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Departmental Performance Report 2011-2012

Section II: Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Protecting Canada's vast environmental assets remains a priority for Canadians - and for the federal government. Environment Canada plays an important stewardship role in achieving a clean, safe and sustainable environment. The Department's priorities for 2011-2012 and its nine Program Activities align to support three Strategic Outcomes:

  • Strategic Outcome 1: Canada's natural environment is conserved and restored for present and future generations.

  • Strategic Outcome 2: Canadians are equipped to make informed decisions on changing weather, water and climate conditions.

  • Strategic Outcome 3: Threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution are minimized.

The following section expands upon the strategic discussion centering on the Department's priorities, and provides a more detailed review of the performance achieved during 2011-2012 in response to commitments at the Program Activity level.

Strategic Outcome 1: Canada's natural environment is conserved and restored for present and future generations

Program Activities for Strategic Outcome 1 (text version)
Program Activities for Strategic Outcome 1

* Please note that Program Activity 1.4: Compliance Promotion and Enforcement - Wildlife is described here.

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Program Activity 1.1: Biodiversity - Wildlife and Habitat

Program Description

This program aims to prevent biodiversity loss while still enabling sustainable use by protecting and recovering species at risk; conserving, restoring and rehabilitating significant habitats and conserving and managing migratory birds. It also aims to ensure a coordinated and coherent national assessment; planning and action to protect biodiversity, including viable populations of species; healthy and diverse ecosystems; and genetic resources. The program includes the formation of strategic partnerships for the integrated management of Canada's natural capital, including stewardship and the sustainable management of landscapes. Legal and statutory responsibilities for this program include the Species at Risk Act; the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994; the Canada Wildlife Act; and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act. International responsibilities include the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat (known as the Ramsar Convention). Contributions in support of Biodiversity - Wildlife and Habitat are used as a component of this program.

Program Activity 1.1: Biodiversity - Wildlife and Habitat
Expected ResultsPerformance IndicatorsTargetsActual Results
Populations of wildlife, in particular migratory birds and species at risk, are maintained or restored to target levelsProportion of assessed species in the General Status Reports whose status is considered to be secure70%
Currently met
To be maintained
2000: 74%
2005: 70%
2010: 77%
The variability between measurement periods reflects different species groupings assessed in each General Status Report; for information on the assessed species status, please see this Website.

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2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
107.2143.8138.8

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
574492-82

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Theme 3Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity 1.1: Biodiversity - Wildlife and Habitat

The following summarizes performance against this Program Activity:

  • Continued to implement the Species at Risk Act (SARA), including posting 27 recovery strategies on the Species at Risk Public Registry and listing Polar Bears as a species of special concern;

  • Continued to secure habitats that are important for species at risk through the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) for Species at Risk; 168,878 hectares (ha) of habitat had been secured in Canada as of 2011-2012;

  • Provided expert advice on species at risk, migratory birds and their habitats for the Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring and high-profile environmental assessments, including the nuclear project in Darlington and the Lower Churchill hydroelectric development projects;

  • Posted a proposed national recovery strategy for the Boreal Caribou on the Species at Risk Public Registry for public comment and received and analyzed nineteen thousand comments from stakeholders.

  • Completed a review of Environment Canada's avian monitoring program, which generated a number of recommendations currently being implemented, including the institution of a new governance system and a shift in resources to ensure that resources allocated to game and non-game bird species groups are appropriately balanced to support the conservation of all migratory bird species;

  • Took steps to reduce incidental take6 in support of the long-term conservation and protection of migratory bird populations, steps included the development of avoidance guidelines and best management practices that support land-use practices that minimize or avoid impacts to migratory birds;

  • Drafted bird conservation plans for 32 regions; all-species ecoregional bird conservation plans provide a clear set of conservation objectives for birds of conservation concern across the country, assisting Environment Canada in fulfilling its mandate to conserve migratory bird populations;

  • An agreement was struck to develop the range-wide circumpolar action plan to guide Polar Bear conservation and research efforts in cooperation with Greenland, Russia, the United States and Norway;

  • Revised the North America Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) in collaboration with the United States and Mexico to update and better integrate objectives for waterfowl populations, and the wetlands and upland habitat needed to support them;

  • Developed and pre-tested the nationwide Canadian Nature Survey, which was to be administered in summer 2012 to gather social, cultural and economic data on Canadians' nature-based activities, interactions with wildlife, and awareness of biodiversity, conservation and species at risk;

  • Continued development of proposals to expand Environment Canada's network of protected areas for the future establishment of five new National Wildlife Areas (NWAs) through the Northwest Territories Protected Areas Strategy and one Marine Wildlife Area - Scott Island, British Columbia;

  • Continued to administer the Invasive Alien Species Partnership Program (IASPP) in relation to reducing the spread or impact of invasive alien species in Canada and conducted work to better understand and reduce the threat of new alien invasive species entering Canada;

  • Chaired the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) and contributed to its ecosystem-based monitoring plans;

  • Under the CBMP, the marine plan was completed and Environment Canada continued to contribute to the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna working group of the Arctic Council and provide policy advice and indicator development support for the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment Steering Committee;

  • Represented Canada at international fora that established the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES);

  • Partnered with non-governmental organizations such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited to help fund the acquisition of large tracts of important habitat for conservation of biodiversity, particularly migratory birds and species at risk; and,

  • Initiated discussions at the federal, provincial and territorial levels and agreed on the path forward for developing the domestic response to the Convention on Biological Diversity's 2011-2020 Strategic Plan leading up to the 11th Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity (COP11) in October 2012.


Partnerships in Action - Partnering in Biodiversity

Environment Canada works with its federal, provincial and territorial partners to provide information to the public on biodiversity news and events at the one-stop website. When activating this link, you will be leaving the Environment Canada's Web site.


Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) Table7
FSDS GoalsFSDS Performance IndicatorsFSDS TargetsFSDS Actual Results
Theme 3Goal 5: Wildlife Conservation - Maintain or restore populations of wildlife to healthy levelsPercentage of listed species for which recovery has been deemed feasible where the population trend (where available) at the time of reassessment is consistent with the recovery strategyTarget 5.1: Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Conservation - Population trend (when available) at the time of reassessment is consistent with the recovery strategy for 100% of listed species at risk (for which recovery has been deemed feasible) by 2020Of the 48 species deemed feasible to recover, 21% (10) have population trends that are consistent with the goals laid out in the recovery strategies; 8% (4) do not; and 71% (34) need to be reassessed.
Proportion of migratory bird species whose population varies within acceptable bounds of the population goals (population trends of migratory birds will be reported in 2011-2012)Target 5.2: Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Conservation - Target for proportion of migratory bird species whose population varies within acceptable bounds of the population goals will be established in 2011 once the Bird Status Database is complete8

On average, Canadian breeding bird populations declined by 12% between 1970 and 2010.

By 2010, bird species spending the entire year in Canada had increased in population on average by 68% since 1970. Bird species migrating farther from home generally declined and the birds migrating the farthest - to South America - showed the most severe declines, with populations declining by 53%. Birds migrating to the United States had 10% declines on average, while birds migrating to Central America declined by 14%.

Theme 3Goal 6: Ecosystem/Habitat Conservation and Protection - Maintain productive and resilient ecosystems with the capacity to recover and adapt; and protect areas in ways that leave them unimpaired for present and future generationsLand conserved as a percentage of the total amount needed to achieve population goals for all priority migratory birds and species at riskTarget 6.1: Habitat target to support conservation of priority migratory birds and species at risk will be set by 2015

As of 2011, approximately 8 million hectares of habitat for waterfowl had been secured in Canada through the North American Waterfowl Management Plan

As of 2011-2012, 168,878 hectares (ha) of habitat had been secured in Canada through the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, benefiting up to 417 species assessed as at risk by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Incidence of invasive species introduction (or number of invasive pathways controlled)Target 6.4: Managing Threats to Ecosystems - Threats of new alien invasive species entering Canada are understood and reduced by 2015To be reported in DPR 2012-2013.

