Government of Canada strengthens accountability and transparency for sustainable development

OTTAWA, March 1, 2019 /CNW/ - Canadians rely on sustainable development practices to build a strong Canada that empowers them to succeed. The Government of Canada has a strategy to grow a clean and resilient economy for Canadians ? one that prioritizes clean growth, healthy ecosystems, and sustainable communities across the country.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, welcomed the Royal Assent of Bill C-57, the Act to Amend the Federal Sustainable Development Act, now covering nearly three times its original scope. This renewed approach to sustainable development in Canada makes decision-making more transparent, more accountable to Parliament, and promotes close collaboration across over 90 federal organizations.

Amendments to the Act include:

• Strengthening the role of elected officials in holding the Government accountable for sustainable development results;
• Collaborating closely with over 90 organizations across government to promote a single approach;
• Setting a time frame and measurable targets for the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy; and
• Setting a higher bar for transparency with improved reporting and oversight to elected officials and parliamentary bodies.

With these amendments, the Federal Sustainable Development Act will continue to highlight the Government of Canada's actions towards achieving a sustainable future.

Quotes

"This is an important step to bolster our federal sustainable development strategy, and to ensure it's done in a transparent and effective way. Canada is an environmental leader on the world stage, and those efforts begin at home."
? Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

• The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy sets out what the Government of Canada will do at a federal level to promote clean growth, ensure healthy ecosystems, and build safe, secure and sustainable communities over a three-year cycle.
• The Bill extends the Federal Sustainable Development Act's coverage from 26 federal organisations to more than 90, and enables further expansion of coverage over time.
• The Federal Sustainable Development Act already requires the Government to engage Canadians through public consultation on the draft Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, including through consultations with the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Advisory Council. The Bill would retain the consultation provisions and would strengthen the Council.
• Bill C-57 responds to the recommendations of the House Standing Committee of the Environment and Sustainable Development by increasing accountability of federal organizations for setting measurable and time-bound sustainable development targets, and reporting on progress.
• The amendments modernize the Act by providing the legal framework for developing and implementing a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy that makes decisions related to sustainable development more transparent and subject to accountability to Parliament.
• With the amendments, the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy will complement the 2030 Agenda National Strategy that is currently being developed by Employment and Social Development Canada.

Related products

• Minister McKenna's speech at Second Reading

Associated links

• Bill C-57, an Act to Amend the Federal Sustainable Development Act
• Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) 
• List of departmental sustainable development strategies
• Federal Sustainability for Future Generations ? a Report Following an Assessment of The Federal Sustainable Development Act

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada