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Sustainable Development Strategy
2001-2003
Table of Contents
Section II: Departmental Overview
Section III: Assessing Our Progress
- First CIC Sustainable Development Strategy: 1997-2000
- Audit Results
- Lessons Learned
- Assessment of CIC Sustainable Development Action Plan: 1997-2000
Message from the Minister
Social well-being, economic growth and the protection of our natural environment are interdependent issues, each of which contributes to promoting sustainable development in Canada. The integration of these issues will help Canadians to sustain our quality of life. For this reason, the Government of Canada has made the promotion of integrated decision making its key sustainable development objective.
This government, committed to the well-being and future of Canada, also recognizes the importance of a well-managed immigration program to our social and economic development. This is reflected in the need to strike a balance between policies and programs that promote family reunification, that focus on the contribution of immigrants to our economy and society, that meet our international commitments with respect to refugees, and that protect the safety and security of Canadians. It is also reflected in my commitment to uphold the values of Canadian citizenship for future generations.
I am pleased to present Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s second Sustainable Development Strategy. Building on the lessons learned over the past three years and the valuable feedback we received during consultations with various partners and stakeholders, this strategy moves the Department closer to the successful integration of environmental sustainability into our social and economic development objectives.
Through the implementation of this strategy, we will
- minimize the negative environmental impacts of departmental operations;
- promote greater awareness of sustainable development principles and objectives among departmental staff, clients, partners and stakeholders;
- better integrate environmental considerations into departmental policy development and the decision-making process; and
- promote accountability and ensure compliance.
I am confident that these steps will bring us closer to meeting our sustainable development objectives both now and for generations to come.
The Honourable Elinor Caplan, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
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Section I: Introduction
Sustainable development is commonly understood to mean development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) illustrated the challenge of sustainable development through two key elements of development: equity and quality of life. The long-term approach to this challenge highlights the economic and social implications of environmental change and, conversely, the environmental impacts of economic and social change.
The Government of Canada is committed to integrating the principles of sustainable development into its decision-making process. This integrated approach has three key elements:
- a long-term focus that seeks to preserve and enhance Canada’s economic, social and natural resources capital to improve the quality of people’s lives and ensure a continuing legacy for the future;
- a coordinated and integrated approach to decision making that incorporates environmental, social and economic considerations; and
- recognition of the interdependence of domestic and global activities.
As of 1995, all federal departments are required to table a sustainable development strategy (SDS) in Parliament and to update these strategies at least every three years. Each department’s strategy should include a plan for integrating sustainable development objectives into departmental policies, programs and operations, as well as identifying performance indicators. The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) holds departments accountable for meeting their commitments through an annual report to Parliament.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) tabled its first SDS in Parliament on December 10, 1997. In its 1998 review, the CESD found that CIC’s strategy met most of the basic requirements. CIC subsequently reported on progress made in fulfilling its SDS commitments through its annual departmental performance reports.
The present document is CIC’s second SDS. It builds upon our original strategy by evaluating our progress, reflecting on the advice and recommendations of key partners and stakeholders, and outlining our strategic priorities and action plan for 2001-2003.
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Section II: Departmental Overview
Departmental Objectives
Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s mission is to build a stronger Canada by
- deriving maximum social and economic benefit from the global movement of people;
- maintaining Canada’s humanitarian tradition by protecting refugees and others in need of humanitarian protection at home and abroad;
- defining membership in Canadian society and supporting the settlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers; and
- managing access to Canada and protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.
Key Partnerships
Section 95 of the Constitution Act, 1867 assigns concurrent legislative authority over immigration to the federal and provincial orders of government, while making federal legislation paramount in situations of conflict. Although the federal government has traditionally played the primary role in the selection of immigrants, the provinces and territories have borne the lion’s share of responsibility with regard to settlement and integration [note 1]. The delivery of the immigration and citizenship programs relies upon cooperation with our partners, including provincial and territorial governments, municipal governments, non-governmental organizations and the voluntary sector, all of whom provide important services to immigrants and refugees.
In managing immigration and citizenship programs, CIC works closely with other governmental departments, such as Human Resources Development Canada on labour market issues; the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade on international issues; the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on enforcement issues; and many others. Indeed, immigration policy development requires an increasingly horizontal approach that cuts across all government departments. The Department also supports Canada’s humanitarian mission and related international commitments by setting the framework for and managing the government’s refugee policies and programs, and administering those programs in partnership with the Immigration and Refugee Board. More generally, the Department works with a number of international partners and agencies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration and others to advance Canada’s interests on a range of immigration and refugee policies and programs.
CIC Role in Sustainable Development
| “The long-term economic and social well-being of every Canadian depends on the state of our natural environment.” Speech from the Throne, 1999 |
Since its creation as a department, CIC has been committed to ensuring that immigration continues to be of net economic and social benefit to Canada. On the economic side, for example, immigration contributes significantly to meeting labour market needs and facilitating tourism. With respect to social benefits, CIC contributes through family reunification, humanitarian assistance to refugees and our work in support of the settlement of immigrants.