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Program Activity 1.2: Water Resources

Program Description

This program addresses the implications to water resources from economic growth, climate change and other factors, ensuring that threats to Canada's water resources and aquatic ecosystems are minimized, and that the sustainability of the resource is maintained. Conservation, protection and sustainable use of water resources are critical aspects of Canada's economic, social and ecological well-being. The program is delivered in collaboration with partners that include other federal departments, provinces and territories, and a range of non-governmental organizations. The Program Activity encompasses Environment Canada's contribution to addressing water issues and its role in collaborating with other departments to determine priorities for water quality and quantity, and aquatic ecosystem monitoring and research, by providing scientific information and advice to decision-makers, and by building best management practices. The program supports the implementation of the Canada Water Act, the 1987 Federal Water Policy, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, the Fisheries Act and the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act. Contributions in support of water resources are used as a component of this program.

Program Activity 1.2: Water Resources
Expected ResultsPerformance IndicatorsTargetsActual Results
* based on the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) water quality ratings
Threats to Canada's water resources and aquatic ecosystems are minimized and the sustainability of the resource is maintainedPercentage of water bodies included in the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators Freshwater Quality Index whose quality is rated as good or excellentAt least 50% of core national monitoring sites to be rated as good or excellent in the 2010-2012 data set.*For the 2007 to 2009 period, freshwater quality in rivers in populated regions of Canada was rated as excellent or good at 71 monitoring stations (41%), fair at 67 stations (39%), marginal at 30 stations (17%) and poor at five stations (3%).

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2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
93.2108.8107.6

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
736725-11

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Theme 2Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity 1.2: Water Resources

The following summarizes performance against this Program Activity:

  • Provided science support to the Government of Canada's Action Plan for Clean Water, including research related to reducing nutrient loading on Lake Winnipeg, cleaning up Lake Simcoe and the St. Lawrence River, monitoring water quality on federal lands with other departments, and negotiating amendments to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with the United States (see also Program Activity 1.3);

  • Provided research findings to guide the development of a framework for establishing nutrient objectives and appropriate performance indicators as part of the renewal efforts for the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative;

  • Enhanced and publicly shared the national Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) monitoring protocols and data;

  • Collaborated with the Province of Alberta to develop the Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring that commits the governments to a scientifically rigorous, comprehensive, integrated and transparent environmental monitoring program for the oil sands region. More specifically, the Department

    • provided scientific research and support to develop the water quality component of the monitoring program for the oil sands regions in Alberta; and

    • enhanced and initiated a series of water quality surveillance activities (e.g. nutrients, pesticides) for the Lower Athabasca region.

  • In support of domestic and international partnerships, technical advice and strategic oversight was provided for federal-provincial or federal-territorial bilateral agreements, task forces, domestic water boards and International Joint Commission (IJC) boards. EC provided expertise to assist the IJC in completing its bi-national studies on improving the regulation of water levels and flows in the upper Great Lakes and improving governance for water quality in the Lake of the Woods;

  • Developed a risk-based assessment tool to help evaluate the likelihood, extent and potential severity of impacts from human activities on water quality and aquatic ecosystems and to help focus monitoring efforts and resources on specific areas at risk;

  • In collaboration with other federal partners in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, implemented enhancements to the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program; one of which was to improve the timeliness in shellfish area closure response following notifications of spills from wastewater systems;

  • Developed the National Research Agenda for Municipal Wastewater and Biosolids with the Canadian Water Network and other partners to identify research funding options for high-priority wastewater areas;

  • Published for the first time the water availability indicator on the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicator website in 2011;

  • Released, in CESI, the 2007 water availability indicator; the estimation of the 2009 water availability indicator was started and will be ready for reporting in the Canada Water Act2011-2012 Annual Report and in the CESI report in late summer 2012;

  • Implemented the new Hydrometric Work Station (HWS) for the collection and dissemination of water quantity data for over 2,876 water-level and streamflow stations, increasing public access to both real-time and archived data, which has far-reaching implications for efficient and effective water management in both the long-term (i.e. to monitor the effects of climate change) and in response to extreme hydrologic events (i.e. floods and droughts);

  • In direct response to changing water management requirements in each jurisdiction, new hydrometric stations were added to the National Hydrometric Program (NHP) network in Yukon (1) and British Columbia (4); funding was received for 22 new stations in Manitoba, which will assist the province with its flood forecasting and monitoring abilities and reduce flood damage to property and persons such as occurred during the 2009 flood;

  • In collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization and the United States Geological Survey, participated in international efforts to develop global standards for water monitoring, sharing and comparing of data, resulting in improved sharing and comparability of data multi-nationally, and improved understanding of water quantity issues on transboundary waterways; and,

  • Through the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP's) Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS)/Water, continued to partner with organizations to update courses to assist developing countries to strengthen water quality monitoring networks, analytical capabilities and data quality for water resource management. In addition, an agreement was established to deliver the Laboratory Performance Evaluation Study in Argentina and Uruguay. GEMS/Water also developed a presentation and an iPhone app illustrating data and activities for the Eye on Earth Summit and is now part of the special initiative "Eye on Water". Furthermore advanced functionalities were added to the GEMStat database and online data acquisition website When activating these links, you will be leaving the Environment Canada's Web site.


Science at Work… Flood Crisis on the Prairies during the 2011 flood season

Water Survey staff at Environment Canada received a departmental Citation of Excellence for Service to Clients for their extraordinary efforts to monitor and analyze floodwaters and assist emergency measures, for example, staff were out in boats on the floodplain amidst swiftwater and debris, deploying state-of-the art equipment for acoustic Doppler profiling of the speed of suspended particles to determine water velocity.


Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) Table9
FSDS GoalsFSDS Performance IndicatorsFSDS TargetsFSDS Actual Results
Theme 2Goal 3: Water Quality - Protect and enhance the quality of water so that it is clean, safe and secure for all Canadians and supports healthy ecosystemsAnnual changes in recommended classifications of shellfish-growing areas based on historical water quality measures10Target 3.8: Marine Water Quality - Reduce the risks to Canadians and impacts on the marine environment posed by pollution from land-based activitiesIn 2010, 73% of Canada's shellfish-growing area was classified as approved or conditionally approved for shellfish harvesting for human consumption. From 2006 to 2010, the percentage of approved and conditionally approved growing areas did not change.
Theme 2Goal 4: Water Availability - Enhance information to ensure that Canadians can manage and use water resources in a manner consistent with the sustainability of the resourceWater use by major sectors from water use surveysTarget 4.1: Water Resource Management and Use - Promote the conservation and wise use of water to affect a 30% reduction or increased efficiency in water use in various11 sectors by 2025 (based on 2009 water use levels)Between 2001 and 2005 approximately 44 billion (44 000 million) cubic meters of water were withdrawn each year from Canada's lakes, rivers and groundwater sources by major sectors. The major sectors include thermal power generation, manufacturing, agriculture, municipal and mining.

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Program Activity 1.3: Sustainable Ecosystems

Program Description

This program aims to sustain Canada's ecosystems over the long term by working with Canadians, their governments and the private sector on ecosystem initiatives and by providing them with the environmental information and tools required to incorporate social, economic and environmental considerations into their decision making and actions. The ecosystem approach to environmental management focuses on maintaining the capacity of a whole system to produce ecological goods and services, such as water resources, air and water quality, and genetic resources, which maintain our economy, security, health and well-being. This program is the focal point for the development and implementation of Environment Canada's sustainability policies and strategies, information to support integrated, ecosystem-scale priority setting, community engagement in the remediation of sites, youth engagement, and research and reporting on environmental statuses and trends. The program facilitates interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral planning and information sharing among partners. Contributions in support of Sustainable Ecosystems are used as a component of this program.

Program Activity 1.3: Sustainable Ecosystems
Expected ResultsPerformance IndicatorsTargetsActual Results
Canadians manage ecosystem resources in a manner consistent with ecosystem sustainabilityPercentage of Canadian ecosystems where ecosystem health has been assessed as stable or improving

No target for this indicator has been established

The lack of long-term, standardized, spatially complete and readily accessible monitoring information, complemented by ecosystem research, has hindered reporting of this indicator

A replacement indicator is under development

Canadian Biodiversity: Ecosystem Status and Trends 2010 identified and rated 20 key findings based on the health of Canada's ecosystems. Overall, 25% of key findings were rated as improving or little change, 58% were declining, and 17% were unknown.

