Gender-based analysis plus

Natural Resource Canada (NRCan) is committed to facilitating diverse and inclusive outcomes for all Canadians through its work, including ensuring that diverse populations of Canadians benefit from our policies, programs and initiatives, and recognizes the importance of GBA Plus in achieving this goal. To this end, NRCan has a GBA Plus framework and Action Plan in place that is supported by senior management and the GBA Plus Centre of Expertise (the Centre).

The Centre is the departmental contact point for GBA Plus. It facilitates the integration of GBA Plus across the department, from policy and program development to planning and reporting. The Centre ensures that GBA Plus is integrated into the decision-making processes by providing guidance in the development of policies, programs and initiatives.

The Centre provides ongoing advice and guidance with the aim of increasing understanding of GBA Plus and building capacity to meet government requirements and beyond. In addition, the Office of Inclusion Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA) ensures that the goals of GBA Plus are enshrined in everything we do at NRCan. The IDEA vision: to ensure a representative, safe, and inclusive NRCan that combats racism and promotes inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility across the Natural Resources Sector. GBA Plus at NRCan offers foundational tools and services to support the IDEA vision.

To advance the implementation of GBA Plus and to build the department’s GBA Plus capacity, The Centre will continue to implement its Action Plan that was approved by the Performance, Measurement, Evaluation and Experimentation Committee.

The Centre plans to continue undertaking Department-wide activities to facilitate NRCan’s data collection capacity. Following the establishment of a baseline on the current data collection capacity at NRCan, the Centre collated the challenges, lessons learnt and best practices. This information will serve as one of the tools available to guide NRCan officials to further enhance their capacity to collect and analyze disaggregated data to make NRCan policies, programs, and initiatives more inclusive.

The Centre has also established a GBA Plus Community of Practice to help build the department’s capacity in this area. The Community of Practice continues to grow and includes membership of approximately 100 people from across different sectors, occupational groups, and employee networks. It is a forum that will help build the department’s capacity in GBA Plus sharing information and learning lessons.

Further, the Centre plans to enhance the GBA Plus intranet site and host a departmental training and awareness session to foster greater awareness and understanding of GBA Plus in the department. The Centre plans to use tools, provided by Women and Gender Equity (WAGE) and The Centre, to facilitated awareness and knowledge sharing throughout the department.

The Canadian Geodetic Survey program is improving digital services in underserved parts of the country through expansion of NRCan’s geospatial satellite observing network. This will serve to level the playing field for Canadians in more remote communities by improving access to the Canadian Spatial Reference System. These investments support improved weather forecasting and global climate modelling and could also support increasingly automated transportation services, which have the potential to help mobility-challenged Canadians. Network installations will primarily occur in 2023 and 2024. 

The Space Based Earth Observation (SBEO) Project began in 2020 and aims to add 22 or more Global Navigation Satellite System stations across Canada. The program benefits a broad subset of Canadians by improving infrastructure that enhances Earth Observation data accessibility, availability, and usability. As such, the primary beneficiaries of resulting business and employment opportunities would largely be men. Addressing barriers to women and Indigenous career participation and progression in engineering fields are outside the scope of the SBEO initiative, GBA Plus considerations such as the Government of Canada’s efforts towards gender equality and diversity have been considered. Encouraging women and youth to participate in activities in this proposal will help to support opportunities for women in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields more broadly.  Women who may be hired to fill the Full-Time equivalent (FTE) positions created under the SBEO initiative can be formally matched with mentors within the Government to reduce barriers for career progression. A GBA Plus reassessment is proposed at the conclusion of the project when impacts will be better understood. While the GBA Plus conducted at the close of the project would focus on the awarding and implementation of contracts, future GBA Plus may focus on how SBEO data meets user needs, as well as how SBEO data benefits Canadian society.

The Land Surveying Capacity Development Program began in 2018 to increase awareness and understanding of land surveying, provide mentoring and tools to enable better participation in surveys, and encourage land surveying as a career option by providing in-community training for Indigenous Canadians. The program supports the Gender Results Framework pillar of Education and Skills Development.

Participants are Indigenous and are selected by the Indigenous community involved. The program tracks participation through a gender/diversity lens by implementing daily sign-in sheets for participants.

Participation in the program by underrepresented demographics has been a focus of the program since inception. In this regard, notable program initiatives moving forward will include a focus on reaching participants who may otherwise not be exposed to land surveying or geomatics as a career option. One principal goal is to encourage diverse gender and Indigenous participation in the land surveying and geomatics industry. The Program is introducing ad hoc or “just in time” training to provide greater flexibility and attract a greater number of participants.

Additionally, the program conducts a client satisfaction survey every 5 years. The incorporation of GBA Plus analysis will be added to the next survey.

The International Boundary Commission (IBC) is a bi-national treaty organization that is responsible for maintaining an effective boundary between Canada and the United States (US) in accordance with the terms of various treaties.  The Surveyor General in NRCan is Canada’s commissioner.  The Commissioners’ jointly report annually to the Minister of Global Affairs and the US Secretary of State.  The Canadian Section of the commission is housed in NRCan and adheres to the departmental Human Resources policies, including striving for greater diversity and GBA Plus prerogatives.

The main outcome of the IBC to the public is to ensure that the Canada/US International boundary is clearly visible to the citizens and law enforcement agencies of each Country. The boundary maintenance is a treaty obligation as defined in various treaties and in accordance with the International Boundary Commission Act. Given the nature of the bi-national treaty organization in providing a service to governments, there are no plans to implement a GBA Plus Data collection Plan.

The Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) combines the previous Climate Change Adaptation program with the Building Regional Adaptation Capacity and Expertise program and builds on Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Platform and the National Assessment of Climate Impacts and Adaptation.

The Program’s objective is to build resilience to a diversity of climate change impacts that include slow onset and extreme events to support more climate-resilient natural resource sectors and the communities that depend on them. Climate change impacts are not uniformly experienced, with marginalized communities experiencing disproportionate and more severe effects.

CCAP will support continued delivery of Canada in a Changing Climate: Advancing our Knowledge for Action assessment series, and expanding the network of Canadian experts, partners, and stakeholders needed to accelerate action on adaptation.

CCAP builds upon investments to date to increase resilience to climate change in natural resource sectors (e.g. mining, electricity, forestry) and where NRCan can inform time-sensitive adaptation decisions.

