2020-21 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report

Natural Resources Canada’s 2020-21 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report

This report on progress supports the commitment in the Federal Sustainable Development Act (FSDA) to make sustainable development decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament. It also contributes to an integrated, whole‑of‑government view of activities supporting environmental sustainability. The departmental information reported accounts for information previously prepared in accordance with Natural Resources Canada’s 2020 to 2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

1. Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

The 2019 to 2022 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada’s sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. In keeping with the purpose of the Act, to provide the legal framework for developing and implementing a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy that will make sustainable development decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament, Natural Resources Canada has developed this report to demonstrate progress in implementing its Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

2. Sustainable development at Natural Resources Canada

Natural Resources Canada’s 2020 to 2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy describes the department’s actions in support of achieving the following FSDS Goals:

Effective Action on Climate Change

Greening Government

Clean Growth

Modern and Resilient Infrastructure

Clean Energy

Healthy Coasts and Oceans

Pristine Lakes and Rivers

Sustainably Managed Lands and Forests

Safe and Healthy Communities

NRCan continues to be the leading federal department for the Clean Energy Goal and is responsible for its two targets. NRCan also co-leads on the Clean Growth Goal^{Footnote 1} and the Sustainably Managed Lands and Forest Goal^{Footnote 2} and is responsible for advancing one target under each Goal. NRCan is responsible for the following FSDS targets under these Goals:

Clean Energy:

By 2030, 90% and in the long term 100% of Canada’s electricity is generated from renewable and non-emitting sources.
By 2030, 600 petajoules of total annual energy savings will be achieved as a result of adoption and energy efficiency codes, standards and practices from a baseline savings of 27.4^{Footnote 3} petajoules in 2017-18.

Clean Growth:

Implement our Mission Innovation pledge to double federal government investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration from 2015 levels of $387 million to $775 million by 2020.

Sustainably Managed Lands and Forests:

Between now and 2022, maintain Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply levels.

This report presents available results for the departmental actions pertinent to the 9 Goals listed above. Previous years’ reports are posted on the Natural Resources Canada’s website.

The 2020-23 DSDS was developed in unprecedented times, with the pandemic causing new challenges and uncertainty. Despite this, NRCan was resilient and the COVID-19 pandemic did not compromise the department’s ability to deliver on the commitments made to Canadians. In 2020-21, NRCan advanced the 40 departmental actions, for which the department measures progress with 44 targets. Of these targets, 38 (86 %) have been met or are on track to be met. The pandemic led to reporting delays, affecting the department’s ability to report on 3 targets. Additionally, only 3 are considered not met, largely due to COVID-19 disruptions.

The recovery picture for the natural resources sector is still taking shape. But it is clear that sustainable development will be all the more important to a post-COVID recovery and to meeting the Government of Canada’s commitments to transition to a low-carbon future and build resilience to a changing climate. Moving forward, there may be adjustments or changes to the departmental actions and targets in the context of economic recovery and our climate objectives, in order to make the most effective progress in sustainably managing and protecting Canada’s natural resources. These updates and changes will continue to be shared through DSDS updates and results will be shared in future DSDS reports.

3. Departmental performance by Federal Sustainable Development Strategy goal:

The following tables provide performance information on departmental actions in support of the FSDS goals listed in section 2.

Effective Action on Climate Change

A low-carbon economy contributes to limiting global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius and supports efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius

Context: Communities across the country are experiencing the impacts of climate change, from extreme events such as wildfires, flooding and heat waves to rising sea levels, melting ice and permafrost, highlighting more than ever the need for climate and adaptation actions. NRCan, together with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Public Safety Canada and Infrastructure Canada, is developing a National Adaptation Strategy that will help protect Canadians across the country from extreme weather and emerging climate risk. The Department also continues to work with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous organizations and communities, and other stakeholders to increase Canada’s resilience to a changing climate. Concurrently, NRCan advances clean and emerging technologies, which reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions. It shares tools, climate change and energy information with its stakeholders, as well as archives and disseminates authoritative geospatial data to support climate change actions and decision-making. Through prioritization of nature-based solutions, starting in 2020-21, the Government of Canada will invest up to $3.2B over 10 years towards the 2 Billion Trees Program. The Program will support efforts by provinces, territories, municipalities, third party organizations (for and not for profit) and Indigenous organizations to plant two billion incremental trees, generating climate change benefits through the natural sequestration of carbon, alongside co-benefits such as habitat restoration, increased forest resilience to climate change, biodiversity, and human well-being. Despite the unexpected impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, NRCan continued to support the ongoing delivery of results and services in support of effective action on climate change. In 2020-21, 5 DSDS targets were met in 2020-21; 4 are on track to be met; 1 target will be reported at a later date as the contributing program was extended due to delays caused by COVID-19; and, 1 target was not met due to delays caused by COVID-19.

FSDS target(s)	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s) (DA)	Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)	Results achieved	Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels	Provide support and funding for climate resilience	Build capacity for decision-making on climate resilience	Performance Indicator: Percentage of target stakeholders reporting they have capacity to apply climate change adaptation tools and information for adaptation decision-making Communities Starting Point: 15% in 2018^{Footnote 4} Target: 25% by fall 2023^{Footnote 4} Businesses Starting Point: 51% in 2018^{Footnote 4} Target: 55% by fall 2023^{Footnote 4}	Result: On track to meet these targets by 2030. A climate change adaptation survey conducted in 2018 found that 15% of community respondents and 51% of business respondents have the capacity to apply climate change adaptation tools and information for adaptation decision-making. The survey will be repeated every five years. The next set of results will be available in 2023.	FSDS: NRCan advances climate change adaptation and resilience across Canada by synthesizing and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on climate change impacts and adaptation, identifying and addressing gaps in knowledge, fostering collaboration among business, communities and government, and supporting a wide variety of projects that increase the capacity of decision-makers to take action, including to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Division at NRCan delivers: Canada in a Changing Climate, a series of reports on climate change impacts in Canada and how communities are adapting; Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Platform, that connects partners and stakeholders to collaborate on shared and emerging adaptation priorities; and Building Regional Adaptation Capacity and Expertise (BRACE) program that supports the development and delivery of training for professionals and communities. Each of these activities increases the capacity of Canadians to implement adaptation actions, reduce risk, and take advantage of climate change adaptation opportunities. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels	Provide support and funding for climate resilience	Increase uptake and use of climate change mitigation, resilience and adaptation tools and information by decision-makers	Performance Indicator: Number of times stakeholders acknowledge using NRCan’s scientific and technical products in making their decisions Starting Point: 4394 in 2017-18 Target: 5225 in 2020-21	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, over 7225 citations from publications acknowledged having used NRCan’s scientific and technical products, specifically in publications related to the Forest Climate Change Program. This demonstrates that NRCan’s climate change information is helping to fill knowledge gaps and strengthen sound decision-making on climate actions.	FSDS: Ensuring the usefulness of and access to NRCan’s climate change tools and information helps to fill knowledge gaps and strengthen sound decision-making. Increasing the uptake of climate change mitigation and adaptation information means decision makers can better decide how to build the resilience of Canada’s forests and forest sector, which contributes to meeting Canada’s GHG emissions reduction targets. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels	Work with partners on climate change	Advance clean growth and energy innovation research, development and demonstration (RD&D) in Canada’s natural resources and other sectors, particularly the built environment, industry, transportation and electricity	Performance Indicator: Reduction in GHG emissions in megatons resulting from NRCan-funded clean growth and energy innovation demonstrations Starting Points: Clean Growth Program: N/A – new program, projects are not yet reporting on GHG reductions Energy Innovation Program: 1.32 megatons in direct annual reductions in 2018-19 Targets: Clean Growth Program: 0.3 to 0.7 megatons reduction in annual GHG emissions by 2027 Energy Innovation Program: 4.25 megatons in annual reductions in GHG emissions by 2030	Result: Results for 2020-21 are not yet available for the Clean Growth Program. GHG results are only reported upon project completion. The program has been extended through 2022, due to project delays caused by COVID-19. For the Energy Innovation Program, the result is 1.85 megatons in direct annual reductions in 2020-21. Therefore, this target is on track.	FSDS: The Clean Growth Program is advancing emerging clean technologies towards commercial readiness for Canada’s energy, mining and forestry sectors. Once commercialized, these clean technologies have the potential to contribute significantly to reductions in GHG emissions. Supporting new projects through the Energy Innovation Program helps to address key gaps in clean energy technologies. The development and commercialization of new technological advances can also contribute to significant reductions in GHG emission. UN SDG: SDG 9 and SDG 13 SDG Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending. SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels	Develop a solid base of scientific research and analysis on climate change	Enhance logistical support through the Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) for scientific research conducted in the Canadian Arctic	Performance Indicator: Number of scientific publications acknowledging Polar Continental Shelf Program support Starting Point: PCSP support was acknowledged in 125 publications in 2019-20 Target: 125 annually	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, 143 scientific publications acknowledged the Polar Continental Shelf Program support.	FSDS: PCSP’s logistics supports enable fieldwork for cutting-edge research to be conducted in Canada’s Arctic. This research leads to scientific publications that provide knowledge to Canadians, which can inform decisions, and improve human and institutional capacities for climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning, thereby contributing to efforts to reduce Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels	Develop a solid base of scientific research and analysis on climate change	Support the development of technologies to reduce energy consumption and a reliance on diesel in mining and milling operations	Performance Indicator: Percentage of innovative mining technologies developed by NRCan that move towards being ready for commercial use^{Footnote 5} Starting Point: 0% in 2020-21 Target: 25% by March 31, 2021	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, CanmetMINING worked on 12 technologies that aim to reduce energy consumption and reliance on diesel. 3 of those technologies have progressed towards commercialization. This represents a target met of 25% by March 2021.	FSDS: CanmetMINING is committed to reducing the environmental impact of mining activities. It advances the reduction of energy consumption for decomposing Rare Earth Elements; developing tools to assess waste heat from mining activities; and providing technologies that separate the Rare Earth Elements needed for alternative sources of energy (Wind and Solar). Adoption of green mining and transformative technologies is expected to have a direct impact on the reduction of GHG emissions in the minerals and metals industry, contributing to the target. UN SDG: SDG 9 and SDG 12 SDG Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities. SDG Target 12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.
By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels	Develop a solid base of scientific research and analysis on climate change	Develop datasets of key national and regional environmental indicators from Earth observation data	Performance Indicator: Number of products developed Starting Point: 3 products in 2019-20 Targets: 7 regional products by 2020-21 7 national products by 2022-23	Result: The regional products target was not met due to COVID-19 and the national product target was met. In 2020-21, national and regional outputs have been adjusted and in some cases, delayed due to disruptions caused by COVID-19. The regional outputs target was not met for 2020-21 as these products are still under development and are expected to be completed now by 2023. The development of national-scale products such as space-based maps was accelerated and this target was met, with the production of 8 national products in 2020-21.	FSDS: Providing baseline data, time series and change datasets of key environmental variables will greatly improve the scientific base for monitoring climate change and supporting environmental assessments (e.g., land cover, snow and ice, vegetation, permafrost, water storage). Space-based maps of environmental indicators provide critical information to inform the monitoring and reporting of key environmental indices for SDGs and will improve the scientific base for monitoring climate change. The regional and national products enable informed decision-making when making progress towards the 2030 target. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels	Develop a solid base of scientific research and analysis on climate change	Provide access to data and science with Canadian agencies and circumpolar countries to address a changing Arctic	Performance Indicator: Number of relevant and validated Arctic datasets available through the Geoportal Starting Point: 148 map layers provided collaboratively by key and authoritative Arctic data providers (May 2019) Target: The same or increased map layers in 2020-21	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, 165 relevant and validated Arctic map layers were made available through the Arctic SDI Geoportal. 27 relevant and validated reference datasets from the 8 Arctic National Mapping Agencies are available through the Artic SDI Geoportal. 138 relevant and validated thematic and reference datasets from key Arctic data providers are available through the Artic SDI Geoportal.	FSDS: Arctic SDI data holdings contribute to both national and international climate change research. Collaboration in the circumpolar Arctic enables data sharing that is required to support climate change monitoring and decision-making, which supports Canada’s efforts to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. SDG Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels	Develop a solid base of scientific research and analysis on climate change	Provide access to, archive and disseminate authoritative geospatial data to support climate change action and decision-making	Performance Indicator: Number of images downloaded by federal departments from the Earth Observation Data Management System to support climate change decision-making Starting Point: Starting point to be determined in 2020-21 Target: The same or increased downloads in 2021-22	Result: On track to meet this target by 2021-22. In 2020-21, federal departments downloaded over 51,000 images from the Earth Observation Data Management System (EODMS). The result for 2020-21 will serve as the starting point for this performance indicator moving forward.	FSDS: Authoritative, accessible and timely geospatial data is key to developing effective scientific research and analysis in climate change, as it provides key information about land, water, and societies. The infrastructure and enabling actions that provide this geospatial data are a key driver of climate action globally, including mitigation and adaptation measures. Support for science, technology and innovation continuously improves this capability. The data from EODMS supports Government of Canada programs that study resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change. The infrastructure and enabling actions that provide geospatial data are a key driver of climate action globally, including mitigation and adaptation measures, contributing to Canada’s 2030 target. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. SDG Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