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2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
74.870.766.2

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
353292-62

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Theme 2Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity 1.3: Sustainable Ecosystems

The following summarizes performance against this Program Activity:

Ecosystems Initiatives
  • Continued collaboration and strengthened agreements with partners across Canada and with the United States, which included

    • Negotiation of amendments to the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to strengthen collaboration and cooperation, and to strengthen efforts to address new and emerging threats to water quality;

    • Renewal of the Canada-Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence;

    • Implementation of the Canada-Ontario Agreement respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem, which contributes to meeting Canada's obligations under the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement;

    • Implementation of strategies to address declining water quality in Lake Simcoe;

    • In collaboration with partners in British Columbia, support for actions in support of ecosystem health in the Okanagan and Georgia Basin; and,

    • Delivery of the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative under the Action Plan for Clean Water (see also Program Activity 1.2).

Sustainability Reporting and Indicators
  • Tabled in Parliament the first Progress Report on the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) focusing on progress made in setting up the systems needed to implement the FSDS and laid the foundation for future reporting by outlining how results will be measured and shared;

  • Implemented the departmental Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) policy to address the potential positive or negative environmental effects of proposed policies, plans and programs, including potential impacts on the goals and targets of the FSDS; and,

  • Provided Canadians with more information on water, air quality, and environmental health with the publication of 11 new indicators and updates to 7 indicators. The full suite of environmental indicators can be found on the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicator website.

Environmental Assessments and Community Engagement
  • In keeping with the Department's environmental assessment responsibilities, provided information on hundreds of environmental assessment reviews of project proposals to address risks to the environment; actions included are ongoing panel reviews for oil sands mines, metal mines, pipeline projects, roads, and hydroelectric and nuclear power generators; and,

  • Promoted and increased community engagement in activities to protect, conserve or restore the natural environment through the EcoAction program support for non-profit community groups and youth employment projects.


Partnerships in Action - Ecosystem Health: A National Effort

It is in the regions across Canada where federal, provincial and territorial partners work together to assess, monitor and manage ecosystems. Activities include delivering the ecosystem initiatives, carrying out environmental assessments and community engagement and reporting on progress made on ecosystem health. Community groups and individual Canadians are also engaged in monitoring local areas and working on clean-up and restoration projects to protect Canada's ecosystems and water resources.


Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) Table12
FSDS GoalsFSDS Performance IndicatorsFSDS TargetsFSDS Actual Results
Theme 2Goal 3: Water Quality - Protect and enhance the quality of water so that it is clean, safe and secure for all Canadians and supports healthy ecosystemsFor Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes, track change in beneficial use status from "impaired" or "requires further assessment" to "not impaired" or "restored"Target 3.1: Fresh Water Quality - Complete federal actions to restore beneficial uses in Canadian Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes by 2020Environmental quality in Canada's Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AoCs) has improved since the restoration program began in 1987. Between 1987 and 2010, 3 out of 17 Canadian AoCs had their environmental conditions fully restored (Collingwood Harbour, Severn Sound, Wheatley Harbour) and two more AoCs are in recovery (Spanish Harbour and Jackfish Bay).
Ecosystem indicators aligned to the general and specific objectives of the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality AgreementTarget 3.2: Fresh Water Quality - Contribute to the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes by developing and gaining binational acceptance of objectives and strategies for the management of nutrients in the Great Lakes by 2015

Phosphorus levels remain an issue in the open waters of three of the four Canadian Great Lakes.

Phosphorus levels in the middle of Lake Superior and in the eastern basin of Lake Erie currently meet their water quality objectives. Phosphorus levels in Lakes Huron and Ontario and in Georgian Bay have dropped below their water quality objectives, and the western and central basins of Lake Erie remain above their objectives.

Assess and report on aquatic ecosystem health indicators aligned with the objectives of the Canada-Quebec Agreement on the St. LawrenceTarget 3.3: Fresh Water Quality - Complete federal actions to reduce pollutants and restore beneficial uses in hot spots on the St. Lawrence River by 2016Phosphorus levels at 6 of 9 water quality monitoring stations along the St. Lawrence River exceeded water quality guidelines from 2008 to 2011. Higher phosphorus levels are found in agricultural areas on the south shore of Lake Saint-Pierre.
Estimated nutrient reductions in Lake SimcoeTarget 3.4: Fresh Water Quality - Reduce nutrient inputs into Lake Simcoe by 2012As of March 2012, stewardship projects supported by the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund were preventing an estimated 2 900 kilograms of phosphorus per year from reaching Lake Simcoe and its rivers.
Indicator under developmentTarget 3.5: Fresh Water Quality - By 2012, through strategic collaborations and by increasing scientific knowledge, contribute to the establishment of targets to reduce nutrients in Lake Winnipeg and its basin to support the sustainability of the lakeTargets to reduce nutrients in Lake Winnipeg and its basin were established in 2011.

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Lessons Learned at the Strategic Outcome Level

Ongoing engagement with domestic and international partners was essential to further objectives supportive of this Strategic Outcome: the protection of species and their habitats; the clean-up of the Great Lakes and other lake and river systems; and improvements to decision making for ecosystem management. The latter includes monitoring programs such as those focused on the oil sands region and those supporting the management of migratory birds across Canada. Domestic and international collaboration and participation in programs in which Environment Canada is a partner, are essential for Canada to make or influence decisions to conserve and restore the natural environment for future generations. Critical to supporting these partnerships is to ensure the availability of robust information provided in a format and at a scale that is relevant to decision-makers.

Another of the key lessons learned in support of this Strategic Outcome was that it remains crucial for Environment Canada to stay on top of emerging science and the challenges facing Canada's environment, including the impacts of climate change, loss of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation. Maintaining global credibility through conducting or participating in leading-edge scientific research, as Environment Canada does, is essential for Canada to be an effective partner in international projects and to influence global and transboundary issues related to the conservation and restoration of habitats and ecosystems. This credibility also gives Canada greater influence in negotiations on global and transboundary issues and agreements.

At the program level, the need for cooperation among partners and a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of partners is evident and serves as a general lesson learned departmentally. For example, the evaluation of Freshwater Programs under the Action Plan for Clean Water (Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative, Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund and the Great Lakes sediment remediation projects) identified the need for cross-departmental/cross-jurisdictional engagement, the importance of clear criteria for identifying priority ecosystems and priority issues and the need to ensure sufficient flexibility in funding requirements where the federal government has primary responsibility or where there is insufficient alternative funding available. These lessons are being taken into account as part of the preparations for the renewal of the programs for this and the other Strategic Outcomes.

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Strategic Outcome 2: Canadians are equipped to make informed decisions on changing weather, water and climate conditions

Program Activities for Strategic Outcome 2 (text version)
Program Activities for Strategic Outcome 2

Program Activity 2.1: Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians

Program Description

This program provides weather warnings, forecasts and information to anticipate, manage and adapt to the risks and opportunities of changing weather, water and climate conditions. It involves monitoring, research, production and service delivery to help Canadians make informed decisions in the face of changing weather, water and climate conditions. Because a global effort is needed to monitor, understand and predict constantly changing weather, water and climate conditions, this program relies on various collaborators in Canada and around the world. Key ones include the World Meteorological Organization of the United Nations, as well as the media, academia and all levels of government in Canada. The program supports the Department in meeting obligations and responsibilities conferred by the Department of the Environment Act, the Weather Modification Information Act, the Emergency Management Act of 2007 and memoranda of agreement with national meteorological and space agencies. This Government of Canada program is the only one with such a national mandate, and has the infrastructure and skills to deliver this service. The Grants in support of Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians and the Contributions in support of Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians are used as components of this program.