CCAP responds to industry and community demand for skilled personnel with expertise in adaptation by continuing to co-fund activities that support applicable professional/skills development and upgrade of standards/qualifications for Canadian workers. Climate adaptation is important in meeting social objectives. NRCan’s National Issues Report found that climate change impacts those who are already struggling more than others, including communities dealing with inequality due to institutional biases and the legacies of colonialism. NRCan’s programs have sought to address this inequity for example, by ensuring the program terms and conditions allow for NRCan funding to cover up to 100% of the costs for projects led by Indigenous proponents.

In March 2022, NRCan implemented a content warning on the NRCan website to indicate certain geographical names available through web search tools and open data may be considered derogatory or offensive and proactively removed 20 instances of a derogatory and misogynistic place name from interactive maps interactive maps. The department and NRCan initiated a working group of federal, provincial and territorial members of the Geographical Names Board of Canada to share and discuss anti-racism commitments and statements, best practices, and approaches to addressing derogatory geographical names across the country.

In October 2022, the department released an interactive map that highlights over 400 audio recordings of the pronunciation of place names in the Innu language. Recognition of Indigenous place names contributes to the preservation, revitalization and strengthening of Indigenous histories, languages and cultures, and is aligned with the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

The program aims to inspire girls into STEM and facilitate Indigenous inclusion projects through earth observation in support of flood risk management (pilot project for operational river ice breakup monitoring), building Northern capacity through women to collect and share (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles -based mapping products, community outreach and capacity building in Inuvik, NWT, among others.

Training sessions continue to be provided and developed to support awareness and understanding of these principles. Additionally, guidance documents and knowledge products have been published and are in development to support Indigenous communities in the governance of their data resources.

NRCan operates a satellite ground segment., which received resources in 2021 to upgrade and modernize satellite and data infrastructure and complete a GBA Plus review. The analysis revealed that a broad cross-section of Canadians will directly benefit from an improved infrastructure that enhances data accessibility, availability, and usability. Indigenous communities in Canada will benefit from more and better space-based Earth observation data. Installing and enhancing the NRCan infrastructure requires workers in construction and the skilled trades and will create business and employment opportunities for members of the Gwich’in community and Inuvialuit community, Northerners, and rural workers. Given the focus on infrastructure, primary beneficiaries of resulting business and employment opportunities would largely be men. The infrastructure upgrades will also provide opportunities for industry and academia.

The Explosives, Regulatory and Business Branch within NRCan is the national regulator of explosives and the Centre of expertise for commercial explosives testing and research. It contributes to the safety of the public and all workers involved in the explosives industry in Canada, as well as national security. Its Explosives Regulatory Division issues licenses, permits, and certificates for explosives, ammunition, and pyrotechnics to manufacturers, transporters, importers, exporters, sellers, and users of explosives. The Canadian Explosives Research Laboratory is the only facility of its kind in Canada that conducts science and technology testing and research on commercial explosives and contributes to national security via expertise in blast effects and chemical precursors.

The program does not currently monitor or report on program impacts by gender and diversity. Based on the specific mandate and objectives of this program, no actions are planned to enable future monitoring of reporting of the program’s impacts by gender and diversity. This is an operational based program of licensing, permitting, inspections and certification of explosives, where monitoring of gender and diversity is not possible as it does not touch on these subjects. However, NRCan does follow departmental hiring practices for diversity and inclusion and incorporates them when staffing a position.

The Program informs adaptation planning for forest adaptation and resilience and provides forest carbon estimates for Canada that are needed to inform mitigation efforts. These activities contribute to the long-term prosperity and competitiveness of the forest sector, more resilient forest-based communities, and the continued health, well-being, and sustainability of Canada’s forests. Given the close relationship between sustainable forest management, the resilience of Canada’s forests, and the socio-economic health and wellness of forest-based, rural and remote communities, including many Indigenous communities, activities under this program contribute to an improved quality of life for those communities.

The Program will continue to demonstrate its commitment to use recruitment processes that give due consideration to gender and diversity to ensure that the opportunities are equitable.

The 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program will contribute to the Government of Canada’s Gender Results Framework by supporting the goals under the Poverty Reduction, Health, and Well-Being pillar. These co-benefits include the creation of green spaces for recreational activities and connecting with nature; better regulation of temperature in cities; improved mental health; and reduced risk of wildland fire and floods to our communities. Direct impacts of the program activities include increased prevalence of Diversity and Inclusion plans among funding recipients, increased representation of currently under-represented groups in tree-planting and related activity workforce among funding recipients, and Indigenous organizations supported through the program’s Indigenous collaboration stream.

As a result of GBA Plus analysis, the 2BT program has also incorporated diversity and inclusion considerations into the Program design and implementation. In 2023-24, the program will implement a co-developed inclusive governance model with Indigenous partners for the distribution of funds through the Indigenous funding stream. The program’s external Advisory Committee ensures Indigenous representation within program governance, including one of the co-chairs.

The 2BT program is incorporating GBA Plus Data Collection into its evaluation matrices and reporting requirements. For example, funding recipients will be encouraged, and medium and large funding recipients will be required, to have Diversity and Inclusion plans. GBA Plus disaggregated data will also be collected through its reporting requirements to actively collect better data, tracking the percent of under-represented equity groups in tree planting and related activities workforce of medium and large recipients as well as the number of Indigenous organizations supported through the 2BT program. Mechanisms for tracking and monitoring GBA Plus data is currently being explored to implement in future years of the program.

The Forest Climate Change Program is developing a tracking mechanism to collect GBA Plus input from funded forest carbon mitigation and adaptation research projects and this data will be available in future years.

Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI):

By following federal guidelines for inclusive, merit-based hiring practices, TGI aims to have women and visible minorities hired and/or awarded bursaries by TGI at or above the proportion at which they are available in the Earth sciences sector. The program has a GBA Plus performance indicator that measures the percentage of opportunities (for students and early-career researchers) that are given to individuals who belong to one or more groups of people traditionally underrepresented in the earth sciences sector, particularly women and visible minorities. For this indicator, the program will collect information provided on a voluntary basis from applicants from equity seeking groups who are hired or given a bursary by TGI to support program research.

The program will establish annual data collection to report on its GBA Plus performance indicator through the voluntary disclosure of demographic information by applicants to student/early-career researcher opportunities. Feedback on the usefulness of the data and science by program stakeholders will be used for planning and making any required adjustments toward data and science that best serves the Canadian public. The program is working on a plan to collect data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Program

The UNCLOS program is a horizontal initiative involving NRCan, Global Affairs Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The program is tasked with collecting and analyzing the required scientific data to define Canada’s continental shelf, making a strong scientific case to the United Nations that it is a natural component of the Canadian landmass.

