Evidence of meeting #88 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was departments.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
—to greening government operations, yes.
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes.
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
So far you've told us that what you simply focus on is reducing greenhouse gases.
My question is, is it the intent of Treasury Board to issue broader guidelines and policies and directives on all areas related to sustainable development?
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
We can, as it says here, establish policies or directives applicable to the environment.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
—to the environment, so not to across-the-table development?
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes. We can thus go broader, to water and waste. We can—Treasury Board can....
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
—to environment. That's what this says here. However, there are—
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
Thank you, Mr. Xenos. I appreciate your testimony, and thank you for enlightening us on the nature and scope of the greening government operations outfit.
The previous witness, the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development, recommended that we “incorporate accountability for sustainable development results in the performance agreements of deputy heads”. It's my understanding, however, that Treasury Board can already do this and already does so. I wonder if it would not be more appropriate for Treasury Board, instead of entrenching in law a particular approach to human resources management, were to more appropriately house it within Treasury Board.
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
There are currently instruments for accountability of senior management within Treasury Board: the management accountability framework, MAF, and reporting to Parliament, etc. Those instruments can be and are used, and Treasury Board does use them in the different areas.
In terms of greening government operations, we have good interdepartmental discussions and work that we do with departments directly and through the existing reporting, whether it's through FSDS or other mechanisms. We have a pretty good relationship with those departments and a good way to get to those goals.
Treasury Board generally has various instruments dealing with senior personnel in different areas related to their accountabilities under the the different policies and administrative policies, etc.
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
Are those made public? Is the public made aware of the superior or the inferior performance, as the case may be, of senior government officials in relation to the sustainable development performance of their departments?
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
For example, in terms of greening government operations, we have made public how each department is doing related to the goals in the low-carbon government. We have made that public. It's open and transparent.
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
Okay.
Reviewing your testimony, you've indicated that one of your mandates is to drive results to meet the government's greening objectives. I note that the target was set to reduce GHG emissions of federally owned buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030. Does the greening of government operations centre provide for department-by-department targets?
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
Ultimately, the 40% target is what each department should shoot for, so again, we've made public how each department has progressed against that target. Again, that's on the website and available.
We're asking all departments to hit that target, but you can also look at the distribution, if you will, of the emissions. There are a few departments that have much higher emissions than others, so there might be more cost-effective ways in certain departments, or other ways. There are a lot of ways we can get there, but ultimately every department should shoot for that target.
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
I understand that. I just think it's much more challenging when there aren't very specific targets for each specific department to meet. Getting a check mark for going in the right direction is a little different from having a hard target that you did or didn't meet.
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
Yes.
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
Also, it makes it much more realistic, in my estimation, that the government will achieve its 40% reduction target if it specifically knows what reductions by each department are going to be achieved.
Do you not think the Canadian public would have greater confidence in the ability to achieve that target if there were department-by-department targets?
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
Sorry to be unclear, if I'm unclear, but each department's target is 40%.
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
I see. Okay. That must make it very difficult for some departments and much....
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
We've seen the profile of the departments. We've been sitting down with the departments to look at an action plan to get there. We've encouraged departments to take a whole-of-department view. They should look at all of their assets, look at their investment plan going forward, and assess where the opportunities are to get to the 40%.
We've had good progress to date, I think. We're working with each department because each department has a particular situation, a particular case, and particular kinds of assets and operations. We are working with each one, though, to address that and to try to bring a solution set that's tailored to that department.
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
Okay.
Does your centre for greening government operations have the human resources necessary to follow through on this major task?
Executive Director, Centre for Greening Government, Treasury Board Secretariat
We've been resourced and set up by Treasury Board, so we are well set up, I think, to do what we are doing right now.