Greening Government

The Government of Canada will transition to low-carbon, climate resilient and green operations

Context: The Government of Canada uses a significant amount of energy in all daily operations. The Greening Government Strategy sets ambitious targets and outlines actions to achieve them, including lowering GHG emissions, becoming carbon neutral and implementing greening efforts into procurement. In support of the Treasury Board Secretariat Centre for Greening Government and the Federal Action Plan, NRCan, through provision of training, advice, and technical support, is committed to lowering GHG emissions and reducing energy use in federal buildings and fleets. NRCan is also improving waste management, and increasing the use of clean electricity in all of its operations. With the goal of achieving net-zero emissions in real property and fleet operations, the Government of Canada will reduce absolute GHG emissions. The reductions aim to achieve 40% by 2030 and at least 80% below 2005 levels by 2050, and are inclusive of the areas of Government owned and leased real property, as well as mobility. On this emissions reduction pathway, the government aims to reduce emissions by an additional 10% each 5 years starting in 2025. The Government of Canada’s operations will be net-zero emissions by 2050. NRCan is also proactively demonstrating how low-carbon pathways can be achieved through actions taken at CanmetENERGY Varennes (CEV), QC. For example, in 2020-21, CEV focused on reducing energy usage inside buildings through the minimization of lighting and cooling systems. In addition, a recommissioning process in 2019-20 optimized existing building equipment and systems operations, resulting in reduced energy consumption and energy savings in 2020-21. As a result of the total electricity saving measures, more power was available during peak hours in the winter. This power was then used by the electric boiler instead of the natural gas boiler, leading to natural gas savings and GHG emission reduction. As well, corporate vehicle usage decreased while traveling for work was limited due to COVID-19, leading to fuel savings and GHG emission reductions. In 2020-21, 3 DSDS targets are on track to be met and results were not available for 2 targets, due to reporting delays caused by COVID-19.

FSDS target(s)	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s) (DA)	Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)	Results achieved	Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
Real property and fleet - Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government facilities and fleets by 40% by 2030 (with an aspiration to achieve this target by 2025) and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050 (with an aspiration to be carbon neutral)	Real Property – All new buildings and major building retrofits will prioritize low-carbon investments based on integrated design principles, and life-cycle and total-cost-of-ownership assessments which incorporate shadow carbon pricing	Provide training, advice and technical support to other federal organizations for greening their buildings and fleet	Performance Indicator: Energy saved in terajoules (TJ) per year for all federal organization projects that received support from NRCan Starting Point: Energy consumption reduced by 14.37 TJ in 2018-19 Target: 750 TJ saved annually by 2030	Result: On track to meet this target by 2030 base on the information available. Results for 2020-21 are not yet available.^{Footnote 6} Between 2005-06 and 2019-20, federal organizations have saved 2,715 TJ of energy and 577 kilotonnes of emissions within buildings, as well as 696 TJ of energy and 46 kilotonnes of emissions in fleets through activities such as deep retrofits, energy performance contracts, fleet right-sizing, and zero-emission vehicle procurement. These performance improvements represent a 34.6% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.	FSDS: NRCan supports the Treasury Board Secretariat Center for Greening Government by providing “a one-stop shop” for advice and technical support to other federal departments. NRCan provides an enhanced suite of technical services to support capacity building, benchmarking, strategic planning, project implementation, and performance tracking throughout federal operations. This support helps federal organizations design and implement energy saving and GHG reduction projects in their facilities and deploy low-emission vehicles and charging stations. It supports the Center for Greening Government establish a centralized GHG inventory tool for reporting, monitoring and public disclosure of federal GHG emissions. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
Real property and fleet - Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government facilities and fleets by 40% by 2030 (with an aspiration to achieve this target by 2025) and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050 (with an aspiration to be carbon neutral)	Real Property – All new buildings and major building retrofits will prioritize low-carbon investments based on integrated design principles, and life-cycle and total-cost-of-ownership assessments which incorporate shadow carbon pricing	Continue to support the implementation of a federal action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal buildings and fleets^{Footnote 7}	Performance Indicator: Percentage change in greenhouse gas emissions annually from facilities and fleets Starting Point: Baseline from facilities and fleets from 2005-06 (32.04 ktCO2eq) Target: 40% reduction by 2030	Result: On track to meet this target by 2030. Results for 2020-21 are not yet available.^{Footnote 8} As of 2019-20, NRCan’s GHG emissions from both facilities and fleet were reduced by 42.4% from 2005 levels. Although the 2019-20 results surpass the target, emissions fluctuate every year. Results for 2020-21 are not yet available but are expected to be on track.	FSDS: By reducing energy use through efficiency measures in its building and fleets, NRCan contributes to the FSDS target to reduce GHG emissions from federal government buildings and fleet by 40% below its 2005 levels by 2030 (with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025) and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050 (with an aspiration to be carbon neutral). UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
Real property and fleet – Diverts at least 75% (by weight) of non-hazardous operational waste from landfills by 2030	Real property - In all new domestic office leases and lease renewals for space than more than 500 square metres, landlords must report building energy and water usage and waste generated using EnergySTAR Portfolio Manager	Improve management of the use and disposal of non-hazardous operational waste in NRCan’s operations	Performance Indicator: Percentage diversion of non-hazardous operational waste from landfills Starting Point: TBD after baseline audit Target: 75% by March 31, 2030	Result: Results for 2020-21 are not yet available. ^{Footnote 9} In 2020-21, baseline audits were not completed due to COVID-19 but are expected to be conducted at a later date.	FSDS: Improve management of the use and disposal of non-hazardous operational waste in NRCan’s operations by doing audits and building occupant awareness/communication to maximize existing program use will help the Government of Canada to transition toward greener operations. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
Real property and fleet – Diverts at least 75% (by weight) of plastic waste from landfills by 2030	Real property - In all new domestic office leases and lease renewals for space than more than 500 square metres, landlords must report building energy and water usage and waste generated using EnergySTAR Portfolio Manager	Improve management of the use and disposal of plastics in NRCan’s operations	Performance Indicator: Percentage diversion of plastic waste from landfills Starting Point: TBD after baseline audit Target: 75% by March 31, 2030	Result: Results for 2020-21 are not yet available. ^{Footnote 10} In 2020-21, baseline audits were not completed due to COVID-19 but are expected to be conducted at a later date.	FSDS: Improve management of the use and disposal of plastic in NRCan’s operations by doing audits and building occupant awareness/communication to maximize existing program use will help the Government of Canada to transition toward greener operations. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
Procurement – Use 100% clean electricity by 2025	Procurement - Departments will use environmental criteria to reduce the environmental impact and ensure best value in government procurement decisions	Increase the use of clean electricity in all NRCan buildings	Performance Indicator:Percentage of NRCan buildings that are using clean electricity Starting Point: 80% in 2018-19 Target: 100% by March 31, 2025	Result: On track to meet this target by 2025. Results for 2020-21 are not yet available. ^{Footnote 11} As of 2019-20, preliminary results indicated that NRCan used 87% clean electricity. In addition, in 2020-21, a Clean Electricity National Service Level Agreement was signed between NRCan and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).	FSDS: By adopting clean electricity in NRCan’s buildings through Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) upcoming Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), NRCan will contribute to the Government of Canada’s objective to green its procurement, lower its emissions, and encourage the transition to the clean economy. PSPC’s PPA is expected to be in place before 2025. PSPC is coordinating the whole-of- government clean electricity purchase (the Power Purchase Agreement). UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