As a result, the Department continuously monitors and evaluates international and domestic events that could affect the economic and social benefits of immigration. For example, changes in the push and pull factors for immigration, source countries, the qualifications of prospective immigrants and domestic labour market circumstances all have an impact on the level and mix of immigrants seeking to enter Canada as well as their settlement needs. In addition, the social and economic conditions that newcomers encounter upon arrival can have a major effect on whether newcomers successfully integrate into the Canadian way of life.
| “The poor are both victims and agents of environmental damage.” World Development Report, World Bank, 1992 |
With over 4,500 employees in offices across Canada and around the world, it is clear that CIC’s programs and operations do have an impact on our biophysical environment. The Department is therefore conscious of the need to conduct its operations in an environmentally sensitive manner. Beyond this, however, much work remains to be done to integrate environmental considerations into citizenship and immigration policies and programs.
International migration is related in many complex ways to environmental sustainability. The scarcity of resources (e.g., famine, energy shortages), environmental degradation (e.g., pollution, deforestation), natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, epidemic diseases) and severe climate changes (e.g., drought, flooding) can displace large numbers of people and be important push factors for international migration. Perceptions of Canada’s abundant natural resources, wide-open spaces and clean environment have played and will continue to play a role in attracting newcomers, in addition to broader considerations of a democratic and open society and an economy that offers opportunities for newcomers and their families.
Globalization means that international travel and migration are likely to increase. From an environmental perspective, increased mobility increases the potential risk of new foods, plants and organisms being introduced into sensitive ecosystems. There is also the risk of new strains of disease spreading more quickly between populations. Although these issues are of serious concern and are subject to various domestic and international screening processes, the risks must be balanced against the benefits of globalization and the freer international movement of goods, services and people. For example, the recruitment of highly skilled workers means that Canada could benefit from environmental knowledge, skills and technologies. Similarly, international students can be agents of technology and knowledge transfer for environmental management issues. Immigrants also bring with them different values and practices that can offer new perspectives on environmental protection and sustainable development. Moreover, successful integration strategies can raise awareness among newcomers of the value Canadians place on a clean environment.
Nationally, immigration is an increasingly important component of population growth. Over the last century, net immigration accounted for about one-fifth of total population growth in Canada. More recently, between 1991 and 1996, immigration was responsible for more than half of Canada’s population growth and 70% of labour market growth. The decline in the rate of natural increase (the excess number of births over deaths), mostly attributable to declining average fertility rates, has been a cause for concern in Canada as in most developed countries. While immigration can neither fully replace declining populations nor change the dependency ratio associated with these demographic trends, it is an important tool in addressing demographic challenges.
| “A long-term focus seeking to preserve and enhance economic, social and natural capital in order to improve the quality of people’s lives and ensure a continuing legacy for the future.” Leaders’ Forum on Sustainable Development, 2000 |
The impact of immigration is also increasingly concentrated in particular geographic areas. For example, Canada’s four largest provinces received approximately 95% of all immigrants to Canada in 1999, and 71% of all immigrants settle in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. This trend is explained by the fact that Canada, like other developing countries, is undergoing rapid urbanization and newcomers, like native-born Canadians, settle where economic and social prospects are best.
Experts have somewhat differing views on the effects of population growth on the natural environment. Some argue that population growth, in and of itself, is less important than the way in which people interact with their environment, and that these interactions (i.e., patterns of production and consumption) are the result of complex socio-economic factors. Others argue that any increase exerts additional pressure on the environment and that we must limit the rate of growth to sustain limited resources. Most would agree that just as biologists must be concerned with the “carrying capacity” of an ecosystem undergoing rapid change, so too must social scientists and economists be concerned with the effects of large influxes of new inhabitants on communities.
Clearly, there are both environmental costs and benefits to international migration, just as there are both social and economic costs and benefits. The challenge for decision makers is to assess and balance these considerations in related decision-making processes to ensure that Canada continues to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs. Indeed, this is the very challenge of sustainable development.
It is also clear that we will have to take advantage of every opportunity to work with our partners in the federal government to address our sustainable development challenges. Achieving the objective of integrated decision making will require all departments to work closely together to address this important horizontal issue.
CIC has an established social and economic mandate; less clear is the relationship of immigration to the biophysical environment. The levers under our authority do not allow us to control settlement patterns or minimize the corresponding environmental impacts of newcomers. Further, there is no evidence that, once people have arrived in Canada, their behaviour toward the environment varies significantly from individuals born in Canada.