Women are underrepresented in STEM fields in the private sector as well as the federal government, however almost half of this program’s team of geologists and geophysicists are women. No negative impacts pertaining to gender and diversity were found on the direct work or operations of the program, the scientific research and analysis to support Canada’s Atlantic and Arctic oceans submissions to the United Nations.

Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM-GeoNorth)

The GEM-GeoNorth program is expected to advance gender equality goals outlined under the Economic Participation and Prosperity pillar of the Gender Results Framework by facilitating increased labour market opportunities for women, especially women in underrepresented groups. Focused on the region of Canada’s North, the program’s target client groups are scientists and technicians, Northern and Indigenous geoscience professionals, and Universities and Northern educational institutions.

The program aims to directly create a small number of labour market opportunities in the physical sciences, and in computer and information systems. The program’s capacity-building opportunities, which will be designed with the guidance of partners in Northern educational institutions, could also increase labour market readiness among Northerners and Indigenous peoples.

Indirect outcomes of the program, including the potential growth of the mining sector and related industries over the long term (12-15 years), could further create additional jobs in Canada’s North. Although women currently account for 17% of the mining workforce, initiatives by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council, Women in Mining, and several private sector firms are seeking to address the gender disparity in the mining sector by providing training and development opportunities for women in the sector. The program will consider these initiatives in designing mitigation strategies that promote gender equality in the program.

The program collects data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity (depending on the voluntary disclosure of demographic information by applicants or people involved). Regarding its immediate outcome of “Involvement of stakeholders and Indigenous groups in geoscience knowledge and data generation,” the program’s performance indicators include the collection of disaggregated data. A number of performance indicators also measure program impacts in the North, regarding availability of geoscience knowledge, and support for the Northern economy.

The Geoscience to Keep Canada Safe (GKCS) program comprises activities from the Canadian Hazards Information Service (CHIS), the Public Safety Geoscience Program (PSGP) and the Climate Change Geoscience Program (CCGP). While all three indirectly support the Gender Results Framework, only CCGP makes a direct contribution. CCGP works in northern Canada where the proportion of Indigenous residents is high. CCGP science activities have an influence on the communities and the citizens who reside there, from hiring local residents (including students) to assist with fieldwork, to how our final science outputs might contribute to community planning for climate change impacts. Thus, CCGP supports the GRF pillar of Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being.

The PSGP supports policy development, decision-making, and responses by other groups (such as Public Safety Canada, P/T governments, municipalities and Indigenous communities). It undertakes the monitoring, research and effective planning against various natural and human-induced hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and impacts related to climate change, geomagnetic storms, radiological and nuclear incidents.

The GKCS will improve our understanding of hazards and their impacts. This will allow policy makers, planners, and emergency managers to identify vulnerable populations and tailor preparedness and emergency response plans to assist these groups (i.e. specific regions, women, elderly, low-income, children). The program is working with Indigenous groups in these regions to ensure the research is useful in their decision making to protect their citizens.

Information is collected for internal use for programs mid-year and end of year reports. It is working on a plan to collect data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity.

Across programs, the feedback on the usefulness of the data and science by stakeholders would be useful for planning and making any required adjustments toward data and science that best serves the Canadian public.

The program is working to determine how to measure the downstream effects on GBA Plus of the science and research related to natural hazards.

The Pest Risk Management (PRM) Program is incorporating GBA Plus data collection into its annual call for proposals process. Applicants are now required to answer questions related to GBA Plus, inclusion, equity, diversity, and accessibility (IDEA), and indigenous engagement. GBA Plus data will also be collected as part of the Spruce Budworm Early Intervention Strategy – Phase III Program. Information about the diversity of new hires will be collected and articulated in reports from recipients of federal contributions to measure representation of women and visible minorities in program activities and reduction of potential differential impacts of the initiative (i.e., employment) on these two groups. Information about impacts on Indigenous communities and the resolution of concerns raised by Indigenous groups will also be collected and reported as part of project proposals and reports to NRCan.

The PRM program will also encourage recipients of contribution funding to report baseline workforce demography and diversity data as part of a voluntary survey. NRCan will provide them with a template for a diversity and inclusion plan that can be considered to guide the development of specific employment equity measures for their respective organizations. Combined, these efforts will support the program in identifying new or enhanced ways to facilitate more equitable and equal opportunities and outcomes through its work, reporting capacity and improved database.

The Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) provides logistics services to support the growing demand for pan-Arctic science and innovation research. The objectives of PCSP are to strengthen the resilience of Indigenous communities through engagement, training, and employment opportunities; enhance economic benefits for Northerners; gain an understanding of the implications of climate change on Arctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems; and support Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic.

For the 2023 field season, the PCSP continued to collect gender data adding the inclusion of a non-binary option for principal investigators and project participants in the online Arctic logistics support request form. This new information will support disaggregated data analysis of program uptake by gender. The PCSP will provide feedback to applicants in 2023-24 to help improve the Indigenous and local involvement and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion components of each project.

The program has identified the need to collect disaggregated data beyond gender. Data gaps and technical limitations are currently preventing the systematic collection of this information across all services provided by the program. The program conducted a participant survey in the fall of 2021, which gathered data on gender, ethnicity, age, disability, career stage, Indigenous status, and location of residence. The results from this survey will guide next steps in the collection of disaggregated GBA Plus and diversity data, and will support the development of a systematic method to gather this data each year from supported project participants.

The Wildland Fire Risk Management Program seeks to advance more equitable opportunities and outcomes in wildfire management through Indigenous engagement and collaboration, including through the development of the Blueprint for Wildland Fire Science in Canada (2019-29). This strategy recognizes the value and importance of Indigenous knowledge and the need to collaborate with Indigenous peoples for better wildland fire management, work that will continue in 2023-24.

The program will continue to engage Indigenous partners, and regularly collaborates with Indigenous Nations and organizations on research projects, including co-development, fieldwork, data analysis, and knowledge exchange. Through the Emergency Management Strategy Grants and Contributions program, the fire program will support a variety of Indigenous fire- related research projects and proponents including the First Nation Wildfire Evacuation Partnership, the Metis Nation of Alberta 3, and others.

Internal discussions will continue to examine GBA Plus reporting processes that would be the most appropriate for the program. In 2023-24, the program will continue with steps to form an Indigenous wildland fire management working group following discussions that took place in 2022. The fire program, as an influential advisor/participant in these organizations, will continue to foster the values of diversity and inclusion through national and international movements and related working groups such as, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) and the North American Forestry Commission’s Fire Management Working Group.