Clean Growth

A growing clean technology industry in Canada contributes to clean growth and the transition to a low-carbon economy

Context: The advancement of clean technology is vital for Canada to achieve its climate change goals while maintaining a strong and growing economy. To position Canada as a global leader in clean technology and as a co-lead for this federal goal, NRCan works with other federal departments, provinces and territories, academic institutions, international experts, and other key stakeholders to tackle Canada’s most pressing environmental challenges and create more opportunities for Canadian workers. NRCan invests in clean energy technology, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies as well as in clean energy innovation to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. As part of this work, Canada participates in Mission Innovation (MI), a multi-country initiative to accelerate global clean energy innovation. Under MI, Canada has committed to double annual federal investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) from 2014-15 to 2019-20; NRCan tracks clean energy RD&D investments across all departments to report on Canada’s delivery of this commitment. Concurrently, NRCan co-leads the Clean Growth Hub to support clean technology innovators navigate federal government resources, coordinate between programs, and improve the federal government’s ability to track and report on outcomes of its clean technology investments. In 2020-21, the Clean Growth Hub served as a resource for clean technology companies seeking to access COVID-related support measures and undertook research and analysis to understand the impacts of the pandemic on the clean technology sector in Canada. Additionally, NRCan continued to advance the six prize-based Clean Technology Challenges under the $75 million Impact Canada Initiative, with the objective of creating breakthrough solutions to support environmental goals and clean economic growth. These activities continue to position Canada as a global leader in clean technology. In 2020-21, all 4 DSDS targets of the departmental actions to advance clean growth were met.

FSDS target(s)	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s) (DA)	Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)	Results achieved	Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
Implement our Mission Innovation pledge to double federal government investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration from 2015 levels of $387 million to $775 million by 2020	Invest in clean technologies	Invest in initiatives on clean energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) through Mission Innovation, in collaboration with partners	Performance Indicator: Federal investments in clean energy RD&D Starting Point: $387 million in 2014-15 Target: $775 million by March 31, 2020	Result: This target was met. At the sixth Mission Innovation Ministerial in June 2021, Minister O’Regan announced that Canada had exceeded its target, with total federal investments of $786.8 million in 2019-20.	FSDS: NRCan tracked clean energy RD&D investments across departments to report on the Government of Canada’s commitment to double total federal investments under Mission Innovation. These investments in Canadian clean energy RD&D are strengthening Canada’s contributions to reducing negative environmental impacts like GHG emissions. UN SDG: SDG 17 SDG Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.
Implement our Mission Innovation pledge to double federal government investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration from 2015 levels of $387 million to $775 million by 2020	Invest in clean technologies	Continue to implement the Clean Growth Hub’s mandate to support clean technology stakeholders navigate federal innovation programs and services	Performance Indicator: Number of engagement, collaboration and consultation (information sharing mechanisms and off-ramping) activities between departments Starting Point: 29 engagement, collaboration and consultation activities in 2019-20 Target: 3 new engagement, collaboration and consultation activities in 2020-21	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, the Clean Growth Hub undertook 24 new engagements, collaboration, and consultation activities to promote federal clean technology programs and supports, and to increase collaboration within the federal government.	FSDS: Together, NRCan and ISED co-lead the Clean Growth Hub to provide a single point of contact for clean technology producers and adopters, streamlining services and access to government knowledge and expertise and improving information sharing between federal departments. By helping clean technology stakeholders understand the federal system of supports and services available to them through collaborations, engagements, and consultation activities, the Clean Growth Hub helps take their technologies from the laboratory to foreign markets, and supports Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy. UN SDG: SDG 9 SDG Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
Implement our Mission Innovation pledge to double federal government investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration from 2015 levels of $387 million to $775 million by 2020	Invest in clean technologies	Continue to implement the Clean Growth Hub’s mandate to support clean technology stakeholders navigate federal innovation programs and services	Performance Indicator: Number of agreements with provinces and regional development agencies Starting Point: 1 agreement with provinces and regional development agencies in 2019-20 Target: 1 new agreement with provinces and regional development agencies in 2020-21	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, the Clean Growth Hub signed 2 new information-sharing Memoranda of Understanding, with the Government of Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to increase intergovernmental collaboration and ensure clean technology stakeholders are aware of government support programs available to them.	FSDS: Together, NRCan and ISED co-lead the Clean Growth Hub to provide a single point of contact for clean technology producers and adopters, streamlining services and access to government knowledge and expertise and improving information sharing between federal departments. By signing information-sharing Memorandums of Understanding, the Clean Growth Hub helps provinces and regional development agencies move technologies from the laboratory to foreign markets, and supports Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy. UN SDG: SDG 9 SDG Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
Implement our Mission Innovation pledge to double federal government investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration from 2015 levels of $387 million to $775 million by 2020	Develop our understanding of the clean technology landscape in Canada	Advance the administrative data component of the Clean Technology Data Strategy through the development of tools that would enable a more consistent approach in data collection by programs that support clean technology	Performance Indicator: Number of data collection protocols provided to federal programs in tracking and reporting outcomes Starting Point: No data collection guidance available Target: 3 data collection protocols by 2021	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, 9 data collection guidance (protocols) were provided to federal programs to help them track and report on outcomes. Data areas included: descriptive data, diversity data, technology readiness level, clean technology sub-sector categories, environmental benefit categories, greenhouse gas outcomes, other environmental outcomes, and job outcomes.	FSDS: The Clean Technology Data Strategy aims to ensure data is available to understand the economic and environmental contribution of clean technologies in Canada. The 9 data collection guidance (protocols) helps federal programs to strengthen the evidence-base for decisions related to clean technology investment, improves Canadian’s understanding of Canada’s clean technology landscape, and helps to ensure that policies and programs support Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy. UN SDG: SDG 9 SDG Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.

Modern and Resilient Infrastructure

Modern, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure supports clean economic growth and social inclusion

Context: In order for Canada to meet its international commitments and deliver real climate change solutions, the development and implementation of green infrastructure is required. Green infrastructure includes clean energy, low-carbon transportation, energy efficient buildings and climate-resilient infrastructure that supports the transition to a low-carbon economy. NRCan’s investment in green infrastructure supports clean economic growth and contributes to the lowering of total GHG emissions from vehicles. For example, NRCan plays a leading role in the deployment of a coast-to-coast network of charging and refueling stations for electric and low-emitting vehicles. This infrastructure is being installed along major roads, and in rural and urban areas across Canada. In 2020-21, 1 DSDS target was met and 3 DSDS targets are on track to be met.