Thus, the task is to develop the information necessary to make informed judgments, raise awareness among all those interested in migration issues so that environmental considerations can be brought to the fore, bring this added perspective to our policy development and decision-making process, and ensure that we use this three-year period to work toward the full integration of the environmental dimension of sustainable development into our ongoing commitment to social and economic sustainability and development.
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Section III: Assessing our Progress
First CIC Sustainable Development Strategy: 1997-2000
CIC’s first SDS outlined the Department’s strategic priorities and a plan for implementing the various steps. These included:
- deriving maximum social and economic benefit for Canada from the global movement of people and protecting refugees and people in need of humanitarian assistance;
- defining membership in Canadian society, enhancing the role of Canadian citizenship, and supporting the settlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers;
- preserving the integrity of Canada’s citizenship, immigration and refugee programs and protecting the health, safety, security and well-being of Canadian society; and
- promoting organizational effectiveness and supporting the Department in adapting to its changing environment through the management of resources, information and partnerships.
The strategic priorities outlined in CIC’s first SDS reflected the view that the Department’s policies and programs were more directly related to ensuring social and economic sustainability than environmental sustainability. Consequently, the Department’s SDS objectives were based on the “business line” objectives established through the Planning, Reporting and Accountability Structure.
One of the drawbacks of attempting to integrate sustainable development objectives into the departmental mandate is the perception that the strategies represent less of a commitment to change than a restatement of the status quo. As the CESD’s past audits revealed, departments tended to describe ongoing or routine practices without indicating whether objectives had been achieved. However, since Canada’s immigration, refugee and citizenship programs are affected by many complex social and economic trends in the domestic and international environments, it is particularly difficult to isolate indicators that accurately measure the social and economic sustainability of these programs.
As the chart on the following pages indicates, CIC made progress in meeting many of its commitments, particularly in the areas of raising awareness among staff through communications activities and the greening of departmental operations. The Department’s recycling programs are well established and have become part of the corporate culture. However, there are areas where CIC’s progress fell short of expectations. For example, CIC did not make significant progress in integrating environmental considerations into its policy development and decision-making processes. Cooperation with other government departments on issues of common concern was limited because of resource constraints and competing operational and workload pressures. There was also inadequate monitoring of progress and, because of the lack of clear performance indicators, corrective action was often not implemented.
Like many other federal departments and agencies, CIC recognizes that our SDS is an ongoing process of learning from experience and undertaking corrective action to achieve intended results. Thus, regular assessment of our strategy provides us with a basis for continued improvement. Generally, the task of developing a dialogue with partners and identifying indicators to measure how sustainable development can be factored into decision-making processes remains both a challenge and an opportunity.
Audit Results
The general findings of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development pointed to
- a lack of clear and measurable targets and the perception that the strategies represent less of a commitment to promoting sustainable development than a restatement of the status quo. Studies also revealed that departments tended to describe ongoing or routine practices and there was no clear indication of whether objectives had been met;
- the importance of government departments working together to develop and use common indicators in areas where they pursue common objectives;
- the need to apply sound management practices so that significant improvements can be made in protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development;
- the need to acquire and use environmental information for effective management as well as the integration of environmental information into decision making;
- significant weaknesses among departments with respect to consultation activities, including limited feedback to participants, which limited both coordination among departments and the participation of senior management.
In 1999, the CESD released a report in which CIC was one of six departments whose management practices with respect to the implementation of sustainable development strategies were assessed. The Commissioner expressed concern over whether action plans would be consistently implemented or the intended results of the strategies achieved. Moreover, in assessing the six departments against the International Organization for Standardization’s 14001 environmental management system standard, [note 2] it was observed that they had not yet adopted a systematic approach to identifying their priorities, defining management expectations, assigning accountability for results and identifying related training needs at lower levels in the organization. In addition, the departments had not performed the self-assessments that would facilitate steady improvement.
In addition to the Commissioner’s findings, it should be noted that waste audits of solid non-hazardous material generated at national headquarters are conducted each year. While the results on the whole appear to be positive, CIC has committed itself to undertaking more detailed reviews and investigations into opportunities to reduce the generation of waste.
Lessons Learned
The internal and external reviews of CIC’s first SDS have led to the identification of a number of lessons learned which will be taken into consideration as the Department pursues the advancement of its sustainable development goals.
Specifically, CIC must work toward developing the appropriate performance measures and targets to assist the achievement of sustainable development objectives. This needs to be accompanied by regular monitoring and assessment of the implementation of the Department’s strategy to identify areas requiring corrective action. Equally important is working with others to acquire the information needed to improve our understanding and subsequently strengthen the Department’s role both directly and in support of sustainable initiatives. Cooperation with others in activities that explore the various dimensions of sustainable development is integral to advancing our objectives. In addition to a renewed focus on identifying linkages between the Department’s actions and their impact on sustainability, CIC will implement mechanisms to promote the incorporation of sustainable development principles into the delivery of the citizenship and immigration programs.
