strategy
Although the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying is not bound by the Federal Sustainable Development Act and is not required to develop a full departmental sustainable development strategy, the Office adheres to the principles of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) by implementing the Policy on Green Procurement.
The Policy on Green Procurement supports the Government of Canada's effort to promote environmental stewardship. In keeping with the objectives of the policy, the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying supports sustainable development by integrating environmental performance considerations into the procurement decision making process through the actions described in the "FSDS goal: low-carbon government" table in section 2.
2. Commitments for Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
| FSDS target | FSDS contributing action | Corresponding departmental action(s) | Support for UN Sustainable Development Goal target | Starting point(s), target(s) and performance indicator(s) for departmental actions | Link to the department's Program Inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025. | Support the transition to a low carbon economy through green procurement. | Acquire AV equipment, IT hardware, and office furniture through Public Service & Procurement Canada (PSPC) acquisition mechanisms.
Include relevant sustainability provisions in all goods and services contract awards. |
Contributes to UN Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns and UN Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. | Green procurement clauses are embedded in PSPC acquisition mechanisms. | Internal Services |
| Improve the energy efficiency of our buildings/operations | Invest in upgraded LED lighting in new office location | Contributes UN Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by decreasing energy consumption. | Current office space uses fluorescent lighting. | Internal Services | |
| In accordance with the Directive on the Disposal of Surplus Material, assets no longer required by OCL are assessed for condition then, when possible, redeployed elsewhere in government or sold to the public rather than being disposed of as waste. | Contributes to UN Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns by increasing reuse, recycling, and recovery. | ||||
| Promote sustainable travel practices | Promote use of conferencing tools such as WebEx and Skype to reduce face-to-face meetings.
Assess the viability and value of purchasing carbon offsets when flights are necessary |
Contributes UN Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by decreasing GHG emissions caused by staff travel. | All employees have access to Skype on their OCL devices. | Compliance and Enforcement Outreach and Education Internal Services |
3. Integrating sustainable development
The Office will continue to integrate sustainable development into its internal policy and operational processes. For example:
- Kitchen is equipped with reusable dishes to reduce use of disposable items. When internal meetings are catered, preference is given to suppliers that can provide reusable or compostable items. A water dispenser will be installed in the new office space to support the use of refillable water bottles rather than single-use plastic bottles.
- OCL provides staff with mobile technology tools (encrypted tablets, smart phones) which enable sustainable practices such as:
- Telework arrangements, which reduce GHG emissions created by staff commutes.
- Paperless meetings, which diminish paper production and disposal.
- Use of greener transportation options (public transit vs taxis; trains vs flights) is promoted and supported when staff are travelling on OCL business.
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