The Government of Canada is committed to greening its operations and supporting Canada's transition to a cleaner economy.
Today, the Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, jointly announced new initiatives to reach Canada's Net-Zero commitments.
As of April 1, 2023, major Government of Canada suppliers will now be compelled to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and set reduction targets.
The new Treasury Board Standard on the Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Setting of Reduction Targets outlines that federal government procurements over $25M should incent suppliers to disclose their GHG emissions and set reduction targets. Suppliers can fulfill this requirement through participation in Canada's Net-Zero Challenge or another approved internationally recognized and functionally equivalent standard or initiative.
Additionally, the new Treasury Board Standard on Embodied Carbon in Construction will require the reporting and reduction of the embodied carbon footprint of all new major government construction projects initially starting with concrete. Specifically, these projects must use lower carbon concrete, where available, so that the total GHG emissions associated with the project's concrete is at least 10% less than the regional average for concrete. This is an important step towards implementing a Buy Clean Strategy in federal government procurement.
Ministers also announced that more than 40 companies have now joined the Net Zero Challenge since it was launched in August 2022 - including Microsoft Canada, Aecon Group Inc., 3M Canada and Cogeco.
Going forward, the Net-Zero Challenge will not only be for businesses, but also for cities. We are committed to expand the program to public entities and local government to ensure all parts of the economy are moving toward net-zero.
The Net-Zero Challenge is a voluntary initiative that encourages businesses to develop and implement credible and effective plans to transition their facilities and operations to net-zero emissions.
Climate change is one of the greatest global challenges of our time and the Government of Canada is leading by example and committing to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and delivering a low-carbon, climate-resilient and clean-growth economy.