FSDS target(s)	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s) (DA)	Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)	Results achieved	Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
By the end of the 2027-2028 fiscal year, invest $26.9 billion in funding for green infrastructure initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resilience and environment quality	Support low-carbon, resilient infrastructure	Install additional charging and refueling stations along Canada’s highly travelled routes	Performance Indicator: Number of low-carbon recharging and refueling stations under development and completed along major highways, and in rural and urban areas across Canada Starting Point: 526 EV chargers, 12 natural gas stations, 6 hydrogen stations in 2018-19 Target: By March 31, 2024, a total of: 1000 EV Chargers 22 natural gas stations and 15 hydrogen stations under development and completed	Result: On track to meet this target by 2024. As of March 2021, the Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative has resulted in the development of: 1087 EV chargers (448 open, 639 under construction); 22 natural gas stations (9 open, 13 under construction); and 15 hydrogen stations (4 open, 11 under construction).	FSDS: The funded projects contribute to the $20 billion target in green infrastructure initiatives to reduce GHG emissions. NRCan’s continued collaboration with partners to fund green infrastructure initiatives helps to reduce GHG emissions and improve climate resilience and environmental quality. UN SDG: SDG 9 SDG Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
By the end of the 2027-2028 fiscal year, invest $26.9 billion in funding for green infrastructure initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resilience and environment quality	Support low-carbon, resilient infrastructure	Deploy new zero-emission vehicle infrastructure in public places, on-street, at apartment buildings, retail outlets, and the workplace, and other strategic projects	Performance Indicator: Number of low-carbon recharging and refueling stations under development and completed in public places, on-street, at apartment buildings, retail outlets, and the workplace Starting Point: This is a new program established in 2019-20 Target: 20,000 chargers under development and completed by March 31, 2026	Result: On track to meet this target by 2026. As of March 31, 2021, under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, 5,182 chargers were under development or completed. Additional proposals are under evaluation (from the last request for proposal in fiscal year 2021-22) that will result in additional chargers.	FSDS: Improving the availability of charging and refueling stations helps reduce barriers for Canadians in using clean transportation options like low emissions vehicles. NRCan’s investment in this green infrastructure supports clean economic growth and contributes to lowering total GHG emissions from vehicles. NRCan also plays a leading role in the demonstration and deployment of charging stations for electric and low emitting vehicles. This infrastructure is being installed along major highways, and in rural and urban areas across Canada. The funded projects contribute to the $20 billion target in green infrastructure initiatives to reduce GHG emissions. NRCan’s continued collaboration with partners to fund green infrastructure initiatives helps to reduce GHG emissions and improve climate resilience and environmental quality. UN SDG: SDG 9 SDG Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
By the end of the 2027-2028 fiscal year, invest $26.9 billion in funding for green infrastructure initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resilience and environment quality	Support low-carbon, resilient infrastructure	Support demonstration projects in order to identify problems and create innovative solutions related to the implementation of electric and hydrogen vehicle infrastructure	Performance Indicator: Number of demonstration projects since launch of Green Infrastructure program^{Footnote 12} Starting Point: 5 projects as of 2018-19 Target: 5-8 demonstration projects completed by March 31, 2024	Result: On track to meet this target by 2024. As of 2020-21, 19 demonstration projects were supported.	FSDS: NRCan is contributing to the reduction of GHG emissions and climate change resiliency by ensuring the optimal functionality of electric vehicles through rigorous testing and demonstrations. UN SDG: SDG 7 SDG Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
By the end of the 2027-2028 fiscal year, invest $26.9 billion in funding for green infrastructure initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resilience and environment quality	Support low-carbon, resilient infrastructure	Support demonstration projects in order to identify problems and create innovative solutions related to the implementation of energy efficient and net-zero energy building technologies	Performance Indicator: Number of demonstrations since launch of Green Infrastructure program Starting Point: 5 projects as of 2018-19 Target: At least 12 high-efficiency demonstration projects^{Footnote 13} by 2026	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, 12 high-efficiency demonstration projects were supported. The projects aim to accelerate the development and adoption of net-zero-energy-ready codes and technologies for buildings. See the list of projects here.	FSDS: NRCan is contributing to the reduction of GHG emissions and climate change resiliency by ensuring the optimal functionality of energy efficient and net-zero energy building technologies through rigorous testing and demonstrations. UN SDG: SDG 7 SDG Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.

Clean Energy

All Canadians have access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy

Context: To facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy, reduce GHG emissions and make clean energy accessible for all Canadians, NRCan continues to build on the recommendations of the Generation Energy Council Report and announcements made in the strengthened climate plan. As the federal leader for this goal, NRCan supports these efforts through a variety of initiatives. These include the development and implementation of the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada in December 2020, the development of new technologies to support clean energy use through programs such as Smart Grid and investments in clean energy projects through the Emerging Renewable Power Program (ERPP) and Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) program. NRCan is improving the energy efficiency of homes, buildings and the industrial sector through home labelling initiatives and energy management systems, by enhancing the National Energy Code for Buildings, and by updating minimum energy performance standards of products used in homes and businesses as well as replacement tires for cars. NRCan is also supporting ECCC in the development of regulations, including the Clean Fuel Standard. This year, through the Energy Innovation Program (EIP) and the Program of Energy Research and Development (PERD), NRCan supported 175 projects, totaling $46.6 million to federal scientists and researchers carrying out world-class energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D), improving federal decision-making and contributing to Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy. In 2020-21, 3 DSDS targets were met and 6 are on track.

