ARCHIVED - Sustainable Development

Report on Plans and Priorities 2011-2012
Electronic Layer of Reporting
Elements of NRCan's Sustainable Development Strategy

FSDS Target 1.1 - Climate Change Mitigation

Relative to 2005 emission levels, reduce Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) 17% by 2020.

FSDS Implementation Strategy - Forestry

1.1.54 Support the development and provision of scientific knowledge, modeling, data and tools that inform forest carbon budgets. (NRCan)

You will find below details about NRCan's activities that contribute to this implementation strategy:

Forest Ecosystem Science and Application

This activity is nested within NRCan’s Program Activity Architecture (PAA) as follows:

• Strategic Outcome 2 - 
  Environmental Responsibility
  
  
  • Program Activity 2.2 - 
    Ecosystem Risk Management
    
    
    • Sub Activity 2.2.2 - 
      Forest Ecosystem Science and Application
      
      

Description

Canada needs the scientific knowledge to manage risks, to maintain healthy ecosystems, and to meet international obligations and priorities. Under Sub Activity - Forest Ecosystem Science and Application, NRCan conducts research as well as national assessments and monitoring to develop, synthesize and integrate scientific knowledge of Canada’s Forest Ecosystem. This knowledge is used by governments, industry, and non-governmental organizations in the development of forest management practices and policies, and informs federal departments in the formation of Canada’s negotiating position on international environmental issues related to forests.

Under this Sub Activity, NRCan conducts forest carbon cycle research and national assessment of forest carbon budgets which contribute to this FSDS implementation strategy. The main objective of these initiatives is to further the understanding and knowledge of Forest Ecosystem from a national perspective and to report on results on carbon accounting to the UNFCCC. This work will allow the federal government, Canadians and their institutions to have an authoritative scientific foundation on Forest Ecosystem at the national scale.

Relationship to FSDS Target

Knowledge and capacity to track exchanges of carbon between forests and the atmosphere acquired under Sub Activity - Forest Ecosystem Science and Application contributes to reports on greenhouse gas emission levels. Through the National Forest Inventory and the State of Canada’s Forest Report, NRCan provides information for government decision-makers and enables the public’s access to information on Canada’s forest. Thus, work under Sub Activity - Forest Ecosystem Science and Application contributes indirectly to FSDS Target 1.1 - Climate Change Mitigation.

Non-Financial Performance Expectations

Data is collected and reported annually, and projects extend to March 31, 2013.

Expected Result and Indicator (Sub Activity 2.2.2)

Increased use of scientific knowledge of Canada’s Forest Ecosystem.

• Trend in use of scientific knowledge.

Output and Indicator (Sub Activity 2.2.2)

Scientific knowledge of Canada’s Forest Ecosystem.

• Number of knowledge transfer activities.
• Percentage of peer-reviewed ecosystems publications cited over a rolling 5-year period.

Other FSDS Linkages

Sub Activity - Forest Ecosystem Science and Application further contributes to FSDS Target 1.1 - Climate Change Mitigation through one implementation strategy:

• 1.1.48.4 - Develop and submit a complete and compliant annual national GHG Inventory Report and Common Reporting Format tables to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat by April 15 to meet UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol reporting requirements.

This Sub Activity also contributes to FSDS Target 7.3 - Sustainable Forest Management through one implementation strategy:

• 7.3.2 - Generate and disseminate scientific knowledge related to Forest Ecosystem.