Program Activity 2.1: Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians
Expected ResultsPerformance IndicatorsTargetsActual Results
Canadians understand information on the changing weather, water and climate conditions and know how to use itPercentage of the population indicating that they understand the differences between severe weather watches and warnings and the implications for their safety

To be determined

A target will be set once 2 measured values for this indicator are available in April 2015

The proportion of respondents who selected the correct differences, timing and likelihood of an event, is 21% compared to 10% in 2011. From the 2011 survey, more than 60% of the respondents recalled seeing or hearing warning messages in the past 2 or 3 weeks about hazardous weather in their area and, of these respondents, 96% indicated that the warning messages provided all or some of the information required to make decisions or take precautions.
Canadians, communities and policy-makers understand the potential health and safety risks from the changing climate and air quality conditionsPercentage of municipalities that have taken climate change impacts (present and/or future) into account in the development of emergency plans80% of Canadian municipalities by 2015

No data for this indicator are available.

Ongoing interactions with provinces, territories and municipalities indicate that awareness of atmospheric hazards, severe weather and climate change is growing, based on requests for weather and climate information, data and presentations.

Emergency plans for municipalities tend to be all-hazards-based.

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2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
153.9173.6172.4

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
92399976

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Theme 1Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity 2.1: Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians

The following summarizes performance against this Program Activity:

  • Delivered the government's investment to ensure the integrity of core infrastructure, with the focus to maintain supercomputing capacity and to address critical vulnerability in monitoring networks, including the weather radar network, and the surface weather and climate stations;

  • Issued timely weather warnings and provided frequent updates on weather conditions that were instrumental in contributing to emergency management efforts during the flooding and hurricane season across Canada in 2011-2012;

  • Advanced several business transformation projects intended to allow continuing provision of modern, efficient and responsive weather services and to keep pace with the rapid evolution of new science and technologies. These projects include

    • the modernization of the monitoring infrastructure;

    • the re-engineering of the weather warning and service delivery system;

    • the development and implementation of the next generation of weather prediction systems; and,

    • the research and development in support of these projects.

  • Started to establish an effective working relationship with the newly created Shared Services Canada, as this organization's services are fundamental to the delivery of 24/7 mission-critical weather services;

  • In collaboration with Health Canada, continued to implement and expand the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) in more communities across Canada with an emphasis on the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, rural areas and select locations in the North; this year's launch of the AQHI in Alberta, conducted in collaboration with the provincial government, means that Canadians in all 10 provinces now have access to this useful, science-based health protection tool;

  • Made a series of significant technical transfers into operations, including upgrades to maintain the high caliber of the numerical weather prediction systems and the introduction of new emerging environmental prediction systems;

  • Managed Weatheroffice, the most popular federal government website, which received around 586 million visits in 2011-2012. Website visits have been growing at a rate of 3-5% a year;

  • Innovative methods of information dissemination were adopted through the use of modern public outreach tools, such as the mobile Weatheroffice website for Smartphone users;

  • Played a leadership role at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) by helping to ensure, among other things, that Canada's weather and environmental interests were considered and to affirm access to the global observation and international space data critical to Environment Canada's weather prediction efforts;

  • Continued to collect, maintain and make accessible millions of weather, water and climate observations to Canadians and the international community to support operational decision making and climate science. In addition, in November 2011, Canada was elected to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Executive Committee, a body that coordinates international efforts to build the Global Earth Observation System of Systems; and,

  • Signed the North American Climate Service Partnership (NACSP) with the United States and Mexico to facilitate the exchange of information, technology and management practices related to the development of climate information and the delivery of integrated climate services for North America.


Did You Know?

Environment Canada's monitoring covers over 9 million square kilometres (km2) of Canada's land and its adjacent waters. Every year Environment Canada produces on the order of:

  • 1.5 million weather forecasts
  • 10,000 severe weather warnings
  • Millions of climate and water observations
  • 500,000 aviation forecasts
  • 200,000 marine, ice and sea-state forecasts

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Program Activity 2.2: Weather and Environmental Services for Targeted Users

Program Activity Description

This program provides essential decision-making tools and information on the changing weather to targeted sectors and their regulatory agencies, to help them anticipate, manage and adapt to the risks and opportunities created by changing weather and climate conditions. It involves monitoring, research, production and service delivery in order to support sustainable decision making by targeted sectors in the face of changing weather, water and climate conditions. It provides observations, forecasts and warnings 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, along with other tools tailored to users' specific needs. It requires various collaborations, within Canada (including other government departments and provincial agencies), and internationally with the World Meteorological Organization, the United States Coast Guard and the International Civil Aviation Organization. This program supports the Department in meeting the obligations and responsibilities conferred by the Department of the Environment Act; helps other government departments meet their obligations under the Aeronautics Act, the Oceans Act and the Fisheries Act; and supports memoranda of agreement with Transport Canada, National Defence and various provincial agencies. This Government of Canada program is the only one with such a national mandate, and has the infrastructure and skills to deliver this service.

Program Activity 2.2: Weather and Environmental Services for Targeted Users
Expected ResultsPerformance IndicatorsTargetsActual Results
Targeted sectors13 have the meteorological and environmental information and services they need to operate efficiently and safelyLevel of satisfaction from targeted clients with respect to weather and environmental information and services received from Environment Canada

To be determined

A target will be set once 2 measured values for this indicator are available

Nav Canada: 7.8/10

Clients of Canadian Lightning Detection Network: 8.9/10

Average score: 8.2/10

The results demonstrate that these two clients are satisfied with the weather and environmental information and services offered by Environment Canada.14

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2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
22.524.424.1

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
43044010

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Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity 2.2: Weather and Environmental Services for Targeted Users

The following summarizes performance against this Program Activity:

  • Continued to provide weather forecasting services to Nav Canada in support of safe air navigation over Canada;

  • Expanded the availability of daily ice charts prior to and after the traditional Arctic navigation season, in response to changing ice conditions in the North, and implemented an improved seasonal forecasting model to meet the needs of major clients and allow them to operate more safely in northern waters; this was further supported by the progress made in the Meteorological Areas (METEAREA) initiative (see text below);

  • In collaboration with its North American Ice Service (NAIS) partners, U.S. National Ice Center (NIC), U.S. International Ice Patrol and USCG International Ice Patrol, Environment Canada continued to develop the integrated marine and ice monitoring and forecast system POLARIS (Polar Analysis Remote Sensing Information System); the simplification of the development of common ice information products between the Canadian Ice Service (CIS) and US National Ice Centre (NIC) ensures NAIS business continuity in the event of business capability interruption;

  • Contributed to military missions and exercises both at home and abroad through the provision of timely and accurate weather prediction services;

  • Supported the Haitian meteorological services in the provision of meteorological forecasts and warnings during the training of some Haitian meteorological personnel;

  • Continued to collaborate with the Department of National Defence on the implementation of the new Joint Meteorological Centre in Gagetown, New Brunswick to address identified deficiencies and to enhance the meteorological services provided in support of military operations both at home and abroad; and,

  • Initiated preliminary discussions with the energy and forestry sectors to better understand their requirements related to weather and environment information so that Environment Canada can deliver its weather and climate prediction products to meet the needs of targeted users.


METEAREA: Providing Services to Targeted Users in the North

Canada accepted a request from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to assume responsibility for two areas in the Arctic. The northern expansion of Canadian domestic marine and ice services was well underway in 2011-2012. With the official international service launch of the METEAREA Initiative on June 1, 2011, Canada's METEAREA service was recognized by the IMO and World Meteorological Organization as operational.


Lessons Learned at the Strategic Outcome Level

The collaboration and interchange of information at the domestic, continental and international levels are vital to the success of Environment Canada's weather and environmental services operation. A key lesson learned is that the sharing of Canadian data and scientific expertise, as well as active participation in international collaborations, allows Canada to influence global agendas and to maintain access to required data and information. This benefit has been clearly demonstrated through Canada's leadership in the World Meteorological Organization.

Another key lesson learned is the need for high-level and long-term planning to maintain mission-critical services. To this end, the continuous improvement to and the delivery of the departmental Business Continuity Plan (BCP) helped ensure that the Department continued to provide mission-critical services during weather-related emergencies.