FSDS target(s)	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s) (DA)	Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)	Results achieved	Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
By 2030, 90% and in the long term 100% of Canada’s electricity is generated from renewable and non-emitting sources	Promote collaboration and work with partners on clean energy infrastructure	Support the use of renewable and non-emitting energy sources for electrification of upstream gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production to displace higher-emitting fuels in Canada and abroad	Performance Indicator: Number of electrification projects built or under construction Starting Point: 1 in 2019 Target: 3 by 2024	Result: On track to meet this target by 2024. In 2019, the Peace Region Electricity Supply (PRES) project was underway in British Columbia (BC), with up to $83.6 million committed through the Investing in Canada Plan. PRES will improve access to clean electricity, and support the electrification of LNG production. The transmission line construction started in summer 2019 and will continue until completion in summer 2021. Additionally upgrades at Groundbirch Substation were completed in late 2019, and construction of the 230-kilovolt (kV) yard started at the Site C Southbank Substation in fall 2018 and will continue into early 2021.	FSDS: These projects are critical to the electrification of LNG production in the Peace region (BC) and to achieving sustained reductions in GHG emissions. Electricity demand in the Peace region is increasing as a result of natural gas exploration and development in the area. PRES will increase the capacity of the transmission system that supplies the Peace region, and make clean BC hydropower available to support the electrification of upstream LNG production. NRCan’s action supports the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia on Electrification of the Natural Gas Sector, to reduce GHG emissions in upstream gas and LNG. UN SDG: SDG 7 and SDG 9 SDG Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. SDG Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. SDG Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
By 2030, 90% and in the long term 100% of Canada’s electricity is generated from renewable and non-emitting sources	Promote collaboration and work with partners on clean energy infrastructure	Advance RD&D for clean energy technologies	Performance Indicator: Ratio of program investments in clean energy RD&D to leveraged funding from partners Starting Point: 3:1 in 2018-19^{Footnote 14} Target: 1:1 ratio annually	Result: This target was met. The 2020-21 results show a 2:1 ratio of partner program investments compared to NRCan funded government spending on energy innovation projects.	FSDS: RD&D of technologies for clean energy production is strengthening Canada’s capacity to use electricity from renewable and non-emitting sources of energy. These scientific advances support Canada’s progress towards the FSDS target for clean energy use by 2030. UN SDG: SDG 9 SDG Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
By 2030, 90% and in the long term 100% of Canada’s electricity is generated from renewable and non-emitting sources	Promote collaboration and work with partners on clean energy infrastructure	Continue to invest in the deployment of smart grid integrated systems and the demonstration of next generation smart grid technologies, in collaboration with partners	Performance Indicator: Number of new or emerging smart grid projects supported since launch of Green Infrastructure programs Starting Point: 26 projects supported as of 2019-20 Target: 28 projects supported by March 31, 2021	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, 28 projects were supported, promoting the modernization of grid infrastructure by funding the demonstration of promising, near-commercial smart grid technologies and the deployment of smart grid integrated systems. See the list of projects here.	FSDS: Smart grids help to ensure a safer and more secure delivery of electricity to Canadians, and helps reduce electricity waste and energy costs. By supporting the development and use of new demonstration and deployment technologies for smart grid systems, the Smart Grid program helps to reduce GHG emissions and optimize the utilization of existing electricity assets UN SDG: SDG 7 and SDG 9 SDG Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. SDG Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
By 2030, 90% and in the long term 100% of Canada’s electricity is generated from renewable and non-emitting sources	Promote collaboration and work with partners on clean energy infrastructure	Invest in emerging renewable energy projects, such as geothermal, tidal and next generation solar	Performance Indicator: Percentage of Canadian electricity generated from non-greenhouse gas emitting sources Starting Point: 82% Target: At least 90% by March 2030	Result: On track to meet this target by 2030. On December 31, 2019, the percentage of non-emitting electricity was nearly 82%. There is no data available yet for calendar year 2020.^{Footnote 15}	FSDS: NRCan supports the generation of electricity from renewable sources by providing support to the development of renewable technologies that are not yet established in Canada through the Emerging Renewable Power Program (ERPP). The ERPP is supporting renewable technologies such as instream tidal power, bifacial solar power, and geothermal power with an expected 57 MW of installed emerging renewable energy capacity. These scientific advances support Canada’s progress towards the FSDS target for clean energy use by 2030. UN SDG: SDG 7 SDG Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy.
By 2030, 90% and in the long term 100% of Canada’s electricity is generated from renewable and non-emitting sources	Support voluntary action to reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions through clean energy generation and consumption	Continue to advance the generation of energy from renewable sources in rural and remote communities	Performance Indicator: Number of renewable energy projects supported in rural and remote communities and off-grid industrial operations Starting Point: 33 projects supported as of 2018-19 Target: 65 to 95 by 2030	Result: This target was met. After two rounds of intake, 93 renewable electricity, bioheat, and capacity building projects are being supported, with 94 contribution agreements signed.	FSDS: Through the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) program, funding the deployment and demonstration of renewable energy projects contributes to reductions in diesel dependency in these communities. These community-led projects support the transition to clean energy generation, contributing over the long-term to the sustainability of Canada’s natural resources. The 93 projects will install an additional 16.3 megawatts of renewable electricity and 7.85 megawatts (thermal equivalent) of installed bioheating capacity that will contribute to the FSDS target of 90% of electricity in Canada that is generated from renewable and non-emitting sources by 2030. UN SDG: SDG 7 SDG Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
By 2030, 600 petajoules of total annual energy savings will be achieved as a result of adoption and energy efficiency codes, standards and practices from a baseline savings of 27.4^{Footnote 16} petajoules in 2017-18	Reduce energy costs and work with partners to increase energy efficiency	Improve energy efficiency in the industrial sector using energy management systems such as ISO 50001, the Superior Energy Performance program, and the ENERGY STAR® or other industry programs	Performance Indicator: Energy savings (petajoules) from industrial energy efficiency programs Starting Point: 3.5 petajoules saved in 2018-19 Target: 117 petajoules saved annually in 2030	Result: On track to meet this target by 2030. NRCan’s Industrial Energy Management Program (IEMP) achieved 16.3 petajoules of cumulative annual energy savings in 2020-21. This represents an increase from the previous year. Through the Canadian Industrial Partnership for Energy Conservation (CIPEC), NRCan delivered webinars, case studies, newsletters, energy saving guides, toolkits, networking and data sharing that encourage and support industry leaders to take action. NRCan also continued to collaborate with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expand the ENERGY STAR for Industry Program in Canada. 27 industrial facilities were registered in the ENERGY STAR for Industry Challenge, with two facilities achieving an energy intensity reduction of 10% over a five-year period. In addition, Energy Performance Indicator benchmarking tools became available across 8 industrial sectors, supporting the ENERGY STAR Certification component. All of these actions contribute to achieving the target by 2030.	FSDS: These programs, including the Industrial Energy Management Program (IEMP), help industrial facilities track, analyze, and take action to improve competitiveness, energy performance, and GHG emission reduction through the adoption of energy management systems and energy efficiency solutions. The IEMP includes: energy management systems (e.g., Energy Management Information Systems, ISO 50001 and Superior Energy Performance); energy benchmarking solutions (e.g., ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry, ENERGY STAR for Industry certification); and technical studies and other special projects that support industrial energy efficiency. UN SDG: SDG 7 SDG Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
By 2030, 600 petajoules of total annual energy savings will be achieved as a result of adoption and energy efficiency codes, standards and practices from a baseline savings of 27.4^{Footnote 17} petajoules in 2017-2018	Reduce energy costs and work with partners to increase energy efficiency	Improve energy efficiency in new and existing buildings by enhancing the National Energy Code for Buildings by 2020 to include net zero-energy-ready tiers through 2030 and extending the application of the Code to existing buildings; as well as certifying high-performing commercial and institutional buildings through the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager	Performance Indicator: Energy savings (petajoules) from building codes Starting Point: 3.8 petajoules saved in 2018-19 Target: 132.6 petajoules saved annually in 2030	Result: On track to meet this target by 2030. Building codes and benchmarking tools achieved 6.3 petajoules of cumulative annual energy savings in 2020-21. This represents an increase from the previous year. Set for publication in late 2021, the 2020 model energy codes for new homes and buildings will include a tiered performance structure leading to a “net-zero energy ready” level for provinces and territories to adopt by 2030. NRCan continued to collaborate with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expand the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager benchmarking tool: The ENERGY STAR score-rating feature and the certification program are now available for 10 building types. Over 26,000 buildings are captured in the tool. As well, 177 buildings were ENERGY STAR certified in 2020. Since launching the ISO 50001 for Buildings program in 2018, NRCan has invested in ten projects, including four involving Indigenous communities. All of these actions contribute to achieving the target by 2030.	FSDS: Improved Building codes requirements for the building sector in Canada will lead to enhanced energy efficient building practices and technologies. These Codes will contribute to the target of net zero-energy-ready building code by 2030. Benchmarking tools allow building owners to compare their energy use and can prompt them to make improvements. Certification programs recognize higher energy performing buildings. These activities, as outlined in Build Smart: Canada’s Buildings Strategy, support the work to build energy labelling and disclosure frameworks, and more stringent model building energy codes for new and existing buildings. UN SDG: SDG 7 SDG Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
By 2030, 600 petajoules of total annual energy savings will be achieved as a result of adoption and energy efficiency codes, standards and practices from a baseline savings of 27.4^{Footnote 18} petajoules in 2017-2018	Reduce energy costs and work with partners to increase energy efficiency	Improve the energy efficiency of Canadian homes (through the EnerGuide, ENERGY STAR® and R-2000 home labelling initiatives)	Performance Indicator: Energy savings (petajoules) from energy efficiency programs in housing Starting Point: 3.19 petajoules in 2018-19 Target: 133.7 petajoules saved annually in 2030	Result: On track to meet this target by 2030. The EnerGuide, ENERGY STAR and R-2000 home labelling initiatives achieved 11.18 petajoules of cumulative annual energy savings in 2020-21. This represents an increase from the previous year. Fifty partners across Canada use Natural Resources Canada’s EnerGuide energy rating system for homes and its premium standards. In 2020-2021, 66,000 existing and nearly 10,000 new homes were labelled using the EnerGuide system. In November 2020, the Fall Economic Statement of the Government of Canada announced $2.6 billion over seven years to NRCan for providing, retroactive to December 1, 2020, up to 700,000 grants of up to $5,600 to enable homeowners to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes paired with an EnerGuide home energy evaluation, and support to recruit and train Energy Advisors to meet increased demand. All of these actions contribute to achieving the target by 2030.	FSDS: Improved energy efficiency of the housing sector in Canada will be achieved through the regulation of mandatory labelling and disclosure of energy use by the provinces and territories, and the adoption and implementation of energy efficient technologies and practices, and the construction of more efficient housing. Promoting highly energy efficient new construction influences the future building stock and sets Canada on the road to innovation and a net-zero energy future. Through this activity, as outlined in Build Smart: Canada’s Buildings Strategy, NRCan will be engaging with and seeking to support jurisdictions in their efforts to advance towards regulation of labelling and disclosure of energy use. UN SDG: SDG 7 SDG Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
By 2030, 600 petajoules of total annual energy savings will be achieved as a result of adoption and energy efficiency codes, standards and practices from a baseline savings of 27.4^{Footnote 19} petajoules in 2017-2018	Reduce energy costs and work with partners to increase energy efficiency	Enhance energy efficiency with increasingly stringent minimum energy performance standards under the Energy Efficiency Regulations and promote increased energy efficiency through the voluntary ENERGY STAR® appliances program.	Performance Indicator: Energy savings (petajoules) from regulated products and market transformation Starting Point: 16.25 petajoules saved in 2018-19 Target: 219.5 petajoules saved annually in 2030	Result: On track to meet this target by 2030. Regulated products achieved 8.62 petajoules of cumulative annual energy savings in 2020-21 and the ENERGY STAR or Products program achieved an estimated 24.33 petajoules of cumulative annual energy savings in 2020-21. The combined energy savings represent an increase from the previous year. Amendments 13-16 to Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations introduced or updated minimum energy performance standards of products used in homes and businesses, and set leading standards in North America for heating products. These Amendments will support energy efficiency improvement of residential, commercial and industrial products over the next several years. NRCan also continued to administer the ENERGY STAR for Products program, which encourages and promotes consumer purchases of high-efficiency products. In 2020, the Government of Canada updated six ENERGY STAR product specifications, including windows, doors and skylights, and heat and energy recovery ventilators. These actions contribute to achieving the target by 2030.	FSDS: By setting minimum energy performance standards, NRCan improves the energy performance of appliances and equipment sold for homes, buildings, and industries across Canada and contributes to improved energy efficiency. In addition, through the administration of the ENERGY STAR for Products program, consumers are encouraged to purchase high-efficiency products. In support of these activities, as outlined in Build Smart: Canada’s Buildings Strategy, NRCan will continue to set ambitious energy efficiency targets for appliances and equipment. UN SDG: SDG 7 SDG Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.

Healthy Coasts and Oceans

Coasts and oceans support healthy, resilient and productive ecosystems

Context: Protecting Canada’s coasts and ocean resources is crucial to the livelihood of Canadians, including from the potential risk of oil spills that have an environmental impact on Canada’s fisheries and coastlines. NRCan supports marine conservation measures and the Ocean Protection Plan by conducting scientific research and increasing knowledge related to marine geoscience that supports marine spatial planning and the impacts of oil spills on Canada’s oceans. NRCan also conducts ongoing research into the extent of Canada’s continental shelf in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, supporting implementation of international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources. In 2020-21, all departmental actions related to healthy coasts and oceans are on track to the meet the DSDS targets.