Through the Emergency Management Strategy Wildland Fire Resilience Contributions Program, the Fire Program will continue supporting a variety of Indigenous fire related research projects and proponents (previous proponents include the First Nation Wildfire Evacuation Partnership, Salt River First Nation, Turtle Island Consulting Services Inc., the Métis Nation Alberta Association Region 3, and others. An example of a previous activity the program supported is the published “First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies”. This guidebook was published in January 2021 by the First Nation Wildfire Evacuation Partnership and provides unique and culturally appropriate wildfire responses for communities and external agencies.

In the spirit of GBA Plus, NRCan will continue to support 2022 and 2023-24 government commitments by supporting the training of Indigenous firefighters.  In addition, the Wildfire Program will continue to foster the values of diversity and inclusion through national and international movements and related working groups such as the CIFFC and the North American Forestry Commission’s Fire Management Working Group (NAFC-FMWG).

In 2023-24 the wildfire hub will continue to support and collect data regarding Indigenous programming and other GBA Plus impacts. In addition, the wildfire hub will continue to consult with the other science program hubs on data collection best practices and tools.

In 2023-24, the Office of Energy Research and Development’s inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) Community of Practice, which oversees the implementation of a cohesive approach to IDEA for the Branch, will continue advancing integration of GBA Plus into policy and program design and delivery; knowledge sharing; and appropriate data collection.

Clean energy in Indigenous, rural and remote communities

NRCan is part of a collaborative approach with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Infrastructure Canada to reduce barriers and make funding for clean energy in Indigenous, rural and remote communities more accessible.

In 2023-24, a national Indigenous engagement strategy will be finalized and implemented and an Indigenous Council will be established to provide advice and direction.

Departments are working together to deliver the following programs in collaboration: CIRNAC’s Northern REACHE program, and NRCan’s Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program and Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative.

Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative (IODI)

The Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative (IODI) is a clean energy training and funding program that supports Indigenous-led climate solutions in remote Indigenous communities that currently use diesel or fossil fuels for heat and power.

IODI supports a cohort of participants (called Energy Champions) in their journey – from training through to project implementation. Energy Champions are encouraged to work closely with a team of clean energy leaders and to engage with their communities to support community energy literacy and ensure that projects reflect their community’s priorities. Projects supported under IODI are Indigenous-led, community-driven and focused on supporting local capacity building, clean energy planning and development of clean energy projects.

The first cohort, which runs from 2019-2023, has fourteen champions currently participating. In 2023, a second cohort of ten new champions will be selected, reaching more remote communities across the country. 

IODI’s capacity building approach includes training and community engagement to develop a community energy plan. This work empowers remote Indigenous communities to determine which resources work best for their community and supports communities in developing skills and training. As communities undertake these activities, they increase their capacity by:

• Creating green jobs and delivering training opportunities for the community;
• Increasing community resilience;
• Improving energy security; and,
• Supporting other community co-benefits such as housing and food security.

Additional efforts to advance equality are integrated into the selection and application processes. For example, IODI has an all-Indigenous external jury that is gender-balanced, has a diversity of ages, and has regional representation; the jury is responsible for Champion selection and project review.

At the working level, program delivery is relationship-focused with regular check-ins with Champions and opportunities for feedback. The program team works to create a culture of continuous staff learning about anti-racism and reconciliation to ensure programming supports relationship building and meets the needs of communities. IODI has culturally appropriate internal processes including honoraria for jury members and ceremonial protocol and Elder guidance for events and jury decision-making.

By advancing the science and research required to prevent and mitigate the potential risks and impacts of cumulative effects in Canada’s forests, the Cumulative Effects Program has the potential to contribute to improved quality of life for forest based and dependent communities through job security, public safety and improved health outcomes.

Indigenous partnerships are a key factor in the decision-making process of funding projects within the Cumulative Effects Program through Grants & Contributions of the Nature Legacy funding program in Canada (2018-23).  These partnerships continue to produce opportunities for Indigenous communities to apply and enhance their knowledge in woodland caribou protection and habitat restoration and expand their networks across stakeholder groups for future opportunities.  

While the program currently does not have sufficient data to determine the degree to which GBA Plus has affected its design or outcomes and impacts for different groups, there may be opportunities in the future to improve the reporting capacity and understanding of GBA Plus impacts, as research matures through time. Discussions are underway to examine GBA Plus reporting processes that would be the most appropriate.

The Equality in Energy Transitions Initiative

The Equality in Energy Transitions Initiative is an international framework, organized under the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). The initiative’s goal is to advance gender equality in the clean energy sector, globally. Canada (NRCan) chairs the Executive Committee and leads on the Equal by 30 Campaign and the Awards and Recognition work stream.

The Equal by 30 Campaign

The Equal by 30 Campaign is part of the Equality in Energy Transitions Initiative, which works to accelerate gender equality and diversity in clean energy transitions and close the gender gap by 2030.

The Equality in Energy Transitions Initiative Awards Program

Awards are an integral workstream under the Equality Initiative because recognizing leadership and achievements promotes career advancement and inspires women of all ages to contribute to the clean energy field and help close the gender gap.  The Awards Program has been recognized by Equality Initiative members, partners, and award winners as successfully achieving its goal to highlight the positive contributions that women and organizations are making to advance the energy transition, including efforts to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion in the sector. 

Now in its fifth year, the Equal by 30 Campaign has established a reporting framework and baseline metrics to help signatories measure their progress against their commitments, track advancements on the goals of the campaign and create a baseline of gender-disaggregated data for the energy sector. The reporting exercise, completed in 2021-22, found that in addition to a lack of gender diversity, the energy sector faces other key challenges, including cultivating an inclusive culture, fair management, career development and workplace safety/harassment. The exercise further highlighted that it is not possible to advance gender equity without empowering racialized people, Indigenous communities, LGBTI individuals, persons with a disability, and other marginalized groups.

The Equal by 30 Campaign is exploring using these data-driven insights to accelerate progress, build momentum, and take targeted action to create a more equitable and inclusive energy sector. It will continue to use an intersectional lens, to acknowledge that a person’s experience within the energy sector is influenced by a variety of identity factors, in addition to gender.

The Energy Efficiency Program directly benefits energy consumers in Canada by reducing energy consumption, which lowers energy costs, and by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, including from federal government operations.