Program evaluations identified opportunities to improve service delivery. For example, an evaluation of the Services to Marine Transportation conducted during 2011-2012 highlighted the need to maintain an up-to-date performance measurement framework, identify and manage risks arising from collaborations with other government departments, and to consider the impacts on clients of service changes where the technologies for service provision are changing. Follow-up actions include the completion of a full program performance measurement strategy, the development of a strategy to identify and address collaboration risks, and the preparation of a documented strategy for managing the evolution of information dissemination technologies.

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Strategic Outcome 3: Threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution are minimized

Program Activities for Strategic Outcome 3 (text version)
Program Activities for Strategic Outcome 3

Program Activity 3.1: Substances and Waste Management

Program Description

Activities in this program reduce threats to the environment posed by pollutant and toxic releases and waste from human activities. Pollutant and toxic releases and waste may exert a direct harmful effect on plants, animals, humans and the environment due to their nature, volume or manner of release. The program assesses environmental threats posed by harmful substances and other substances of concern in terms of their fate and effects, and develops and implements prevention, reduction, elimination and management measures to deal with these substances.

Program Activity 3.1: Substances and Waste Management
Expected ResultsPerformance IndicatorsTargetsActual Results
Threats to Canadians and impacts on the environment posed by harmful substances and waste are reduced

Canadian releases of selected controlled substances

  1. Hexavalent chromium (total releases to air and water)
  2. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
  1. 1900 kg by 2015
  2. 10 kg by 2012

Hexavalent chromium: 2,036 kg releases to air and water in 2010.15

PCBs: 38 kg in 2012. This represents a small increase from 2011 that is likely due to increased awareness of the reporting requirements of the PCB Regulations.

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2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
59.093.683.3

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
50254745

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Theme 2Theme 3Theme 1Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity 3.1: Substances and Waste Management

The following summarizes performance against this Program Activity:

  • Reinvestment was secured for the Chemicals Management Plan, which is jointly delivered by Environment Canada and Health Canada, thus assuring continuity of this plan under the five-year Phase 2;

  • Engaged stakeholders and conducted consultations on the lessons learned and proposed approach to the second phase of the Domestic Substances List Inventory Update to be implemented in 2012. Additionally, stakeholders were consulted in the development of individual information gathering initiatives under CEPA 1999;

  • Continued to engage and develop work with international partners including the Europeans Chemicals Agency (ECHA), U.S. EPA, Mexico, and Australia through such venues as the OECD Chemicals Program and SAICM. Major achievements included a renewed agreement on Technical Cooperation on New and Existing Chemicals with Australia, and the development of a program of work for nanotechnology for North America under the Regulatory Cooperation Council;

  • Continued to assess and manage risks posed by highest priority substances, including publishing 9 risk management instruments (proposed and final) as required under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act;

  • Represented Canadian interests in international meetings related to the management of chemicals, including negotiations on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention and the United Nations Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP), the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal;

  • Led Canada's preparations for, and participated in, the third of five planned negotiating sessions for a global, legally binding agreement on mercury under the United Nations Environment Program, with progress made in advancing Canada's priority to reduce atmospheric emissions of mercury;

  • Held discussions and workshops with Chinese delegations to exchange approaches and best practices on the management of environmental emergencies and the prevention of mercury emissions (a long-range transport pollutant) as part of the 2011-12 Bilateral Workplan for the Canada-China Joint Committee on Environmental Cooperation. This resulted in strengthened relationships and the sharing of best practices on governance and the technology required to reduce mercury emissions;

  • Engaged provincial, territorial, municipal and other stakeholders on revisions to the then proposed Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations. The final Regulations were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II in July 2012;

  • Continued implementation and administration of regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and the Fisheries Act with activities that included technical background work towards the 10-year review of the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations and streamlining the metal mining environmental effects monitoring program;

  • Continued work on the development of a wastewater regime for Canada's North as committed to in the Canadian Council of Ministers for the Environment (CCME) wastewater strategy;

  • Launched an intradepartmental approach to establish and better coordinate enforcement, science and program priorities for the pollution prevention provisions under the Fisheries Act;

  • Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), updated operational policies for Disposal at Sea, and drafted standard operating procedures to protect northern and southern resident killer whales and their critical habitat to ensure a consistent and predicable decision making process;

  • Amended and implemented the Environmental Emergency Regulations, including provision of information on the new regulations, the addition of 41 new hazardous substances, the conduct of site visits and inspections, and maintenance of a database to receive and track notices; and,

  • Collaborated with federal departments and agencies and consolidated Crown corporations on the renewal of the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP).


Chemicals Management Plan at a Glance

Since the launch of the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) in 2006, the Government of Canada has worked closely with health and environmental groups, consumer groups and industry to reduce risks to Canadians and our environment by setting clear priorities for the assessment and management of hundreds of chemicals.

Various risk management measures were undertaken in 2011-2012. A total of 655 substances were considered to have been addressed. Of the substances addressed, 10 were found or proposed to be found to meet the definition of toxic under CEPA 1999. Eight of these substances have been the subject of a proposed Order adding them to Schedule 1 of CEPA 1999 (the List of Toxic Substances), and the Governor-in-Council added 10 substances or groups of substances to Schedule 1. Notices of intent to apply Significant New Activity Notices, which require new uses of a substance to be notified and assessed, were published for 65 existing substances, and final orders amending the Domestic Substances List to apply the Significant New Activity provisions were published for 10 substances. Nine risk management strategy documents were published to engage stakeholders in the development of instruments. In addition, 13 risk management instruments were proposed and 8 finalized.

Also in 2011, two mandatory data collection initiatives under the authority of CEPA 1999 were issued in the Canada Gazette. These Notices collected information on 63 substances in the Petroleum Sector Stream Approach (PSSA), The PSSA substances include those that are likely used outside the petroleum sector, are not primarily used as fuels, and may be present in products available to consumers, as well as 223 substances in the Aromatic Azo- and Benzidine-based Substances Grouping.



Efforts to Reduce Mercury Pollution

Mercury pollution in Canada from domestic sources has been reduced by 95% since 1970. Today, 95% of present mercury levels in Canada are mostly a result of airborne pollution from industrial processes such as coal-fired power generation, metal mining and smelting and waste incineration from distant countries, including China, India and Russia. Canada is actively engaged in international negotiations to reduce atmospheric emissions of mercury globally.


Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) Table16
FSDS GoalsFSDS Performance IndicatorsFSDS TargetsFSDS Actual Results
Theme 2Goal 3: Water Quality - Protect and enhance the quality of water so that it is clean, safe and secure for all Canadians and supports healthy ecosystemsChange in percentage of wastewater systems achieving national effluent quality standardsTarget 3.7: Fresh Water Quality - Reduce risks associated with wastewater effluent by 2020 in collaboration with provinces and territories

Municipal Wastewater Treatment (interim indicator)

The percentage of Canadians on municipal sewers with secondary wastewater treatment or better has improved from 40% in 1983 to 69% in 2009.

Beginning in 2013, the loading of BOD matter and suspended solids for all wastewater systems subject to the Wastewater System Effluent Regulations will be tracked and a baseline for reporting will be established in 2015.

Reduction in loading of the biological oxygen demand (BOD) matter and suspended solids
Percentage of disposal site monitoring events that do not trigger site management actionTarget 3.9: Marine Water Quality - Prevent marine pollution from uncontrolled dumping at sea. Ensure that permitted disposal at sea is sustainable such that 85% of disposal site monitoring events do not identify the need for site management action (such as site closure)

Between 2001 and 2009 the percentage of permitted disposal at sea sites requiring no management action has been above Environment Canada's target of 85%.

Except for 2005, no management actions were required between 2001 and 2009.

Theme 1Goal 2: Air Pollution - Minimize the threats to air quality so that the air Canadians breathe is clean and supports healthy ecosystems

Theme 2Goal 3: Water Quality - Protect and enhance the quality of water so that it is clean, safe and secure for all Canadians and supports healthy ecosystems

Canadian releases of selected controlled substancesTargets 2.3 and 3.12: Chemicals Management - Reduce risks to Canadians and impacts on the environment posed by harmful substances as a result of decreased environmental concentrations and human exposure to such substances17

Compared to 1990, mercury emissions to air in 2010 had decreased by 87% (30.3 tonnes). Since 2005, there has been a declining hexavalent chromium emission to air.

