2019–20 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
Office of the Auditor General of Canada2019–20 Departmental Plan
Supplementary Information Table
2019–20 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
April 2019
1. Context for the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
Although the Office of the Auditor General of Canada is not bound by the Federal Sustainable Development Act and is not required to develop a full departmental sustainable development strategy, the Office adheres to the principles of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) by implementing the Policy on Green Procurement.
The Policy on Green Procurement supports the Government of Canada’s effort to promote environmental stewardship. In keeping with the objectives of the policy, the Office supports sustainable development by integrating environmental performance considerations into the procurement decision-making process through the actions described in the “FSDS goal: low-carbon government” table in section 2.
2. Commitments for the Office of the Auditor General of Canada
FSDS goal: low-carbon government
| FSDS target | FSDS contributing action | Corresponding departmental action(s) | Support for United NationsUN Sustainable Development Goal target | Starting point(s), target(s), and performance indicator(s) for departmental actions | Link to the department’s Program Inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025. |
Support the transition to a low-carbon economy through green procurement. |
The Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s approach to implementing green procurement is to train key procurement personnel on green procurement including the federal government’s Policy on Green Procurement. |
Sustainable Development Goal target 12.7 |
Number and percentage of specialists in procurement and/or materiel management who have completed the Canada School of Public Service green procurement course or equivalent. |
Corporate Services |
3. Integrating sustainable development
The Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s main contribution to sustainable development is its ability to influence the actions of federal and territorial departments, agencies, and Crown corporations through its audit work and recommendations for improvement, including audits and recommendations of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. On behalf of the Auditor General of Canada, the Commissioner is responsible for auditing the federal government’s implementation of sustainable development strategies and the federal government’s management of environmental and sustainable development issues.
The Office will continue to integrate sustainable development into the planning and implementation of its direct engagements (performance audits and special examinations) by considering environmental and sustainable development issues when developing long-term audit plans and during the planning of individual direct engagements. This integration will be accomplished by having audit teams consult the Office’s Environment and Sustainable Development Guide along with the Office’s Internal Specialist—Environment and Sustainable Development.
Consideration of sustainable development issues will include goals and targets in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, departmental sustainable development strategies, and the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs). Integration of the SDGs in performance audits will build on the results of a risk assessment completed in the 2018–19 fiscal year on the SDGs as they pertained to performance audits.
The Office will also review and adjust its approach to monitoring the sustainable development strategies of government organizations, given that Bill C-57: An Act to amend the Federal Sustainable Development Act received royal assent in March 2019.