The Energy Efficiency Program will continue to refer to the findings from its 2020-21 study. The final report includes quantitative and qualitative disaggregated data and analysis, identification of key barriers that diverse groups experience when accessing energy efficiency services and participating in the energy efficiency workforce, Ultimately, this work will contribute to the development of policies and programs that consider the specific needs and circumstances of diverse populations in Canada. Further GBA Plus studies will take place in 2023-24 in key areas such as the Energy Efficiency Regulations under the Energy Efficiency Act.

The Canada Greener Homes Initiative will primarily benefit homeowners. Homeownership rates increase with income and age and are also higher for couples and families when compared to single-individual households. Improving the energy efficiency of homes will support improved health for occupants, lower energy bills and help to combat energy poverty. Home energy retrofits can also improve the climate resiliency of homes and avoid greenhouse gas emissions, which will benefit all Canadians, especially low-income Canadians who are more vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. The training and recruitment campaign for energy auditors will continue to explore measures to reduce barriers preventing or discouraging the full participation of underrepresented groups in the energy efficiency workforce, including women, Indigenous peoples and racialized people.

The Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) initiative is expected to help low- to median-income Canadian households save on their annual heating bills, while saving energy and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. It will track the number of applications received and contributions issued to low- and median-income households and where possible will disaggregate the data to track the number of Indigenous households receiving support via community/organization-level contribution agreements.

The Canada Green Buildings Strategy will prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). This could include measures such as inclusive engagement, as well as engaging Indigenous Climate Leadership (in alignment with CIRNAC's decision-making Guidance). This will also entail adopting affordability as a principle, with particular consideration given to the realities in remote and northern regions. Further, NRCan will ensure a portion of grant and contribution funding can be made available to support inclusion of under-represented applicants, including but not limited to Indigenous governments and organizations or their service delivery partners, and members of under-represented groups, including women, gender-diverse people, persons with disabilities, and racialized Canadians.

The Green Industrial Facilities and Manufacturing Program, Codes Acceleration Fund, and Deep Retrofits Accelerator Initiative will consider equity, diversity, inclusion and quality-of-life impacts and will require reporting on key disaggregated data/indicators, such as employment for women and Indigenous peoples, regional impacts, health impacts, job growth and other demographic characteristics.

These programs help reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions and encourage sustainable growth in the electricity sector by providing communities with job opportunities, skills and training.

The Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs) included measures to increase benefits to underrepresented groups within the electricity sector, benefits were skewed towards non-racialized cis-gendered men. SREPs incorporated measures to enable the participation of underrepresented groups, for example:

• All deployment project applicants were required to submit an EDI plan or sign onto a relevant EDI commitment
• Funding was set aside for Indigenous-owned projects
• Indigenous projects were able to access favourable funding limits

$50M (of $964M) in program funds was set aside for the Capacity Building stream which focuses on overcoming barriers to future deployment and includes activities such as knowledge sharing and studies (which could include technical studies and information), mentoring and apprenticeships, training or workshops, engagement opportunities, and the development of EDI plans.

Clean Energy in Indigenous, Rural and Remote Communities Hub

Through the Clean Energy in Indigenous, Rural and Remote Communities Hub, NRCan is part of a collaborative approach with CIRNAC, ISC, ECCC, and Infrastructure Canada to reduce barriers and make funding for transitioning from diesel reliance to clean energy in Indigenous, rural, and remote communities more accessible.

In 2023-24, a national Indigenous engagement strategy will be finalized and implemented and an Indigenous Council will be established to provide advice and direction.

Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) Program

The CERRC program supports community-led renewable energy and capacity building projects in rural and remote communities to reduce their reliance on diesel fuel for heat and power. CERRC has four streams: Capacity Building, Demonstration, Deployment and BioHeat and is currently supporting 88 projects in 131 communities, including 123 Indigenous communities.

Each rural and remote community is unique and requires different types of support to reduce reliance on diesel. Complex factors such as location, weather systems, community priorities and capacity, provincial and utility policies, and Indigenous relationships with the Crown mean that each community has diverse needs. Successful community-driven clean energy projects are the result of numerous iterative steps starting from building energy literacy and training, to completing project-specific design and development activities.

The four streams work together to ensure that direct benefits impact a broad group of rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Canada, including First Nations, Inuit and Metis women, men and gender-diverse people.

Further, NRCan has incorporated flexibilities into the CERRC program to support increased participation of diverse groups. For example, CERRC encourages participation of youth in projects to help with their integration in the natural resources sector (promotion of the S&T Internship Program – Green Jobs); and includes translation of project materials as an eligible cost.

The expected outcomes of CERRC related to advancing the goals of full and equal economic participation include increased participation of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s renewable energy sector, reduced GHG emissions through a reduction in fossil fuel reliance, among others.

The SREP and CERRC programs collects data to enable it to monitor and/or report on program impacts by gender and diversity. Data collection and reporting templates for certain programs (e.g., Smart Grid Program, CERRC) have been evaluated and edited to collect gender-disaggregated data that aligns with program goals. Further, training and hiring metrics are now collected at gender-disaggregated levels and align with Statistics Canada terminology (e.g., female, male and gender diverse). Other disaggregated data collected include youth, persons with disabilities, Indigenous identity and racialized people. The CERRC program is also collecting disaggregated information about Indigenous identity and youth participation. The program also collects information on greenhouse gases reduced to understand the health impacts of the program on communities. This was done on an annual basis.

The Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) Contribution Program targeted particular R&D priorities:

• Broadly applicable approaches aimed at deploying operational Enhanced Forest Inventory (EFI) methods at tree- and plot-level using remote sensing data, targeted to forest practitioners.
• Data analytics and integration applications for unleashing the full value of forest resource information (e.g. EFI) to de-risk and optimize forest value chains.
• Improved understanding of the factors underpinning social acceptability of research application.

NRCan’s CWFC has started the collection of Diversity and Inclusion data from 2020-23 FIP-CWFC contribution program proponents. This data will be analyzed for changes and trends at the conclusion of this round of funding and project completion. At the end of fiscal year 2022-23 an overall evaluation will be conducted. Based on the results, additional information may be required from proponents in future Calls for Proposals, such as more definitive plans or requirements to apply GBA Plus principles and policies.

A final version is anticipated in early 2023 and will be distributed for internal review and information.

This strategic R&D program is delivered by NRCan’s CanmetMINING laboratories. The program has two key objectives: to reduce the environmental impacts of mining; and to improve Canada’s competitiveness. Strong environmental performance is closely linked to the long-term economic growth of the mining industry and is essential for maintaining public trust in Canada’s development of its mineral resources. In undertaking this work, NRCan is focused on three priority areas: Critical Minerals Research and Development, Efficient Mining Practices, Climate Resilient Mining. Several specialized services such as the production of certified reference materials and diesel engine certification are also delivered by the program.