The amount of mercury, cadmium and lead released to water was lower in 2010 than in 2003.

Percentage (or number) of drainage regions where Federal Environmental Quality Guidelines (FEQG) are not exceeded for select substances in sediment, water and/or biotaFrom 2007-2010, levels of PBDEs in fish and sediments were below the Federal Environmental Quality Guidelines within the majority of drainage regions in Canada. Exceedances occurred mainly for PentaBDEs in fish in most drainage regions and for tetraBDE, pentaBDE and decaBDE in fish and sediment samples within 4 of 13 sampled drainage regions.
Levels of exposure to substances of concern by substance (air pollution only18)

Baseline levels for Substances of Concern will be set in 2012-13 based on data released in 2011-12, which was collected in Cycle 1 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS).

From 2007 to 2009 the level of exposure to mercury was 0.69 micrograms (µg) per liter (L) of blood) and of lead was (13.4 µg per L of blood). The level of exposure to cadmium was 0.35 µg per L of blood, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE 47) was 0.06 µg per L of blood plasma.

The biomonitoring data for the Canadian population, collected as part of Cycle 1 of the CHMS, is important in establishing baseline levels of chemicals in the Canadian population to enable the tracking of trends in exposures over time.

Theme 3Goal 6: Ecosystem/ Habitat Conservation and Protection - Maintain productive and resilient ecosystems with the capacity to recover and adapt; and protect areas in ways that leave them unimpaired for present and future generationsEnvironmental emergencies trackingTarget 6.5: Managing Threats to Ecosystems - Reduce the frequency and consequences of environmental emergencies that affect CanadaResults will be reported in DPR 2012-2013.

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Program Activity 3.2: Climate Change and Clean Air

Program Description

This program is critical to protect the health of Canadians and the environment from the harmful effects of air pollutants and the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. This will be achieved through regulating air pollutants and controlling greenhouse gas emissions; collaboration and partnerships with other levels of government and non-governmental organizations; awareness and promotion activities and programs for Canadians to reduce emissions and pollutants from vehicles and consumer products; strengthening international cooperation (particularly with the United States), including implementation of international agreements related to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants; and advancing science-based approaches and innovative technologies in support of investment decisions, policy making, and regulations. Contributions in support of Climate Change and Clean Air are used as a component of this program.

Program Activity 3.2: Climate Change and Clean Air
Expected ResultsPerformance IndicatorsTargetsActual Results
Threats to Canadians, their health and their environment from air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions are minimizedCanadian emissions of greenhouse gases from targeted and/or regulated sourcesCanada's national target is a 17% reduction from 2005 levels by 2020

Transportation: 166 Mt
Electricity: 99 Mt
Oil and gas: 154 Mt
Emissions-intensive and trade-exposed (EITE) industries19: 75 Mt

All values are in CO2 equivalents. Data are for 2010, as reported in Canada's 2012 National Inventory Report.

These values correspond to the following percentage changes between 2005 and 2010:

Transportation: reduction of 2.4%
Electricity: reduction of 18%
Oil and gas: reduction of 3.8%
Emissions-intensive and trade-exposed (EITE) industries: reduction of 17%

In 2011-12, the Department continued to implement its sector-by-sector approach to reducing GHG emissions in major-emitting sectors. Regulations are in place for new passenger vehicles and light duty trucks of the 2011-2016 model years, as well as regulations mandating minimum renewable fuel content. Proposed regulations have been developed for new heavy-duty vehicles and for coal-fired electricity generation. Work is underway to develop more stringent regulations for new passenger vehicles and light duty trucks of the 2017 and later model years, and regulatory approaches to address GHG emissions from other major-emitting sectors, including oil and gas.

Canadian emissions of air pollutants from targeted sources

To be determined

Targets will be determined with finalization of the air pollutant management approach20

Canadian industrial emissions for 2010:
PM10: 160,155.77 t
SO2: 1,224,855.771 t
NO2: 840,592.9697 t
VOC: 742,835.3147 t
Hg: 3,249 kg

This corresponds to the following percentage reductions between 2006 and 2010:
PM10: reduced 5%
SO2: reduced 33%
NO2: reduced 18%
VOC: reduced 8%
Hg: reduced 24%

Canadian transportation emissions for 2010:
PM10: 68,292 t
NOx: 1,138,423 t
SOx: 94,737 t
VOC: 491,491 t
CO: 6,514,674 t

This corresponds to the following percentage reductions between 2006 and 2010:
PM10: reduced 6.7%
NOx: reduced 7.5%
SOx: reduced by 11.9%
VOC: reduced 14.11%
CO: reduced 6.46%

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2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
99.1178.0118.3

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
433629196

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Theme 1Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity 3.2: Climate Change and Clean Air

The following summarizes performance against this Program Activity:

International approaches
  • Contributed to the work of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to assess the science of climate change, including contributions to the IPCC's Special Reports on Renewable Energy and Climate Change Mitigation, and Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation;

  • Achieved a significant step in advancing international climate change efforts with the launch of the Durban Platform, a process to develop a single new comprehensive climate change agreement by 2015, that would include commitments by all major emitters beginning in 2020;

  • As part of the $1.2 billion over 3 years in new and additional funding promised by Canada under the fast-start financing commitment, as agreed to in the Copenhagen Accord, Environment Canada committed funding to various projects in 2011-2012, including:

    • mitigation of GHGs and addressing short-lived climate pollutants;

    • mitigation projects in Mexico undertaken through the Canada-Mexico Partnership and in other Latin American countries, including support for the development of several nationally appropriate mitigation actions;

    • adaptation of public infrastructure;

    • capacity-building for GHGmeasurement and adaptation planning in developing countries, including the most vulnerable;

  • Participated in negotiations to revise the Gothenburg Protocol to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution; the Protocol amendments were adopted in May 2012;

  • Became a founding member of a new global initiative - the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs)21 and actively engaged in ongoing work to reduce SLCPs with the Arctic Council, including work to develop recommendations for action on SLCPs under the Council's Task Force on Short-Lived Climate Forcers; and,

  • Hosted a Chinese delegation in Vancouver under a Canada-China working group on adaptation to climate change at the regional and municipal level, at which information was shared on addressing sea-level rise (relying on Canadian examples in the Fraser Valley and the experience of the Chinese in adapting to periods of drought and changes in precipitation).

Continental approaches
  • Through the Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement, continued to cooperate with the United States to reduce the transboundary movement of air pollutants, particularly those that cause acid rain and smog;

  • Under the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council, work was initiated on the necessary scientific technical and regulatory foundations required to support the consideration of a particulate matter annex to the Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement;

  • Continued the United States-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue on the development of a joint clean energy research and development roadmap to advance initiatives related to biofuels, transportation, building and communities, and energy efficiency; and,

  • Engaged in on-going trilateral negotiations with Mexico and the U.S. under the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) for a more relevant, results-focused organization that delivers improved environmental outcomes. Over the past year, the three Parties advanced work on an assessment report on the comparability of GHG and black carbon inventories with the goal to (1) identify any gaps and inconsistencies that currently exist and (2) identify areas for improvement in the comparability of existing data, collection methods, relevant analyses, and methodologies used to produce the inventories. This report is expected to be finalized in 2012. The Parties also established a new $1.4 million grant program - the North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA) - to support community-level projects, including in the area of climate change adaptation.