FSDS target(s)	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s) (DA)	Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)	Results achieved	Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
By 2020, 10% of coastal and marine areas are conserved through networks of marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures	Work with partners to protect and restore coastal ecosystems	Conduct science to improve the knowledge of diluted bitumen fate, behaviour, and natural degradation end-points when spilled into aqueous environments as part of the Oceans Protection Plan	Performance Indicator: Number of publications and conference presentations Starting Point: 0 in 2020-21 Target: 4 by 2021-22	Result: On track to meet this target by 2021-22. In 2020-21, 1 journal paper was published along with 4 conference presentations related to the fate and behaviour of oil after an oil spill from shipping sources (including oil distribution, biodegradation, and toxicity endpoints) as part of the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP). At the beginning of 2021-22, the department is preparing to submit three more manuscripts for publication. Publication of a book that includes a chapter on biodegradation of petroleum in aqueous environments is also in progress. All these documents are expected to be published by the end of the fiscal year, at which point, the program target is anticipated to be met.	FSDS: Coastal and marine conservation areas are established to protect key areas of the marine environment from the environmental, social and economic risks posed by activities such as development, resource exploitation and transportation. NRCan’s oil spill program and support toward regulation development, Indigenous engagements, and environmental assessments affecting coastal and marine environments, contribute to the protection of Canadian oceans and coasts. Developing knowledge of diluted bitumen fate, behaviour and natural degradation end-points informs environmental assessments as well as clean-up methods and evidence-based decision-making in the event of spills to ensure Canada’s coastal ecosystems are protected, restored and remain healthy for generations to come. UN SDG: SDG 14 SDG Target 14.5: By 2020, conserve at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.
By 2020, 10% of coastal and marine areas are conserved through networks of marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures	Work with partners to protect and restore coastal ecosystems	Advance marine geoscience information to support marine spatial planning with federal, provincial and territorial partners	Performance Indicator: Number of new, openly accessible, marine geoscience data products to be used by stakeholders for effective management of marine areas. Starting Point: 0 in 2020-21 Target: 16 by 2023-24	Result: On track to meet this target by 2023-24. In 2020-21, work on the 16 bioregional scale map products was carried out.	FSDS: The generation of knowledge products ensures decisions made with regards to coastal and marine conservation areas are based on the best available scientific information. Developing new maps and analyses of seafloor geology and active seabed processes inform evidence-based marine spatial planning and regional environmental assessments to support Regional Environmental and Cumulative Effects Assessment processes. UN SDG: SDG 14 SDG Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.
By 2020, 10% of coastal and marine areas are conserved through networks of marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures	Work with partners to protect and restore coastal ecosystems	Conserve 25% of coastal and marine areas through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures	Indicator: Number of completed resource and economic assessments for areas proposed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada to help Canada achieve its goal of protecting 10% of Canada’s coastal and marine area (as a percentage of total marine territory) by 2020 and 25% by 2025^{Footnote 20} Starting Point: By 2020, at end of original Marine Conservation Targets, NRCan had delivered 14 resource or economic assessments to help meet the government target of 10% conservation by 2020. The reported achievement for 2020 conservation was 13.5% of marine and coastal areas Target: 17 qualitative or quantitative resource and economic assessments released over 3 years, by the end of 2023-24	Result: On track to meet this target by 2023-24. In 2020-21, the assessment of 3 areas were completed. Data collection and analysis has started in several northern areas, in anticipation of where further work will be required.	FSDS: Marine protected areas are established taking into account resource assessment being performed. NRCan assessment reports cover the areas of proposed marine conservation areas and inform and support the Federal Government to proceed with the process to establish conservation areas and meet its targets. The resource and economic assessments that were completed in 2020-21 support the establishment of marine protected areas under the Marine Conservation Target initiative. UN SDG: SDG 14 SDG Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and taking action in their restoration to achieve healthy and productive oceans.
By 2020, 10% of coastal and marine areas are conserved through networks of marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures	Work with partners to protect and restore coastal ecosystems	Continue to undertake science activities to support Canada’s continental shelf submissions in the Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean beyond 200 nautical miles	Performance Indicator: Post-submission NRCan science activities that aim at securing international recognition of Canada’s outer limits beyond the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Starting Point: Canada has met its obligation as a party to United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to define its continental shelf by filling its Atlantic Ocean (2013) and Arctic Ocean (2019) submissions Target: International recognition of Canada’s outer limits	Result: On track to meet this target. Milestones achieved this year include: preparation and publication of scientific manuscripts with international collaborators; preparation of the Arctic Ocean submission presentation to be given at UN HQ (subsequently postponed due to the COVID-19 limitations); IM/IT safeguarding of data and information; scientific and technical advice to Global Affairs Canada on continental shelf issues in the Arctic Ocean; and renewal of a project annex between the GSC and U.S. Geological Survey that allowed reprocessed geophysical data and reports to be shared with the US.	FSDS: Publication of scientific results are of critical importance in supporting Canada’s submissions as they validate NRCan’s data and interpretations by the international scientific community. International recognition of Canada’s outer limits before the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf will support progress towards FSDS targets for marine conservation and protection in the Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean beyond Canada’s EEZ. In addition, international recognition of Canada’s outer limits in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans gives sovereign rights over the living and non-living natural resources on the seafloor and subsoil, supporting conservation and marine protection beyond the 200 nautical mile EEZ. UN SDG: SDG 14 SDG Target 14.c: Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources.

Pristine Lakes and Rivers

Clean and healthy lakes and rivers support economic prosperity and the well-being of Canadians

Context: NRCan supports the management of Canada’s freshwater resources by addressing research gaps in water mapping, measurement, and modelling, which advances research to improve management of Canada’s freshwater resources. Sound management and use of freshwater sources in Canada helps to preserve social, environmental, and economic benefits to Canadians and aids in avoiding the threats of pollution, climate change, and invasive alien species of plants and animals. For example, research that combines knowledge of groundwater aquifers and their links with surface water systems helps to build integrated models of water systems for comprehensive water management by the provinces and territories. Additionally, defining watersheds allows for a better understanding of water ecosystems, including flow, and impacts of water use in any part of the watershed, which can affect water quality. In 2020-21, NRCan met one DSDS target and the other was not met, due to unforeseen data maintenance and system modernization requirements.

FSDS target(s)	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s) (DA)	Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)	Results achieved	Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
N/A ^{Footnote 21}	Better understand lake and river ecosystems	Support addressing research gaps in water mapping, measurement and modelling	Performance Indicator: Percentage of annual improvement of foundation geospatial data that includes water maps in Canada, which is measured as the sum of geometry improvements, attribute improvements, and geographical coverage increases Starting Point: National Hydro Network footprint in 2019-20 Target: 10% average annual improvement	Result: This target was not met. The total improvements for 2020-21 was 6% on average. This is because data production capacity was delayed by unforeseen data maintenance requirements and production was paused to build a new data model, system, and services. Work on modernization started in 2020-21 and is projected to continue in 2021-22.	FSDS: Increased access to surface water data to advance scientific research and improve the sound management of Canada’s freshwater resources. In particular, defining watersheds allow for better understanding of water ecosystems, including flow, and the impacts water use in any part of the watershed can have on water quality. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
N/A^{Footnote 22}	Better understand lake and river ecosystems	Advance research to combine knowledge of groundwater aquifers and their links with surface water systems to build integrated models of water systems for sound, comprehensive water management by the provinces and territories.	Performance Indicator: Number of scientific publications that address Canadian groundwater knowledge gap Starting Point: 21 annual publications in the groundwater geoscience program 2019-20 Target: 15 publications on groundwater in 2020-21	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, 29 scientific publications that address Canadian groundwater knowledge gaps were produced. All information pertaining to the Groundwater Geoscience Program (GGP) are included in GEOSCAN. For a list of the scientific publications, please refer to the GEOSCAN Basic Search website.	FSDS: Research and publication data on groundwater aquifers and their links with surface water systems contributes to the knowledge of water systems and sound, comprehensive water management by the provinces and territories. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

FSDS target(s)

FSDS contributing action(s)

Corresponding
departmental
action(s)
(DA)

Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)

Results achieved

Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target

N/A

^{Footnote 21}

Better understand lake and river ecosystems

Support addressing research gaps in water mapping, measurement and modelling

Performance Indicator: Percentage of annual improvement of foundation geospatial data that includes water maps in Canada, which is measured as the sum of geometry improvements, attribute improvements, and geographical coverage increases

Starting Point: National Hydro Network footprint in 2019-20

Target: 10% average annual improvement

Result: This target was not met.

The total improvements for 2020-21 was 6% on average. This is because data production capacity was delayed by unforeseen data maintenance requirements and production was paused to build a new data model, system, and services. Work on modernization started in 2020-21 and is projected to continue in 2021-22.

FSDS: Increased access to surface water data to advance scientific research and improve the sound management of Canada’s freshwater resources. In particular, defining watersheds allow for better understanding of water ecosystems, including flow, and the impacts water use in any part of the watershed can have on water quality.

UN SDG: SDG 13

SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

N/A^{Footnote 22}

Better understand lake and river ecosystems

Advance research to combine knowledge of groundwater aquifers and their links with surface water systems to build integrated models of water systems for sound, comprehensive water management by the provinces and territories.

Performance Indicator: Number of scientific publications that address Canadian groundwater knowledge gap

Starting Point: 21 annual publications in the groundwater geoscience program 2019-20

Target: 15 publications on groundwater in 2020-21

Result: This target was met.

In 2020-21, 29 scientific publications that address Canadian groundwater knowledge gaps were produced.

All information pertaining to the Groundwater Geoscience Program (GGP) are included in GEOSCAN. For a list of the scientific publications, please refer to the GEOSCAN Basic Search website.

FSDS: Research and publication data on groundwater aquifers and their links with surface water systems contributes to the knowledge of water systems and sound, comprehensive water management by the provinces and territories.