Sustainable development and its application within the CIC mandate is an evolving process. The Department needs to improve its understanding of how sustainable development can be factored into decision-making processes as well as the linkages between sustainability and CIC policies and programs. To that end, CIC has designed plans to build our performance measurement capacity and enhance our knowledge base. To fully understand the impact of our actions on sustainability, the Department will need to improve its data systems, evaluation programs and research capacity.
Assessment of CIC Sustainable Development Action Plan: 1997‑2000
| Action to be Taken | Progress |
| I. To derive maximum social and economic benefit for Canada from the global movement of people and protect refugees and people in need of humanitarian assistance. | |
| 1. In accordance with the Immigration Act, continue to recommend annual immigration and refugee levels to the Minister after consultation with the provinces, territories and other people and organizations as the Minister deems appropriate. Promote consultations that provide a framework for input from a sustainable development perspective. Ongoing action. | a) An annual immigration plan is tabled in Parliament every year in accordance with section 7 of the Immigration Act. The 2000 Plan will be tabled when Parliament reconvenes. Although consultations on immigration levels were conducted annually with provincial and territorial governments and other key stakeholders, environmental considerations did not figure prominently in these discussions. |
| 2. Develop and implement policies and programs that consider broad horizontal policy issues and that are consistent with Canada’s social and economic well-being. Ongoing action. | a) CIC has strengthened its strategic policy and research capacities to consider broad horizontal policy issues. Although an integrated analysis of socio-economic considerations has always been factored into CIC’s policy planning process, further work is needed to integrate environmental considerations. |
| 3. Consult broadly with provinces and interest groups on the redesign of new selection criteria for skilled worker immigrants so that highly skilled immigrants (including professionals in environmental fields) with the right mix of human capital attributes would qualify. Action to be completed by December 2000. | a) A discussion paper on the skilled worker selection system
was distributed. The proposed models for change focus on the
range of an applicant’s attributes rather than intended occupation. b) CIC has also introduced the Provincial Nominees Program to facilitate the entry of workers identified by provincial governments as necessary to meet local labour market needs. To date, no programs or regulations have been introduced which specifically target workers with environmental skills or expertise. |
| 4. Consult broadly with provinces and sectoral organizations on the redesign of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to ensure that the entry of highly skilled workers (including professionals in environmental fields) creates a net economic benefit for Canada. Action targeted for completion by 1998. | a) CIC and HRDC have redesigned the Temporary Foreign Worker
Program and are in the process of implementing the changes.
b) CIC has recently deployed additional resources to improve client service and facilitate the processing of overseas applications, including those of temporary workers. |
| II. To define membership in Canadian society, enhance the role of Canadian citizenship, and support the settlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers. | |
| 1. Work toward the elimination of barriers to equal access to professions and trades for immigrants by maintaining effective relationships with other federal departments, provincial departments and licensing bodies for the purpose of improving access and encouraging equity. Ongoing action. | a)In October 1999, a national conference was held for all major
federal, provincial, territorial and non-governmental stakeholders
to examine barriers to interprovincial mobility and the recognition
of foreign credentials. b) A number of provinces have joined together to create a credentials assessment service. c) CIC continues to work with HRDC and the provinces and territories to reduce barriers for newcomers seeking access to trades and professions. |
| 2. Strengthen CIC’s communications efforts in the area of environmental awareness by developing new content on sustainable development and environmental responsibility in citizenship and immigration material to promote the environmental awareness of newcomers to Canada. Action to be completed in 1999. | a) CIC has included information on sustainable development and the value that Canadians place on a clean environment in publications aimed at newcomers to Canada as well as in material for citizenship applicants. |
| III. To preserve the integrity of Canada’s citizenship, immigration and refugee programs and protect the health, safety, security and well-being of Canadian society. | |
| 1. Develop and implement policies and programs to prevent abuse of Canada’s citizenship, immigration and refugee programs and to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians. Ongoing action. | a) CIC continues to cooperate with its domestic and international partners to interdict people who are inadmissible to Canada and to remove organized criminals, terrorists, people guilty of committing war crimes or crimes against humanity, and failed refugee claimants. |
| IV. To promote organizational effectiveness and support the Department in adapting to its changing environment through the management of resources, information and partnerships. | |
| 1. Design and implement evaluation frameworks that assess the economic, social and cultural impacts of CIC programs, and identify the possible interactions with the environment. Ongoing action. | a) CIC completed six evaluation frameworks in the past fiscal year that will provide the basis for the future evaluation of the impact of CIC programs. An additional four will have been completed by the end of the fiscal year. |
| 2. Integrate the sustainable development strategy reviews and the reporting processes into the annual cycle of CIC’s business planning and performance reporting. Integrated report on performance measurement targeted to start in 1999 and integrated planning in 2000. | a) Reports on SDS, including information on our commitments and performance, are included in the annual Report on Plans and Priorities and the Departmental Performance Report. |
| 3. Incorporate environmental considerations into day-to-day operations through the development and implementation of an environmental management system that will provide a framework for environmental initiatives, with a focus on fleet management, procurement and facilities management (including waste reduction, energy efficiency and water conservation). | a) Details on the progress made are provided below. |
| Fleet Management | |
| 4. Develop and implement an action plan to comply with the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Motor Vehicle Policy. Action to be completed by 1999. | a) Draft plans to comply with the revised TBS Motor Vehicle
Policy are completed and currently under internal discussion.