Domestic approaches
  • Continued to develop the new Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) for ground-level ozone and PM2.5 (fine particulate matter22), and national industrial emissions requirements to reduce air pollutants from industrial sources for 13 industrial sectors and 4 equipment types through multi-stakeholder consultations with other federal departments, provinces, territories, industry and non-governmental organizations;

  • Regulations were developed to require a 2% renewable fuel content in diesel fuel and heating oil;

  • Draft regulations were published amending the Sulphur in Diesel Fuel Regulations to enable the implementation of the North American Emission Control Area for Ships;

  • Proposed regulations to limit emissions of GHGs were developed for new heavy-duty vehicles (published April 14, 2012) and coal-fired electricity generation (published August 27, 2011), and work was initiated on a regulatory approach for other major-emitting industrial sectors including oil and gas; domestic approaches are broadly aligned with the United States federal regulatory approach;

  • Continued to contribute to oversight of federal technology and energy programs, including Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), the Canadian Environmental Technology Advancement Centres (CETACs), the Green Municipal Fund (GMF), the Strategic Technology Applications of Genomics in the Environment (STAGE) program and the Canadian Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program;

  • Initiated work on a possible domestic approach to address short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), including black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone and some hydrofluorocarbons; black carbon in particular is a major contributor to air pollution and climate change; and,

  • As part of the contribution to the Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring, conducted measurements in the oil sands region to improve estimates of deposition of metals and polycyclic aromatic compounds to the ecosystem. Satellite remote sensing data were used to determine changes in nitrogen dioxide emissions in the region.


Environment Canada as a World-Class Regulator

As one of the federal government's most active regulators, Environment Canada has wide-ranging regulatory authorities and seeks to address increasingly complex environmental challenges. Given these realities, it is necessary for Environment Canada to aim for progressively higher levels of regulatory excellence. Under the World-Class Regulator (WCR) initiative, Environment Canada reviewed all of the Department's regulatory activities using five key criteria: evidence-based decision making; effectiveness; efficiency; adaptability; and transparency. Based on this analysis, the WCR initiative identified specific priority areas for improvement; cross-cutting areas for improvement; and best practices that have been shared across departmental regulatory program areas and integrated into training and development. A report of this review, along with an external evaluation of the WCR initiative and the Department's response, is publicly available on the Environment Canada website.


Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) Table23
FSDS GoalsFSDS Performance IndicatorsFSDS TargetsFSDS Actual Results
Theme 1Goal 1: Climate Change - Reduce greenhouse gas emission levels to mitigate the severity and unavoidable impacts of climate changeGovernment actions to meet reduction targetTarget 1.1: Climate Change Mitigation - Relative to 2005 emission levels, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 17% by 2020In part due to announced federal and provincial measures, Canada is projected to reduce its emissions by 130Mt in 2020 when compared to its initial projected business-as-usual GHGemissions in 2020. This is about half the emissions reductions needed to meet Canada's 2020 emissions target (Copenhagen target).
Theme 1Goal 2: Air Pollution - Minimize the threats to air quality so that the air Canadians breathe is clean and supports healthy ecosystemsAir emissions indicators of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and ammoniaTarget 2.1: Air Pollutants - Reduce air pollutants in order to maintain or improve air quality across the country and achieve the emission targets which are currently under development in consultations with provinces and stakeholdersIn 2010, air pollutant emissions were 18 to 57% lower than emission levels in 1990. Only ammonia (NH3) emissions increased; they were 10% higher than the 1990 emission levels.
Trends in air quality-related health outcomes24A proportion of cardiopulmonary mortality risk is attributable to air pollutants. No upward or downward trends have been observed for the mortality risk due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), while it has grown slightly for ground-level ozone.

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Program Activities 3.3: Compliance Promotion and Enforcement - Pollution and 1.4: Compliance Promotion and Enforcement - Wildlife

Program Descriptions
Program Activity 3.3 (Pollution)

This program contributes to minimizing damages and threats to the natural environment and biodiversity, through the promotion and enforcement of Environment Canada-administered legislation. Program actions focus on pollution, including toxic substances, their release to air, water or land, and the import and export of hazardous wastes that present a risk to the environment or human health. Compliance promotion initiatives provide information to regulatees on legislative requirements, the environmental benefits of compliance and the potential penalties of non-compliance. The program maintains a contingent of enforcement officers whose activities include gathering intelligence, conducting inspections to verify compliance with laws and regulations, and pursuing investigations to take appropriate enforcement measures against offenders. The program includes compliance analysis and planning to integrate data from all available sources in order to provide continuous feedback on program activities and results.

Program Activity 1.4 (Wildlife):

This program serves to conserve and protect the natural environment through compliance promotion and enforcement of the following wildlife-related legislation administered by Environment Canada: the Species at Risk Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act, and the Canada Wildlife Act. Measures to promote compliance include communication and publication of information, education and consultation with parties affected by these statutes. The program maintains a contingent of enforcement officers whose actions focus on ensuring and verifying conformity with laws, regulations and permits pertaining to wildlife, through several activities, which include gathering intelligence, conducting inspections and pursuing investigations to take appropriate enforcement measures against alleged offenders. These actions ensure that damages and threats to biodiversity are reduced for the benefit of Canadians and the international community.

Program Activity 3.3: Compliance Promotion and Enforcement - Pollution
Expected ResultsPerformance IndicatorsTargetsActual Results
Unlawful releases of harmful substances into the environmental are prevented or minimized through enforcement and promotion of Environment Canada-administrated laws and regulationsQuantity of unlawful harmful substances controlled or removed from the environment as a result of enforcement activities25No target for this indicator has been establishedData for this indicator are not available.

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2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
39.749.343.3

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
359357-2

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Program Activity 1.4: Compliance Promotion and Enforcement - Wildlife
Expected ResultsPerformance IndicatorsTargetsActual Results
Damage and/or threats to migratory birds, protected habitats and species at risk are prevented or minimized through enforcement of Environment Canada-administrated laws and regulationsVolume of current and future losses of migratory birds, species at risk and protected habitat prevented26No target for this indicator has been establishedData for this indicator are not available.

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2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
18.318.817.5

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
152126-26

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Theme 1Theme 3Theme 2Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activities 3.3: Compliance Promotion and Enforcement - Pollution and 1.4: Compliance Promotion and Enforcement - Wildlife

The following summarizes performance against this Program Activity:

  • In 2011-2012, Environment Canada enforcement officers conducted over 8,700 inspections on CEPA 1999 and Fisheries Act regulations. Over 7,300 inspections were conducted under the Species at Risk Act, the Canada Wildlife Act, Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act. Collectively, these inspections identified over 5,000 violations;

  • Compliance promotion activities were conducted to help improve awareness and understanding by regulates of their obligations for 25 risk-management instruments under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and the Fisheries Act;

  • The Enforcement Branch continued refining the processes by which priorities are determined and was more proactive in responding to threats regarding high-risk and protected areas, and human health;

  • The Enforcement Branch developed a methodology to assess the feasibility of compliance rate indicators for dry-cleaning regulations. Implementation and data collection for the pilot project is to begin in 2012-2013;

  • In 2011-2012, the Enforcement Branch opened an office in Fort McMurray. The office will be staffed with wildlife and pollution officers based out of Edmonton and will establish a continuous presence in the region;

  • The multi-staged implementation of the new Environmental Enforcement Act continued with the preparation of regulations designating the most serious offences, and which set higher maximum and mandatory minimum fines, which will come into force in the summer of 2012-2013;

  • The Enforcement Branch developed and initiated a multi-year project plan (based on the identification of high-level business requirements completed in 2011-2012) for the renewal of its business systems, which will include the renewal of its case management system, and which will enhance its reporting capacity;

  • The program continued the rollout of operational policies, hired and trained new officers, and completed the deployment of its mobile office project for mobile computing in the field; and,

  • In support of enforcement activities, the development and validation of new environmental guidelines (e.g., for naphthenic acids, metals) were addressed by open and transparent laboratory protocols, Standard Operating Procedures, analytical standards, method development, data evaluation analyses and evaluation techniques and reporting, which was presented in the Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring.


Partnerships in Action - Training Beyond Our Borders

Canadian wildlife officers delivered a week-long training course in Botswana for wildlife officers from several African countries, all trying to protect elephant herds from poachers and to eliminate ivory smuggling. The course included basic investigation techniques, evidence gathering and handling, and collaboration in sharing information across agencies and borders.