The program does not currently collect quantitative - disaggregated data to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity. It relies largely on qualitative or secondary data. Therefore, it is seeking guidance on the best way to enable future collection of disaggregated data and monitoring of results, beyond the use of narrative reports and/or case studies. In the course of the next period, the program will determine key statistic indicators to understand and address GBA Plus considerations and will put in place a data collection for the program. Anticipated area of concern will be regional (geographical lens) and work force distribution.

Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation

NRCan’s Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO) incorporates principles of equality for all marginalized groups into the design of its programs, tools, innovation, and outputs. The successful implementation considers how all users of Earth Observation data and tools interact with CCMEO outputs; incorporating equal access, active engagement, and input to define tools and research and addressing barriers to improve such access. The program includes:

• Raising public awareness and building Indigenous capacity for Northern geographical place naming.
• Earth Observation in support of flood risk management – pilot project for operational river ice breakup monitoring.
• Building Northern capacity and education, to encourage women and girls to collect and share UAV-based mapping products.
• Community outreach and capacity building in Inuvik, NWT.
• Upcoming projects including Northern field work, to further Indigenous inclusion in the Department and STEM.
• Training women and girls, Indigenous youth and community members in the field of geomatics through Indigenous Mapping Workshops that provide access to geospatial data, software and analytic techniques.

The program recognizes the need for NRCan to include Indigenous data sovereignty principles when developing projects and initiatives. As such, the program delivered training sessions to NRCan staff and functional groups. Additionally, guidance documents and knowledge products have been published to support Indigenous communities in the governance of their data resources.

NRCan CCMEO’s activities related to the implementation of infrastructure aims to drive innovation in Canada and improve competitiveness and streamline processes and practices across the federal government to improve efficiencies. As such, this activity will enable downstream applications and activities that contribute to NRCan’s program: Innovative Geospatial Solutions. More information on GBA Plus related to this project is included in the section on “Core Geospatial Data.”

GeoConnections:

The geospatial digital transformation process that GeoConnections endorses through participation in innovation projects lower barriers, promotes inclusion and increases decision-making capacity for members of the GBA Plus community:

We are lowering barriers by improving offline access to digital web map and location content which helps Indigenous and rural Canadians access and use information closer to where natural resources development occurs.  Connectivity and bandwidth are more significant considerations for rural and Indigenous Canadians than for urban communities.  Advancements in web standards will also impact users with accessibility challenges by providing visual and auditory web browser options embedded in maps to provide accessibility options to those with disabilities.

Data collected for this program is qualitative in nature, where case studies have provided information that has facilitated a better understanding of the program. Planning is currently underway for a stakeholder study – GBA Plus considerations will be included in the project.

Flood mapping specific GBA Plus data collection

Given that the focus of the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping program (FHIMP) is to increase flood hazard information and maps, no data collection plan is being developed to assess the GBA Plus impacts of this initiative. However, the program will improve the resilience of vulnerable populations by increasing the availability and accessibility of flood hazard information and maps.

The FHIMP represents an opportunity to identify, in collaboration with Federal, Provincial, Territorial, and Indigenous jurisdictions, areas and communities vulnerable to floods. In the future, flood risk areas may be cross-referenced with socio-economic and demographic characteristics to derive more detailed information about the communities and used for further initiatives related to natural disasters and emergency management and help to address some of the current knowledge gaps.

Encompassed within the program components and, in accordance with GBA Plus principals, NRCan will also work with its Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Indigenous (FPTI) counterparts towards open data policies and data standards to ensure that the flood hazard data being produced by the program can be openly distributed following international geospatial data and web standards for all Canadians.

The Lower Carbon Transportation Program enables consumers and commercial fleets to adopt lower carbon modes of transportation. This is accomplished by supporting the deployment of electric vehicle charging and alternative fuel refuelling infrastructure (such as hydrogen and natural gas); developing enabling codes and standards; providing accurate, relevant and timely information to inform vehicle purchasing decisions; providing fuel use benchmarking for freight companies; and, assessing both government and private sector fleet fuel usage and recommending more efficient, lower carbon options. The program’s objective is to positively enhance the availability, accessibility and awareness of low carbon transportation options for consumers and key actors in the transportation of passengers and freight on Canadian roads.

The Program has taken a number of steps to further advance the integration of GBA Plus into program design and delivery, as well as data collection, analysis and results. GBA Plus was integrated into program measures, applications and reporting requirements through consultation, research and analysis.

For example, NRCan explored opportunities to maximize GBA Plus positive benefits whenever possible through the design of the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF). The ERF will provide opportunities to improve our understanding of the oil and gas sector’s willingness and approach to advancing diversity. This will be accomplished by collecting better data from applicants and funding recipients; understanding the proportion of companies that have Workforce Gender and Diversity Plans; and promoting workforce diversity by providing funding recipients with information on ways to increase diversity and inclusiveness within their organizations.

Analysis is informed by external sources which have helped shape and inform the different program streams’ architecture. Working with colleagues across other government departments, academia and with stakeholders has enhanced the GBA Plus analysis, like that below, that has supported evidence-informed decision making in the Lower Carbon Transportation Program.

Initiatives under the Lower Carbon Transportation Program will support industries, many of which are energy-intensive and trade-exposed (i.e., oil and gas, steel, cement) to adopt low-carbon fuels in their operations. Industrial facilities are actively seeking support, both financially and in terms of building the diverse, skilled workforce that will help them make the transition to a low-carbon economy. From an employment perspective, the low-carbon fuels industry, increased investment in the sector will lead to overall job growth. Hydrogen alone could indirectly and directly employ over 350,000 Canadians by 2050.

Indigenous communities and businesses across Canada are already identifying hydrogen as a new opportunity for economic development with environmental benefits. Through the development of the Hydrogen Strategy, several Indigenous organizations and businesses identified interest in partnering with the private sector and governments to establish and contribute to hydrogen production and deployment projects. In the medium to longer term, clean fuels, specifically hydrogen, can offer an opportunity for greater energy independence, as they can be made from local biomass and/or hydroelectric resources.