b) CIC fully complied with the TBS Alternative Fuels Act in fiscal years 1997-1998, 1998-1999 and 1999-2000. c) The Department also explored fleet optimization options by studying the feasibility and cost effectiveness of regional transportation alternatives. |
| 5. Ensure that the new financial system captures personal vehicle daily rentals and taxi expenses by location. Action targeted for completion in 1998. | a) A financial system (SAP) has been implemented that captures daily vehicle rentals and taxi expenses by location. |
| 6. Optimize the fleet by increasing the average annual mileage per vehicle. Action to be completed in 1999. | a) Average annual mileage for CIC’s entire fleet increased from 15,933 km in 1997-1998 to 17,626 km in 1998-1999. This represents a 10.6% increase in annual mileage per vehicle, but is still short of the original goal of increasing average annual mileage to 20,000 km. |
| 7. Establish systems and procedures to formalize vehicle allocation and restrict vehicle use for administrative purposes. Action targeted for completion in 1998. | a) Although there has been no progress to date, CIC intends to review the current systems for monitoring use as part of its second SDS. |
| 8. Assess the most fuel-efficient vehicles and practices for CIC activities and establish a policy for their selection. Draft of policy to be completed in 1998. Ongoing identification and replacement of less fuel-efficient vehicles. | a) The policy has been drafted and a system has been developed
to report on vehicle fuel consumption annually.
b) An analysis of vehicle fuel consumption and the purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles is under way where feasible. |
| 9. Improve the tracking of vehicle maintenance to ensure lowest possible emissions and fuel consumption. To be completed in 1998. | a) Implemented a vehicle management contract to assist in the tracking of all credit card transactions for each vehicle in order to standardize the Department’s approach to vehicle maintenance. |
| 10. Communicate and promote the best practices for fleet management. | a) CIC participated in the TBS Fleet Management Committee.
b) A national committee to communicate fleet management standards will be re-established. |
| Procurement | |
| 11. Develop a procurement policy that incorporates environmental considerations, and the roles and responsibilities with regard to management reporting. Action for completion in 1998. | a) An environmental materiel management policy framework has been developed. |
| 12. Develop and disseminate a guide on green procurement to purchasing agents. Action targeted for 1998-1999. | a) The guide for green procurement was not completed because
of difficulties encountered in identifying environmentally friendly
products. b) CIC will work with partners to identify green products and communicate guidelines to departmental purchasers. |
| 13. Review service contracts to integrate environmental considerations where feasible. Action to be completed in 1998. | a) Various recycled and energy-efficient products are included in service contracts in several regions. |
| Facilities Management | |
| 14. Contribute to the government’s commitment to reducing its waste by participating in programs that support the 4R principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover). Action targeted for completion in 1998-1999. | a) Recycling programs were implemented in all domestic regions.
b) Report on opportunities for implementation of new initiatives completed. c) Regional coordinators were assigned to promote 4R initiatives. d) Information messages were communicated to all employees during the implementation of the “No Waste” Program at national headquarters and during annual Environment Week activities. |
| Communications Strategy | |
| 15. Develop a communications strategy that includes a general environmental awareness campaign and its annual review. Action to begin in 1998. | a) CIC sent messages to all staff during the implementation
of its Enhanced Recycling Program, and promoted the objectives
and principles of sustainable development with CIC employees
during the departmental campaign to raise awareness of the environment
in 1997, the No-Waste campaign in 1998, and Environment Week
in 1999 and 2000. b) Information on CIC’s SDS was posted on CIC Explore (Intranet) and on the Department’s Internet site to raise awareness of sustainable development. |
| Partnering | |
| 16. Approach CIC’s materiel and facilities partners to encourage them to take a leadership role in incorporating environmental specifications into standing offers, leases and other dealings with materiel and facilities management. | a) Ongoing discussions on all aspects of common expertise and shared responsibilities. |
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Section IV: Consultations
In planning, preparing and developing CIC’s second SDS, consultations were held with partners, clients and stakeholders, as well as internally with CIC employees. The objective of these consultations was to solicit input for CIC’s sustainable development strategy priorities and to generate ideas on the commitments the Department could pursue within its mandate over the next three years. The responses received from representatives of governmental and non-governmental institutions are summarized below.