UN SDG: SDG 13

SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

Sustainably Managed Lands and Forests

Lands and forests support biodiversity and provide a variety of ecosystem services for generations to come

Context: As a co-lead for this federal goal, NRCan conducts research and provides information and advice to Provinces, Territories, Indigenous Peoples and the private sector to promote the protection, sustainable management, and efficient use of forest resources. The Department uses scientific research, technology and collaboration to protect forest resources from pest outbreaks, as well as from wildfire threats. NRCan also plays a large role in building capacity for Indigenous Peoples in connection to lands and forests. This includes the promotion of environmental stewardship, job creation, and the sustainable use and management of forest resources. While 2020-21 was an unprecedented year for the forest sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 1 DSDS target was not met due to delays in publications and research disruptions and 2 were met.

FSDS target(s)	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s) (DA)	Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)	Results achieved	Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
Between now and 2022, maintain Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply levels	Better understand lands and forests	Develop innovative forest products and decision tools that strengthen knowledge of forest ecosystems and contribute to the environmental sustainability of Canada’s forests	Performance Indicator: Percentage of innovative forest products and decision tools informed by NRCan research that contributes to the Environmental Sustainability of Canada’s forests Starting Point: 100% Target: 90% annually	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, the participating programs fostered innovation in the forest sector by ensuring that 100% of the NRCan products, tools, and knowledge informed the development of new forest-based products by stakeholders that contribute to the environmental sustainability of Canada’s forests. Innovative forest products and decision tools are maturing and these advancements are aligning with national initiatives that incorporate stakeholder needs and stakeholder participation.	FSDS: NRCan develops scientific knowledge products and decision making tools about Canada’s forests that are used by forest decision makers (e.g., provinces, territories, Canadian industry, private land owners, etc.) to enable sustainable forest management. NRCan products and tools contribute to a better understanding of forest conditions and changes in response to natural disturbance, climate change and forest management practices. The innovative products and decision tools developed by participating programs strengthen knowledge of forest ecosystems and contribute to the environmental sustainability of Canada’s forests. These innovations support the forest sector to maximize the value of Canada’s forests while maintaining healthy forest ecosystems by reducing existing and potential environmental impacts. New products and decision tools support sustainable forest management in Canada’s forests and maintaining harvest levels below sustainable wood supply levels. UN SDG: SDG 15 SDG Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.
Between now and 2022, maintain Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply levels	Better understand lands and forests	Advance science and technology on forest health protection	Performance Indicator: Number of NRCan publications pertaining to forest pests and related risks, surveillance solutions, and response solutions that are developed annually Starting Point: 52 in 2018-19 Target: 52 publications or more annually	Result: This target was not met. As of May 2021, NRCan achieved a result of 28 publications pertaining to forest pests and related risks, surveillance solutions and response solutions, contributing to advancing science and technology on forest health protection. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in the publication process and disruptions to research projects and fieldwork contributing to a lower than anticipated number of publications in 2020-21.	FSDS: Sustainable forest management is contingent upon healthy forests. Outbreaks of native forest insects and diseases, and the introduction of invasive alien species result in tree growth reduction and mortality, which may negatively affect the ecological integrity of forests. Climate change could amplify these impacts. Advancing pest risk management science and technology to prevent, prepare for, and respond to pests supports the protection of forest health across Canada and contribute maintaining Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply level. Scientific publications are one of the primary forms of disseminating research results. UN SDG: SDG 15 SDG Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.
Between now and 2022, maintain Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply levels	Work with domestic and international partners	Support sustainable management of Canada’s forests, in collaboration with provinces and territories	Performance Indicator: Amount in cubic meter (m³) of wood harvested annually compared to sustainable wood supply Starting Point: 155 million m³ total harvest versus 223 million m³ in wood supply in 2016 (SoF, 2018) Target: Annual timber harvest is at or below sustainable wood supply levels	Result: This target was met. Annual timber harvest data, as reported in the State of Canada’s Forest Report 2020, stated that in 2018, Canada harvested 156.2 million m³ of industrial roundwood. This is well below the sustainable wood supply level of 217.9 million m³.	FSDS: Sustainable forest management is a shared responsibility across all governments, the private sector and civil society for using and caring for forests to maintain their environmental, social and economic value and benefits over time. NRCan promotes responsible and transparent practices in the forest sector and supports provinces and territories in their role as forest managers to help ensure Canada’s forests are sustainable for years to come. Supporting sustainable forest management in Canada directly contributes to the goal of sustainably managed land and forests and help maintaining Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply levels. UN SDG: SDG 15 SDG Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.

FSDS target(s)

FSDS contributing action(s)

Corresponding
departmental
action(s)
(DA)

Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)

Results achieved

Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target

Between now and 2022, maintain Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply levels

Better understand lands and forests

Develop innovative forest products and decision tools that strengthen knowledge of forest ecosystems and contribute to the environmental sustainability of Canada’s forests

Performance Indicator: Percentage of innovative forest products and decision tools informed by NRCan research that contributes to the Environmental Sustainability of Canada’s forests

Starting Point: 100%

Target: 90% annually

Result: This target was met.

In 2020-21, the participating programs fostered innovation in the forest sector by ensuring that 100% of the NRCan products, tools, and knowledge informed the development of new forest-based products by stakeholders that contribute to the environmental sustainability of Canada’s forests. Innovative forest products and decision tools are maturing and these advancements are aligning with national initiatives that incorporate stakeholder needs and stakeholder participation.

FSDS: NRCan develops scientific knowledge products and decision making tools about Canada’s forests that are used by forest decision makers (e.g., provinces, territories, Canadian industry, private land owners, etc.) to enable sustainable forest management. NRCan products and tools contribute to a better understanding of forest conditions and changes in response to natural disturbance, climate change and forest management practices.

The innovative products and decision tools developed by participating programs strengthen knowledge of forest ecosystems and contribute to the environmental sustainability of Canada’s forests. These innovations support the forest sector to maximize the value of Canada’s forests while maintaining healthy forest ecosystems by reducing existing and potential environmental impacts. New products and decision tools support sustainable forest management in Canada’s forests and maintaining harvest levels below sustainable wood supply levels.

UN SDG: SDG 15

SDG Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.

Between now and 2022, maintain Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply levels

Better understand lands and forests

Advance science and technology on forest health protection

Performance Indicator: Number of NRCan publications pertaining to forest pests and related risks, surveillance solutions, and response solutions that are developed annually

Starting Point: 52 in 2018-19

Target: 52 publications or more annually

Result: This target was not met.

As of May 2021, NRCan achieved a result of 28 publications pertaining to forest pests and related risks, surveillance solutions and response solutions, contributing to advancing science and technology on forest health protection.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in the publication process and disruptions to research projects and fieldwork contributing to a lower than anticipated number of publications in 2020-21.

FSDS: Sustainable forest management is contingent upon healthy forests. Outbreaks of native forest insects and diseases, and the introduction of invasive alien species result in tree growth reduction and mortality, which may negatively affect the ecological integrity of forests. Climate change could amplify these impacts. Advancing pest risk management science and technology to prevent, prepare for, and respond to pests supports the protection of forest health across Canada and contribute maintaining Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply level. Scientific publications are one of the primary forms of disseminating research results.

UN SDG: SDG 15

Between now and 2022, maintain Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply levels

Work with domestic and international partners

Support sustainable management of Canada’s forests, in collaboration with provinces and territories

Performance Indicator: Amount in cubic meter (m³) of wood harvested annually compared to sustainable wood supply

Starting Point: 155 million m³ total harvest versus 223 million m³ in wood supply in 2016 (SoF, 2018)

Target: Annual timber harvest is at or below sustainable wood supply levels

Result: This target was met.

Annual timber harvest data, as reported in the State of Canada’s Forest Report 2020, stated that in 2018, Canada harvested 156.2 million m³ of industrial roundwood. This is well below the sustainable wood supply level of 217.9 million m³.

FSDS: Sustainable forest management is a shared responsibility across all governments, the private sector and civil society for using and caring for forests to maintain their environmental, social and economic value and benefits over time. NRCan promotes responsible and transparent practices in the forest sector and supports provinces and territories in their role as forest managers to help ensure Canada’s forests are sustainable for years to come.

Supporting sustainable forest management in Canada directly contributes to the goal of sustainably managed land and forests and help maintaining Canada’s annual timber harvest at or below sustainable wood supply levels.

UN SDG: SDG 15

Safe and Healthy Communities

All Canadians live in clean, sustainable communities that contribute to their health and well-being

Context: NRCan contributes to this FSDS Goal by preventing and mitigating the impacts of natural and human-made hazards. Geoscience that characterizes earthquake risks allow mitigation measures to be taken for critical infrastructure, reducing risks to Canadians. In addition, through its use of science and tools, NRCan also assists other organizations with disaster management and ecosystem monitoring. This includes facilitating the collection of geospatial data to support national and international emergency management efforts. With the rise in frequency and severity of weather-related natural disasters due to climate change and increased economic vulnerability due to COVID-19 over the last year, a timely response to natural disasters continues to be essential in helping to protect Canadians and their livelihoods. NRCan is recognized domestically and internationally as a key source of science-based information on natural hazards and risks. In 2020-21, NRCan helped protect Canadians from the effects of natural hazards, including flooding, by providing federal scientific and geospatial coordination with provinces, territories, academic institutions and the private sector and supported the Government of Canada’s Emergency Management Strategy and overall federal efforts for enhanced emergency management capabilities. The 2 DSDS targets under this goal were achieved in 2020-21, contributing to the health and safety of communities in Canada and around the world.