In 2019-20, the program has been able to disaggregate data by province and territory, which has helped to determine how the uptake and impact of lower carbon transportation options and awareness efforts varies by location. The program plans to measure the number of job-years of employment generated by funded projects. The program’s data collection methodology enables it to undertake analyses employment in the low carbon transportation sector (specific to employment generated by projects funded by the program). Additionally, under some programming elements, data is collected on the diversity of proponent employee bases, specific to the proportion of women and Indigenous peoples employed in the sector.

Some projects within the Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) program may contribute to the monitoring, reporting on and by extension advancing of GBA Plus outcomes, for example where researchers are working with Indigenous partners. Selected activities under the SFM program (i.e., collection and sharing of forest data), have some GBA Plus considerations integrated into their program design and reporting measures. For the 2023-24 research proposals and onwards, researchers are required to demonstrate additional GBA Plus considerations, aligning with Government of Canada commitments to implement GBA Plus in programs and policies, in their proposals.

The program provides contribution funding to Indigenous communities and organizations to participate in engagement for legislative and regulatory development and implementation under the Canadian Energy Regulator Act. The objective is to ensure informed Indigenous participation in decision-making that promotes the safe, secure and sustainable production and transportation of petroleum resources. Key activities include providing advice on the legislative and regulatory frameworks for federally-regulated pipelines.

The program collects data exclusively for Indigenous community and organization participation, based on its specific Terms and Conditions. Although contribution funding to ensure overall Indigenous Participation is expected to continue, additional GBA Plus data will not be collected as it is not an indicator per the program’s specific terms and conditions, nor is GBA Plus related participation assessed as part of individual contribution requests.

Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI):

Indigenous communities frequently do not have the same access to tenure and face systemic barriers to education and skills training that creates capacity challenges for businesses and decreases the ability to participate in forest management decision making. It can be difficult to access funding from traditional financing institutions given the high cost, longer payback periods and the perceived risk of both the project proponent and the project itself. Policy, legal and legislative barriers can prevent Indigenous peoples, organizations and governments from accessing financing through traditional financing mechanisms such as debt financing.

The IFI supports Indigenous participation in economic development projects within the forest sector and aims to increase participation in forestry-related opportunities, businesses, careers and governance. Participation in the resource economy and capitalizing on economic development opportunities are fundamental to increasing the economic prosperity of Indigenous peoples.

Additional efforts were made to advance the full and equal participation of Indigenous communities in the forest sector. For example, with the support of GBA Plus analysis, the program identified that capacity issues in Indigenous communities can present a challenge in applying to the IFI program. As such, the regional component of the IFI’s delivery model supports Regional Liaison Officers (RLOs) located in Canadian Forest Service regional offices across the country, helps to address some of these issues by acting as a point of contact and source of guidance for potential applicants.

Recent improvements have also been made to the application form and process and include seeking diversity in workforce related plans and priorities from applicants. The IFI has also implemented an Expert Review Panel model to review projects and provide short-list recommendations to the program. It is the intent of the program to develop review panels that are majority Indigenous and gender balanced as an added mechanism to help mitigate and avoid unintended risks of systemic barriers associated with implicit or unconscious bias, and/or lack of cultural understanding.

Collectively, the Forest Sector Competitiveness programs committed to collecting greater gender and diversity information from its proponents or program beneficiaries to monitor program impacts by gender and diversity.

Programs will be requiring proponents to develop a workforce diversity plan. For example, the Expanding Market Opportunities program requested applicants to submit a Diversity and Inclusion Plan for the 2021-22 Call for Proposals as part of their funding submissions, awarding 5% of the project score for the submission of a plan. 90% of applicants included a plan with their proposal submission package. In 2022-23, the program intends to evaluate the Plan as part of its evaluation process.

It is important to note, that with respect to the Indigenous government sovereignty in policy and law-making, the IFI will not be requiring a diversity workplan from its Indigenous Government proponents. Data and information collected to support these work recommendations will enable the broader forest sector competitiveness program to measure future results regarding the status of gender equity and diversity in the forest sector.

NRCan co-chairs and houses the Secretariats for the Indigenous Advisory and Monitoring Committees (IAMCs) for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project and existing pipeline (IAMC-TMX), and the Enbridge and Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project. The Secretariats for both Committees identify and track priorities, issues, actions and advice addressed by the Committees that may have differential impacts based on gender or diversity factors (e.g., geography, culture and other identities).

The Socioeconomic Subcommittee of the Indigenous Advisory and Monitoring Committee for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project looks closely at the gendered impacts of the project as experienced by Indigenous communities, as well as how GBA Plus can support communities as an analytical tool in the early identification, mitigation and monitoring of risks and benefits. In 2021-22, the Socioeconomic Subcommittee:

• Identified key issues and priorities in relation to the socioeconomic effects of major resource projects on Indigenous communities through research carried out in collaboration with Indigenous communities in British Columbia (the Fraser Valley) and Alberta (Yellowhead region). Examples of identified priorities related to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls include safe access to traditional harvesting and hunting sites, rental costs and rental availability, and Indigenous worker safety when far from their home community; and,
• Co-developed three regional initiatives designed, in part, to strengthen Indigenous monitoring and management of socioeconomic, cultural, health and well-being risks as well as the effects associated with TMX’s five work camps in British Columbia and the high influx of workers using temporary accommodations in Alberta. Through the Committee’s regional initiatives and research, Indigenous communities along the TMX pipeline corridor have voiced a strong interest in actively engaging in the identification of priority areas of concern and the co-development of policy and programs focused on addressing the socioeconomic, cultural and health and wellbeing impacts of temporary work camps and influx of workers.

The Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships (INRP) program further advances the goals of the Gender Based through active encouragement of projects that increase the participation of underrepresented groups, including Indigenous women, in the natural resource sector across Canada.  The INRP program also includes a preferential assessment criterion on supporting the increased participation of underrepresented groups including Indigenous women.

The INRP Program collects data through its application and project reporting processes to measure engagement and access to financial resources of Indigenous communities. Data collected through the application helps to inform program guidelines along with broader policy and investment decisions moving forward.

The Resource Partnership Sector (RPS) applies a GBA Plus lens to policy analysis, project tracking and solutions, including monitoring GBA Plus issues encountered in natural resource projects, such as Indigenous participation and underrepresentation of women in the natural resource sectors.

Project tracking and coordination informs work on horizontal policy and helps identify solutions to emerging issues with respect to natural resource projects, including relevant GBA Plus data. NRCan will continue to support the engagement of Indigenous communities through a distinction-based approach, which will tailor engagement based on each community’s capacity, concerns, and interests. This approach will continue to apply to ongoing Indigenous engagement on the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) Project and focus on improving opportunities for Indigenous communities to benefit from TMX-related initiatives, including through the Government of Canada’s eight accommodation measures and the CER’s 16 Recommendations. When coordinating Indigenous engagement and consultation on natural resource projects, NRCan’s approach will also consider diversity factors, including appropriate Indigenous economic participation and benefit.