Horizontal Coordination
Northern Sustainable Development Strategy
In November 1999, CIC participated in interdepartmental consultations held in Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit to develop a federal SDS for Canada’s North. CIC prepared a consultation document designed to engage participants in discussions on how to help build sustainable communities from both a northern and an immigration perspective. Participants from the Northwest Territories and Nunavut indicated a preference for the federal government to focus on improving opportunities and conditions for northerners rather than attracting immigrants to the North. They also indicated that, where immigration does take place, the government’s emphasis should be on attracting people who are environmentally conscious and who share northerners’ high regard and concern for the land.
Participation in the Leaders’ Forum on Sustainable Development
On April 4, 2000, CIC participated in an interdepartmental forum called to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Canada and to generate options for addressing those challenges. [note 3] The forum brought together senior government officials, NGO leaders, and representatives of environmental groups, Aboriginal organizations and research institutes.
As part of our efforts to better coordinate sustainable development planning and facilitate the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development, CIC, Canadian Heritage and Human Resources Development Canada developed a discussion paper on the social and cultural aspects of sustainable development. This document stressed the importance of gaining a better understanding of the “three pillars” of sustainable development for an integrated approach to decision making. It also emphasized the need for greater recognition of the interdependence between societies and cultures, economic growth, and the biophysical implications of our activities in sustainable development.
The forum participants concluded that the federal government should articulate a vision, goals and objectives for sustainable development; establish a focus and coordinate departmental activities; and engage Canadians in decision-making processes related to sustainable development.
Consultations on Second CIC Sustainable Development Strategy
During the summer of 2000, CIC developed a document that proposed strategic priorities and possible action for advancing sustainable development to reflect the common themes and issues raised during the development of its first SDS and subsequent consultations. The document was shared with other federal departments, provincial and territorial representatives, municipalities, Aboriginal organizations, environmental interest groups, immigrant service organizations, academic institutions and departmental employees. It was also posted on CIC’s Internet site to solicit comments from other stakeholders and the general public.
Responses to the document were generally positive. There was broad support for CIC’s objectives as well as for the directions and actions proposed to promote sustainable development. Specific issues of concern that were raised during the consultations were grouped into the following categories: promoting awareness of sustainable development; promoting a better understanding of the economic, environmental and social challenges of Canada’s immigration policies; and supporting the development of competitive industries by facilitating access to expertise from outside Canada.
a) Promoting Awareness of Sustainable Development
- The view of sustainable development as presented in the strategy should be more global and less national in perspective.
- An updated definition of sustainable development is required that will take economic, social and environmental imperatives into greater account.
- Rather than promoting awareness of sustainable development, it would be more effective to commit the Department to providing meaningful access to information on sustainable development.
- The Department must put in place specific targets and measures to encourage sustainable day-to-day operations.
- CIC should communicate the importance of cultural diversity for a vibrant society. Cultural diversity and the conservation of biological diversity are critical issues in sustainable development and essential to maintaining greater social and cultural sustainability.
b) Promoting a Better Understanding of the Economic, Environmental and Social Challenges of Canada’s Immigration Policies
- A number of responses stressed the importance of considering regional needs and geographic sustainability.
- Differing views were expressed on the links between policies on population, immigration levels and sustainable development, which received much attention. However, the common theme was a call for the Department to study how immigration and population distribution affect sustainable social, economic and environmental development.
- Economic, social and environmental factors should be included in intergovernmental discussions and consultations on immigration policies.
- CIC can assist communities by supporting their efforts to address issues such as unemployment, underemployment and social cohesion.
- The settlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers contribute to economic sustainability. Better integration means that newcomers become productive more quickly.
- Overall, many comments stressed the need for the strategy to establish clear goals and propose tangible actions in CIC’s second SDS.
- Emphasis should also be placed on the study and measurement of the impact of policies and plans, and tangible examples of good long-term planning.
c) Supporting the Development of Competitive Industries by Facilitating Access to Expertise
- CIC needs to strike a balance between attracting and retaining foreign students, and not compromising the sustainable development efforts of other nations by encouraging the students to remain in Canada.
- An investment in skills is needed not only to increase the social, economic and environmental benefits of newcomers, but also to address any integration challenges. Many submissions suggested that an investment in skills must incorporate the removal of barriers to accessing trades and professions.
A refined three-year plan of action has been developed to take into account the comments received from participants during the CIC consultations and an examination of CIC policies and programs. The plan incorporates relevant suggestions, particularly those relating to the need to clearly identify actions, steps, targets and timelines.
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Section V: Action Plan
At CIC, the application of the principles of integrated decision making, equity and quality of life has led to a commitment to promoting economic growth, social well-being and the sound management of our biophysical environment. In pursuit of these goals, an action plan has been developed that provides for opportunities to integrate the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainable development into the planning and delivery of departmental objectives.
