2021 Reports 3 to 7 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of CanadaFederal departments and agencies did a poor job of reporting on actions to achieve federal sustainable development goals

Ottawa, 25 November 2021—Today, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Jerry V. DeMarco, released his review of selected government organizations’ reporting on their actions to implement sustainable development strategies. This year, the Commissioner examined 12 federal departments and agencies and reviewed their reported departmental actions under the heading of 3 goals set out in the 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy: healthy coasts and oceans, pristine lakes and rivers, and sustainable food.

Overall, the review found that reporting on actions to achieve the federal goals was poor. For the majority of these actions, federal departments and agencies did not follow guidance on reporting and important information was missing. Consequently, they did not report results for almost half their actions. Departments and agencies’ reporting should clearly describe the extent to which they met the actions in their sustainable development strategies, using relevant performance indicators.

“The reporting that departments and agencies provide on their actions to achieve the goals set out the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy should demonstrate transparency and accountability,” said Mr. DeMarco. “Gaps in reporting make it difficult for Parliamentarians and Canadians to understand progress being made against Canada’s sustainable development commitments.”

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The 2021 Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Report 6—Departmental Progress in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies—Healthy Coasts and Oceans, Pristine Lakes and Rivers, and Sustainable Food is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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