What we examined (see Focus of the review)

This review focused on whether federal departments and agencies contributed to the goal of sustainably managed lands and forests in the 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

Why we did this review

This review is important because departmental results reports are intended to inform Parliament of actual departmental performance, as compared with the plans in departmental strategies. By reviewing progress, we can give assurance to Parliament on the quality of the reports. In turn, these reports can help Parliament and Canadians understand progress toward the goal of sustainably managed lands and forests. Forests are a valuable economic driver for Canada; they also support Canada’s biodiversity and provide a variety of ecosystem services, such as storing carbon dioxide and filtering air and water.

Overall message

Overall, we found that the departments and agencies were not required to report on their contributions toward the goals of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy in the supplementary tables of their 2017–18 departmental results reports. It was not clear how the reported results for the targets and actions that the departments and agencies had planned in their 2017–20 departmental sustainable development strategies contributed to the federal goal of sustainably managed lands and forests. In our view, the federal government cannot demonstrate progress on sustainable development unless federal departments and agencies plan and report on results that clearly indicate their contributions to federal goals and targets.

What we found about …

Federal sustainable development goal: Sustainably managed lands and forests

• Federal departments and agencies did not clearly indicate their contributions to the goal of sustainably managed lands and forests

Entity Responses to Recommendations

The audited entities agree with our recommendations and have responded (see List of Recommendations).

Related Information

Report of the	Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Type of product	Performance audit
Topics	Environment
Entities	Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions Department of Finance Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Natural Resources Canada Parks Canada
Completion date	11 June 2019
Tabling date	10 December 2019
Related audits	Report 4—Departmental Progress in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies, 2017 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Report 4—Review of the 2015 Progress Report of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, 2016 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Report 3—Departmental Progress in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies, 2015 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Chapter 5—Departmental Progress in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies, 2014 Fall Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Chapter 8—Federal and Departmental Sustainable Development Strategies, 2013 Fall Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable

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