The development of this action plan was influenced by the feedback received from consultations as well as our review of the progress made on meeting the goals of our 1997 strategy. Our plan for 2001-2003 centres on pursuing excellence in the greening of our departmental operations, promoting awareness of sustainable development, strengthening the Department’s capacity to engage in integrated decision making, and adopting internal measures to ensure the attainment of intended results.
Sustainable development and its application within the CIC mandate is an evolving process. The Department needs to improve its understanding of sustainable development and the linkages between sustainable development and CIC policies and programs. To that end, CIC has undertaken the challenge of balancing environmental considerations against our broader social and economic goals. This approach is reflected in our objectives, as follows:
- to minimize the negative environmental impacts of departmental operations through the development of an environmental management system that addresses fleet, procurement and facilities management issues;
- to promote awareness of sustainable development principles and objectives among departmental staff, clients and stakeholders by developing a communications strategy, providing meaningful access to information on sustainable development, and advocating sustainable development as a value of Canadian citizenship;
- to better integrate environmental considerations into the policy development and decision-making process by enhancing the Department’s knowledge base, applying an environmental perspective to planning, policy and implementation processes, and incorporating strategic environmental assessments within the Memoranda to Cabinet process; and
- to promote accountability and ensure compliance by assessing the impact of CIC programs on sustainable development, creating an intradepartmental working group, and developing and implementing performance measurements to assess progress.
The plans incorporated within these objectives reflect CIC’s commitment to pursuing the goals identified in our first strategy, refine the commitments relevant to current policies and programs, and develop new approaches to assist in furthering CIC’s long-term objective of integrated decision making. The Department will take measures to ensure that the results of the assessment of our first strategy will be used to improve the application of the core concepts of sustainable development in present and future departmental activities.
| Action to be Taken | Performance Indicators |
| I. To minimize the negative environmental impacts of departmental operations. | |
|
1. Communicate to our overseas personnel the Department’s support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade’s (DFAIT) measures to "green" facilities abroad, including responding to requests for statistics for baseline measures on energy consumption and procurement practices. Responsibility: International Region |
a) Ensure that the DFAIT mission checklist is available to Responsibility Centre (RC) managers. |
|
Environmental Management System Responsibility: Finance and Administration |
|
| 2. Develop a set of indicators in areas of common interest with other government departments. | a) Participate in the interdepartmental Performance Measurement
for Sustainable Government Operations Working Group. b) Review of draft indicators (2001). c) Use of indicators to measure performance (2003). |
| 3. Ongoing promotion of the benefits of greening fleet, procurement and facilities management. | a) Distribute policies and information to those responsible
for sustainability in fleet, procurement and facilities management
(2001). b) Establish a baseline measure that identifies the number of employees who would benefit from awareness sessions in greening fleet, procurement and facilities management (2001). c) Develop awareness sessions on fleet, procurement and facilities management (2001). d) Begin the sessions (2002). |
| 4. Identify and ensure the availability of relevant material on greening initiatives, policies and achievements. | a) Create an environmental management system resource centre (2002-2003). |
| Fleet | |
| 5. Maximize opportunities to oversee the sustainability of the Department’s fleet of vehicles, develop national standards, and introduce a standard approach to maintaining and tracking vehicle utilization data. |
a) Re-establishment of the Fleet National Committee (2001). b) Implement national standards for purchasing and maintaining vehicles, and tracking vehicle data (2001). c) Identify reporting requirements and the subsequent development of a new vehicle logging method (2001-2002), including:
|
| Procurement | |
| 6. Finalize with lead departments and disseminate the Guide on Green Procurement Resources for purchasing agents to RC managers. | a) Green products identified with lead departments (2001). b) Guidelines distributed to all RC managers (2002-2003). |
| 7. Develop and implement a resource depletion reduction strategy. | a) Review current levels of resource consumption in paper and
office equipment at NHQ (2001) and evaluate feasibility with
regions (2002). b) Establish baseline measures by identifying current paper procurement practices (2001). |
| Facilities Management | |
| 8. Maximize ongoing opportunities for space optimization and retrofit programs with facility custodians. | a) Identify facilities where space optimization and retrofits would be appropriate (2000-2003). |
| II. To promote awareness of sustainable development principles and objectives among departmental staff, clients and stakeholders. | |
|
1. Develop a communications strategy to raise staff awareness of sustainable development issues. Responsibility: Communications; Strategic Policy, Planning and Research; and Finance and Administration |
a) Expand departmental awareness-building events. b) Prepare and disseminate electronic communications material to departmental employees (2001). c) Maintain and update CIC Internet and Intranet sites (ongoing). d) Environment Week activities and awards (2001). |
|
2. Provide meaningful access to information on sustainable development. Responsibility: Integration; International Region; Strategic Policy, Planning and Research; and regional offices |
a) Include a section on sustainable development in A Newcomer’s
Introduction to Canada, a publication distributed abroad