Measures to improve and streamline grants and contribution G&C funding delivery to Indigenous groups have been implemented, including consolidated proposal forms; flexible payment approaches; reduced demands on communities; and streamlined reporting requirements. In 2023-24, NRCan will continue to explore means for improving and streamlining G&C funding delivery to Indigenous groups.

Separate GBA Plus assessments are conducted for each individual resource project covered under the Impact Assessment act, through the regulatory review process for designated projects. Further GBA Plus data, in addition to the assessments already conducted through the regulatory review process, will be collected by NRCan when necessary. GBA Plus information is collected through quantitative data on participant funding agreements. This distinctions-based data includes the number of Indigenous communities, or individual participants that have benefitted from program initiatives aimed at enhancing Indigenous participation in the natural resource sectors and helps to inform policy and investment decisions moving forward.

The Resource Partnerships Sector program will further explore measures to improve the collection of disaggregated data, or data that is broken down by detailed sub-categories, in an effort to reveal deprivations and inequalities that may not be fully reflected in aggregate data. In doing so, the Resource Partnerships Sector program will continue to support the Government of Canada’s distinctions-based approach to its federal policy and decision making focusing on the three federally recognized Indigenous groups in Canada: First Nations, Métis and Inuit.

In partnership with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples, non-government organizations, and industry, NRCan has developed the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (The Plan), aiming to make Canada the world's leading mining nation. The Plan has set an aspirational target of 30% women in the mining sector by 2030 and is supporting several initiatives to help mobilize a more diverse and inclusive exploration and mining sector to achieve this target.

The Plan is also working to identify strategies to increase the number of youth, visible minorities, new immigrants, and underrepresented groups in the mining sector and advance Indigenous participation, particularly that of Indigenous women. NRCan has been and will continue to work collaboratively with its partners to deliver initiatives to help meet these goals. These initiatives include:

• To support mineral literacy, a Mineral Literacy Hub with information on the diverse careers in the sector; the role of traditional Indigenous knowledge in the mining development cycle; environmental stewardship; academic institutions and programs related to mining with the goal of attracting new, diverse talent to mining; and working with the Mining Industry Human Resources Council on a National Career Ambassador Program to promoting mining careers for youth across Canada.
• To support workforce diversity, a “Canadians of Mining” campaign to highlight career opportunities to help create a more diverse and equitable workforce; creating an FPT Working Group on Workforce for the Future to launch pan-Canadian initiatives to foster a pipeline with more women and diverse populations; and collaborating with NVision—an Indigenous-owned consultancy—on research on strategies to overcome barriers to the participation of Indigenous women.
• To advance the participation of Indigenous Peoples, supporting the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (Cando) with its Annual Conference and Youth Program to raise awareness of mining and encourage greater participation; collaborating with Cando on mining webinars for economic development officers, land managers and community leaders for all jurisdictions (completed by 2023‑24); and working with Mining Shared Value on a local procurement checklist to support Indigenous procurement and greater participation in the mining supply and services sector.

Many of our initiatives are being delivered by outside partners. NRCan will review the deliverables when completed and meet with the project proponents on what data was collected through their activities (e.g., measuring the number of youth engaged, the number of Indigenous Peoples engaged, etc.).

Grant recipients will be asked to report on their outcomes according to what was included in the original grant agreements and may include data as related to engagement by youth and diverse groups. 

Since 1997, NRCan has contributed to the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) through the Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP – Green Jobs). The Program builds a diverse qualified labour pool in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and other fields that advance environmental outcomes. The program’s funding for wages and training support employers across Canada in the natural resources sector in building a critical mass of skilled workers in emerging sectors undergoing significant transformation. Using a further distribution of funds model. The initial recipient organizations have the responsibility to deliver funding to employers.

In 2023-24, the Program aims to create 480 youth placements in the natural resources sector, with 60% of placements targeting youth from employment equity groups and those experiencing barriers to employment.

Since 2018-19, STIP – Green Jobs has committed to incorporating a GBA Plus and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion lens into every aspect of the program, and is constantly  improving the accessibility and the user experience based on feedback from youth, employers, and delivery organizations. Some examples include:

• creating 60% of placements for Employment Equity groups (women, Indigenous youth, racialized youth, and youth living with disabilities) and setting an additional target of 10 % for youth living in northern and remote communities.
• launching and implementing inclusive Calls for Proposals to allow smaller and more regionally and Indigenous-focused organizations to apply.
• engaging youth, employers, and delivery organizations on barriers to employment for youth and how to build an Inclusive workplace in the natural resources sector.

In 2019-20, STIP – Green Jobs adjusted the program to address several barriers identified by youth, through the following actions: removing the post-secondary education requirement; increasing wage subsidies for placements in northern and remote communities to account for the higher cost of living; and, adding training to support youth to qualify for internships. The Program remains committed to finding solutions on how to effectively address the age-barrier (i.e., participants cannot be older than 30 years old) to participate in the YESS.

Since implementing the above-mentioned program changes program outcomes have demonstrated greater inclusivity and higher participation of historically underrepresented groups.

STIP – Green Jobs collects disaggregated participant data through the Participant Information Form (PIF) and the exit-survey (completed at the end of the placement).  Self-identification is not mandatory to participate in STIP. Only information to determine eligibility is mandatory (e.g., name, age, and legal status in Canada) all other participant information is provided voluntarily to support program analysis and reporting purposes. The Program also records video testimonials from both youth and employers, as well as invites delivery organizations to share feedback in final reports, consultations with NRCan, and roundtables with senior management.

Pursuant to the Accord Acts, this program involves making payments to the provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador equivalent to the revenue amounts received by Canada in relation to offshore oil and gas activities in the Canada-Nova Scotia and Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore areas. It also involves paying 50% of the operating costs of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board.

Under the offshore Accords with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, the provinces are the principal beneficiaries of offshore oil and gas resources, which are a source of important economic benefits. NRCan acts as a flow-through for these revenues, and is not responsible for determining how these funds are utilized within the provincial fiscal framework.

The program does not collect GBA Plus data related to how the provinces use these revenues. Given the program’s limited scope, there are currently no actions being taken to enable future monitoring or reporting of the Statutory Offshore Payments program’s impacts as they relate to gender and diversity.