Lessons Learned at the Strategic Outcome Level

A central lesson learned in the context of this Strategic Outcome, and one that is shared with those of other Strategic Outcomes, has been that Environment Canada's collaboration with key partners on international negotiations and treaties is critical to allowing Canada to gain the leverage necessary to make a meaningful contribution to global progress in addressing climate change and air pollution. Collaboration and active consultation with the U.S. Environment Protection Agency and other international and provincial environment agencies also enabled the Department to develop regulations that are aligned with those of our trading partners and that draw on the most current scientific findings and assessments. This exchange works both ways, with Canada influencing directions in other jurisdictions. For example, Canada was the first country to declare the organic chemical bisphenol A27 toxic, with many countries then following suit.

At the program level, an evaluation of the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) - a program jointly managed by Environment Canada and Health Canada - was completed during 2011-2012 and highlighted lessons learned applicable to this Strategic Outcome. Many of the lessons learned pointed to best practices already being employed in the CMP and that could be applied to other programs. These included establishing clear timelines and transparent processes for risk assessment and risk management; using weight of evidence to enable decisions to be made faster, despite some gaps in information; and engaging industry and other stakeholders in participatory and transparent approaches that go beyond minimal legal requirements. The evaluation also identified several opportunities to strengthen the program, such as improving measurement of program outcomes, updating risk assessments as new knowledge of chemical-related risks becomes available, and refining and streamlining the horizontal management and integration of CMP activities. The program managers agreed with the formal recommendations of the evaluation and an action plan is being implemented.

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Internal Services

Program Activities for Internal Services (text version)
Program Activities for Internal Services

2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
Planned SpendingTotal AuthoritiesActual Spending
204.5238.0237.1

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Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalent - FTE)
PlannedActualDifference
1,5751,60227

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Theme 4Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity: Internal Services

To support the Department in meeting its stewardship mandate and the performance requirements of the Management, Resources and Results Structure Policy, the Management Accountability Framework and specific program priorities, both policy and management priorities were developed.

The following summarizes performance against the Internal Services Program Activity:

Department-wide Policy and Science Objectives
  • Developed data management tools and practices for the Science and Technology (S&T) Branch-level implementation. Increased web-based science (Environmental Science News) output five-fold, and made modifications to the entire S&T website to improve search capacity. Viewership of Environmental Science News in 2011-12 increased approximately 340% over the previous year;

  • Facilitated forums under the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (Canada, United States and Mexico), meetings and workshops with China and discussions with officials from the European Union and India; these dialogues contributed to a better understanding of our international partners' policy perspectives, and provided useful information for the development and implementation of Environment Canada's policies on a wide range of issues;

  • Developed an overview of Canada's best environmental policies and practices, and Canada's positions on sustainable development-related issues in preparation for the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development; and,

  • Co-led, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), the negotiations of the environmental components of trade agreements, helping assure that environmental considerations continue to be a key element of Canada's approach to negotiating trade agreements as occurred in 2011-2012 with countries and communities such as the European Union, Morocco, Honduras, the Caribbean Community and Ukraine.

Department-wide Management Objectives
  • Developed the first Suite of Management Frameworks, the Financial Management Framework and the Internal Control Framework, including an action plan for internal controls over financial reporting; these mechanisms helped assure that key financial management controls are in place to remain compliant with Treasury Board and Office of the Comptroller General directives;

  • Adopted measures to increase managers' leadership competencies (e.g. through the Environment Canada's Managers' Network and Leadership Development Program) and improved human resources policy guidance, through adoption of more rigorous procedures to direct appointments and monitoring and control of the staffing process (e.g. through the creation of the Staffing Centre of Expertise);

  • Developed standards for several corporate services, including contracting processing service standards and conducted a contracting/procurement benchmarking study;

  • Continued to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the security of the Information Management and Information Technology (IM/IT) system, made all the more challenging during a period of transition of many IM/IT services to Shared Services Canada;

  • Established Portfolio Management teams whose objective is to respond and adapt to emerging or existing IM/IT challenges and opportunities;

  • The departmental Business Continuity Plan was updated to reflect completion of the Business Impact Analysis for all critical services and associated risks related to natural hazards, technical failures and human-induced threats;

  • Partnered with the Government of Canada Open Data Initiative making information on Environment Canada's programs and scientific findings more available to the public;

  • Finalized the Department's Policy on Security and the Departmental Security Plan, furthering the centralization of all security functions; and,

  • Continued to enhance decision tracking within the department and across the portfolio through modernized approaches, including automated, client-driven databases.

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Lessons Learned at the Internal Services Level

Any improvements to the delivery of the Department's Internal Services require open communication and decision-making processes, informed both by program needs and the ability of Internal Services branches to support programs. Improvement can be further achieved with horizontal management efforts within the Internal Services branches themselves and with departmental and interdepartmental programs. Planning for the communication of information to the public needs to be integrated as early as possible into program planning processes to allow coordination of news releases and posting of information. Audits and evaluations identified opportunities to improve financial management, internal controls and reporting; management of assets; and contracting and staffing processes and performance measurement; and noted that efforts in some areas to better communicate, collaborate further and to clarify roles and responsibilities should be enhanced.

Impacts on Financial and Human Resources Resulting from the Establishment of Shared Services Canada
2011-2012 Financial Resources ($ millions)
 Planned SpendingTotal Authorities*
Net transfer post Orders in Council (OIC)** to Shared Services Canada (SSC)21.721.7
* Pursuant to section 31.1 of the Financial Administration Act and Orders in Council P.C. 2011-0881, P.C. 2011-0877 and P.C. 2011-1297, this amount was deemed to have been appropriated to SSC, which resulted in a reduction in the appropriation for Environment Canada.
** Total authorities, as presented in the 2011–2012 Financial Resources table (and other relevant tables) in the Summary of Performance section, is the net of any transfers to SSC. Actual Spending does not include expenditures incurred on behalf of SSC as of the OIC date.

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2011-2012 Human Resources ($ millions)
 PlannedActual
Deemed to Shared Services Canada7271

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Greening Government Operations

Environment Canada is a participant in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) and contributes to the Greening Government Operations targets through the Internal Services Program Activity. The Department contributes to the following target areas of theme IV of the FSDS:

  • green buildings
  • green procurement
  • e-waste, managed print, paper consumption and green meetings
  • greenhouse gas emissions

For additional details on Environment Canada's Greening Government Operations activities, please see this website.

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6 "Incidental take" is the inadvertent disturbance or destruction of migratory birds, their nests and eggs, through activities such as mining, forestry and agriculture, electrical generation and transmission, fishing, management of infrastructure, and urban development.

7 Additional environmental indicators and information for all FSDS tables included in this document can be found at the CESI website.

8 The 2013-2016 FSDS provides an opportunity to update targets in the current 2010-2013 FSDS. Population goals for migratory bird species are still under development.

9 Additional environmental indicators and information for all FSDS tables included in this document can be found at the CESI website.

10 Applies to oceans.

11 Negotiations are currently underway and will include, among others, the municipal, agricultural and industrial sectors.

12 Additional environmental indicators and information for all FSDS tables included in this document can be found at the CESI website.

13 E.g.: aviation, marine and defence.

14 Moving forward, more targeted clients will be surveyed. Planned revisions to the survey methods will lead to a common approach so that the survey results can be presented in the form of a composite index.

15 Data do not include releases from small facilities that are not required to report to the National Pollutant Release Inventory.

16 Additional environmental indicators and information for all FSDS tables included in this document can be found at the CESI website.

17 These two targets are co-led by the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health.

18 This indicator is produced by Health Canada.

19 EITE industries include the following sectors: mining; smelting and refining (non-ferrous metals); pulp and paper; iron and steel; cement; lime and gypsum; chemicals and fertilizers.

20 Target now set for 2012-2013.

21 Short-lived climate pollutants include, for instance, black carbon, methane, and some hydrofluorocarbons. It is estimated that they will contribute about half of the climate warming effect from current anthropogenic emissions over the next couple of decades.

22 Particles less than or equal to 2.5 micrometres (µm) in diameter (PM2.5) are referred to as fine particulate matter and are believed to pose the greatest health risks.

23 Additional environmental indicators and information for all FSDS tables included in this document can be found at the CESI website.

24 This indicator is produced by Health Canada.

25 A replacement indicator has been identified and will be reported for 2012-2013.

26 idem

27 A chemical used to make many hard plastic toys, bottles and food containers.

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