to visa-ready immigrants (2001). b) Provide regional offices, missions abroad and service provider organizations with information on sustainable development for display, and to support newcomer orientation sessions (2001). |
|
3. Promote sustainable development as a value of Canadian citizenship. Responsibility: Integration; and Strategic Policy, Planning and Research |
a) Prepare communications material promoting sustainable development
as a citizenship value (2001). b) Citizenship Week (2001): Distribute communications material on the responsibility of newcomers to contribute to the social, economic and environmental well-being of Canada. |
| III. To better integrate environmental considerations into departmental policy development and the decision-making process. | |
|
1. Enhance CIC’s knowledge base by improving the Department’s research and analytical capacity. Responsibility: Strategic Policy, Planning and Research; Metropolis Project; Information Management and Technologies; Global Case Management System Project; Strategic Operational Planning Unit; and Modern Management Office |
a) Acquire research and information on CIC programs through
initiatives such as the Global Case Management/Government On-line
project, the Data Warehouse, the Performance Measurement Strategy
and the Metropolis Project. b) Participate in research networks and working groups to acquire information on and approaches to sustainable development, and to contribute a citizenship and immigration perspective to horizontal policy issues. c) Ensure that policy and program staff and decision makers have access to information required on the social, economic and environmental impacts of CIC policies and programs. |
|
2. Integrate an environmental component within our planning, policy and implementation processes. Responsibility: Strategic Policy, Planning and Research; Selection; and Integration |
a) Participate in interdepartmental networks through such activities
as the Policy Research Initiative and related consultations to
determine options for integrating an environmental component
within departmental policies and programs b) Ensure that sustainable development considerations are taken into account in levels planning consultations with provincial and territorial governments and stakeholders. |
|
3. Incorporate strategic environmental assessments within the Memoranda to Cabinet process. Responsibility: All branches that prepare Memoranda to Cabinet |
a) Prepare Memoranda to Cabinet that incorporate strategic environmental assessment principles where appropriate (2001). |
| IV. To promote accountability and ensure compliance. | |
|
1. Assess the impact of CIC programs and identify, where possible, the interactions with the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Responsibility: Strategic Policy, Planning and Research |
a) All evaluation frameworks to take into account, where applicable, the implications of CIC policies and programs on sustainable development (2001). |
|
2. Create an intradepartmental working group to assess progress on attaining sustainable development objectives. Responsibility: Strategic Policy, Planning and Research |
a) Annual assessment of sustainable development initiatives to facilitate reporting in the Departmental Performance Report and the Report on Plans and Priorities. |
|
3. Develop, implement and continually refine performance measures to assess departmental policies and programs. Responsibility: Strategic Policy, Planning and Research |
a) Prepare and disseminate a framework for performance measurement. |
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Section VI: Conclusion
The Path Forward
The Government of Canada is committed to integrating sustainable development into decision making as an important cornerstone in ensuring a better quality of life for all Canadians, now and in the future. This approach focuses on the long term while fully incorporating social, economic and environmental factors, recognizing the interdependence between domestic and international activities, and promoting partnerships between all sectors of society.
Accompanying the objective of integrated decision making is the promotion of equity and quality of life for all members of society both now and for generations to come. The significance of these concepts to CIC has become increasingly evident as the Department engages in the process of re-examining its current SDS and explores opportunities for further improvement.
| “Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable–to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” World Commission on Environment and Development |
The process of moving up the learning curve at CIC and translating commitments into results will require learning from past strategies, strengthening planning, implementing actions designed to achieve strategic objectives, undertaking corrective action when necessary, and ensuring the provision of support mechanisms. Only by doing so can CIC realistically expect to improve its performance and achieve results.
Attaining a sustainable future requires a commitment to a healthier environment and economy that can enhance the social well-being of individuals in Canada and around the world. These objectives are mutually reinforcing and one cannot be achieved at the expense of the other. The Department will build upon its capacity to assess and address the challenges posed by the environmental, economic and social effects of our policies and programs. Only through the recognition and consistent consideration of these issues can we make the fully informed choices necessary to building our future.
1. Under the terms of the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec is responsible for determining its own immigration levels, establishing its own selection criteria for independent immigrants, and selecting all independent immigrants and refugees abroad who are destined for Quebec. A number of other provinces have signed agreements with the federal government to provide settlement and integration services. Some provinces also have agreements that provide for more direct involvement in the selection of independent immigrants.
2. The ISO 14001 Environmental Management System is a system of standards for environmental management established by the International Organization for Standardization.
3. A summary of the forum’s discussions can be
found at
http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca/eng/features/archived/
Leader's-Forum/LEADERS'-FORUM.htm.
