Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development releases review of government’s draft 2019–2022 sustainable development strategy

Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development releases review of government’s draft 2019–2022 sustainable development strategy

Ottawa, 8 April 2019—Earlier today, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD), Julie Gelfand, released her review and comments on “Achieving a Sustainable Future: Draft Federal Sustainable Development Strategy for Canada 2019 to 2022”. The draft strategy presents 29 targets to achieve 13 goals. These are underpinned by 41 key priorities and over 200 departmental contributing actions, which together form implementation strategies.

As required under the Federal Sustainable Development Act, the CESD presented to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, in a letter issued 1 April 2019, the results of her review and comment as to whether the targets and implementation strategies in the draft strategy can be assessed.

In her review, Ms. Gelfand underscores that the current draft FSDS refers to only 12 of the 17 sustainable development goals set out in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which Canada committed to implementing in 2015.

“We recommend that the sustainable development goals of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development be the foundation for developing the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy”, writes Ms. Gelfand.

Ms. Gelfand further states that 17 targets and two thirds of key priorities set out in the draft FSDS either cannot be assessed or will be difficult to assess. The review also notes that many targets are not connected to key priorities or indicators. These issues increase the risk that decision making related to sustainable development will not be transparent and subject to accountability to Parliament.

The Federal Sustainable Development Act requires the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to prepare a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) within every three-year period. The Strategy must set out sustainable development goals and targets as well as an implementation strategy for meeting each target, and identify the minister responsible for meeting each target. The federal government tabled its first Federal Sustainable Development Strategy 2010-2013 in October 2010.

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The review is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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