FSDS target(s)	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s) (DA)	Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)	Results achieved	Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
By 2022, take risk management actions in a timely manner for 100% of substances found to be a risk to the environment or human health	Prevent environmental emergencies or mitigate their impact	Integrate new data streams from the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) into production of emergency river ice and flood maps through new automated tools	Performance Indicator: New suite of RCM flood tools used in Emergency Geomatics Service (EGS) workflows Starting Point: No RCM data used prior to RCM going operational (December 2019) in EGS workflows Target: Full integration of RCM data into EGS workflows by March 31, 2021	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, NRCan fully integrated RCM into its flood extent and river ice jam monitoring workflows. EGS responded to 6 Government of Canada activations (4 flood and river ice monitoring and 2 landslides). 60 geospatial products, including 2 landslide reports were shared with the Government of Canada and provinces and territories.	FSDS: These products support downstream research, operations, and evidence-based policy and decision-making in a range of disciplines and priority areas within the department and across the Government of Canada, including responsible development of natural resources, climate change action, emergency response, and northern priorities. With full integration of RCM data in the production of river ice and flood maps through new automated tools, EGS products will be produced more frequently and at higher accuracy, enhancing situational awareness and enabling emergency responders to better allocate resources to minimize damage during crises, contributing to safe and healthy communities. UN SDG: SDG 13 SDG Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
By 2022, take risk management actions in a timely manner for 100% of substances found to be a risk to the environment or human health	Prevent environmental emergencies or mitigate their impact	Facilitate provision of geospatial data to support national and international emergency management efforts	Performance Indicator: Percentage of responses to International Charter: Space and Major Disasters requests Starting Point: 100% in 2019-20 Target: Respond to 100% of Charter requests in 2020-21	Result: This target was met. In 2020-21, NRCan successfully responded to 100% of Charter requests through 65 activations of the disaster’s charter with downlink and dissemination of both RCM and RADARSAT-2 data.	FSDS: The near real-time downlink of satellite imagery directly supports community relief from natural disasters around the world. The utility of RADARSAT data is uniquely positioned to support relief for water related events (e.g. floods, tsunami. etc.), given its effectiveness at night and through cloud cover. With respect to protecting people in vulnerable situations, in 2020, NRCan directly supported disaster events in vulnerable areas in India, Russia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, El Salvador, Indonesia, Columbia, Philippines and Somalia. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from the RADARSAT program delivered under the charter directly support natural disasters in all countries by informing decision makers charged with community resilience and follow-on adaptations. UN SDG: SDG 11 and SDG 13 SDG Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations. SDG Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

FSDS target(s)

FSDS contributing action(s)

Corresponding
departmental
action(s)
(DA)

Starting point(s), Performance indicator(s), Target(s)

Results achieved

Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target

By 2022, take risk management actions in a timely manner for 100% of substances found to be a risk to the environment or human health

Prevent environmental emergencies or mitigate their impact

Integrate new data streams from the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) into production of emergency river ice and flood maps through new automated tools

Performance Indicator: New suite of RCM flood tools used in Emergency Geomatics Service (EGS) workflows

Starting Point: No RCM data used prior to RCM going operational (December 2019) in EGS workflows

Target: Full integration of RCM data into EGS workflows by March 31, 2021

Result: This target was met.

In 2020-21, NRCan fully integrated RCM into its flood extent and river ice jam monitoring workflows.

EGS responded to 6 Government of Canada activations (4 flood and river ice monitoring and 2 landslides).

60 geospatial products, including 2 landslide reports were shared with the Government of Canada and provinces and territories.

FSDS: These products support downstream research, operations, and evidence-based policy and decision-making in a range of disciplines and priority areas within the department and across the Government of Canada, including responsible development of natural resources, climate change action, emergency response, and northern priorities. With full integration of RCM data in the production of river ice and flood maps through new automated tools, EGS products will be produced more frequently and at higher accuracy, enhancing situational awareness and enabling emergency responders to better allocate resources to minimize damage during crises, contributing to safe and healthy communities.

UN SDG: SDG 13

SDG Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

SDG Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

By 2022, take risk management actions in a timely manner for 100% of substances found to be a risk to the environment or human health

Prevent environmental emergencies or mitigate their impact

Facilitate provision of geospatial data to support national and international emergency management efforts

Performance Indicator: Percentage of responses to International Charter: Space and Major Disasters requests

Starting Point: 100% in 2019-20

Target: Respond to 100% of Charter requests in 2020-21

Result: This target was met.

In 2020-21, NRCan successfully responded to 100% of Charter requests through 65 activations of the disaster’s charter with downlink and dissemination of both RCM and RADARSAT-2 data.

FSDS: The near real-time downlink of satellite imagery directly supports community relief from natural disasters around the world. The utility of RADARSAT data is uniquely positioned to support relief for water related events (e.g. floods, tsunami. etc.), given its effectiveness at night and through cloud cover. With respect to protecting people in vulnerable situations, in 2020, NRCan directly supported disaster events in vulnerable areas in India, Russia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, El Salvador, Indonesia, Columbia, Philippines and Somalia.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from the RADARSAT program delivered under the charter directly support natural disasters in all countries by informing decision makers charged with community resilience and follow-on adaptations.

UN SDG: SDG 11 and SDG 13

SDG Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.

SDG Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

4. Report on integrating sustainable development

NRCan will continue to ensure that its decision-making process includes consideration of FSDS goals and targets through its strategic environmental assessment (SEA) process. A SEA for a policy, plan or program proposal includes an analysis of the impacts of the given proposal on the environment, including on relevant FSDS goals and targets.

Public statements on the results of NRCan’s assessments are made public when an initiative has undergone a detailed strategic environmental assessment (SEA) (see here) https://natural-resources.canada.ca/assessment/public-statements-listing/147. The purpose of the public statement is to demonstrate that the environmental effects, including the impacts on achieving the FSDS goals and targets, of the approved policy, plan or program have been considered during proposal development and decision-making.

During the 2020-21 reporting cycle, NRCan completed 80 SEAs, of which, 71 of them contributed to FSDS goals.

Footnotes

NRCan co-leads on the FSDS Goal for Clean Growth with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

NRCan co-leads on the FSDS Goal for Sustainably Managed Lands and Forests with Environment and Climate Change Canada and with Parks Canada.

Return to footnote 2 referrer

The 2017-18 baseline is 20.0 petajoules. This number was revised after the publication of the 2019-22 FSDS.

Return to footnote 3 referrer

The Climate Change Adaptation Survey was conducted in 2018 and provided a starting point for 2018 and a target date for 2023, not for 2017 and 2022 as previously indicated in the 2020-23 DSDS.

Return to footnote 4 referrer

This performance indicator focuses only on the technologies that aim to reduce energy consumption and reliance on diesel. CanmetMINING develop a wide range of innovative mining technologies that address other needs or requirements.

Return to footnote 5 referrer

At time of publication, the 2020-21 results for this target were not yet available, and will be published during the next reporting period.

Return to footnote 6 referrer

For reporting consistency with Treasury Board Secretariat, NRCan is reporting its GHG performance for both facilities and fleet.

Return to footnote 7 referrer

At time of publication, the 2020-21 results for this target were not yet available, and will be published during the next reporting period.

Return to footnote 8 referrer

At time of publication, the 2020-21 results for this target were not yet available, and will be published during the next reporting period.

Return to footnote 9 referrer

At time of publication, the 2020-21 results for this target were not yet available, and will be published during the next reporting period.

Return to footnote 10 referrer

At time of publication, the 2020-21 results for this target were not yet available, and will be published during the next reporting period.

Return to footnote 11 referrer

The scope of this indicator includes only Phase 2 of the Green Infrastructure: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstrations program.

Return to footnote 12 referrer

For this target, this refers to supported projects.

Return to footnote 13 referrer

The starting point for this indicator is not a baseline; results will fluctuate from year to year and may be lower than the 2018-19 results.

Return to footnote 14 referrer

Electricity statistics are only available on a calendar year-basis and data for 2020 are not available at the time of publication. The next data update is expected to be available by June 2022 only as reporting has been impacted due to the delayed availability of statistics amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Return to footnote 15 referrer

The 2017-18 baseline is 20.0 petajoules. This number was revised after the publication of the 2019-22 FSDS.

Return to footnote 16 referrer

The 2017-18 baseline is 20.0 petajoules. This number was revised after the publication of the 2019-22 FSDS.

Return to footnote 17 referrer

The 2017-18 baseline is 20.0 petajoules. This number was revised after the publication of the 2019-22 FSDS.

Return to footnote 18 referrer

The 2017-18 baseline is 20.0 petajoules. This number was revised after the publication of the 2019-22 FSDS.

Return to footnote 19 referrer

This was misreported in the 2020-2023 DSDS (which says 2024). Future reports will be updated.

Return to footnote 20 referrer

The Departmental Action contributes to the FSDS Goal but does not directly support an FSDS Target.

Return to footnote 21 referrer

The Departmental Action contributes to the FSDS Goal but does not directly support an FSDS Target.

Return to footnote 22 referrer

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Date modified:: 2021-12-13

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2020-21 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report

Natural Resources Canada’s 2020-21 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report

1. Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

2. Sustainable development at Natural Resources Canada

3. Departmental performance by Federal Sustainable Development Strategy goal:

Effective Action on Climate Change

Greening Government

Clean Growth

Modern and Resilient Infrastructure

Clean Energy

Healthy Coasts and Oceans

Pristine Lakes and Rivers

Sustainably Managed Lands and Forests

Safe and Healthy Communities

4. Report on integrating sustainable development

Footnotes

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