Government of Canada moving towards low-carbon economy
News release
For immediate release
November 30, 2018 - Ottawa, Ontario - Public Services and Procurement Canada
Public sector leadership is critical to achieving Canada's goals for environmental and sustainable development. The Government of Canada will play its part by taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from federal operations and by increasing the resiliency of assets, services and operations to adapt to the changing climate.
Following an open and competitive process, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) awarded a contract to Canada's Sustainability Solutions Group, a full-service climate and sustainability planning firm, to develop a roadmap that will address the decarbonization of federal operations in buildings and lands as well as in federal leased properties in the National Capital Region.
The roadmap, to be developed over the next year, will be one of the tools used to inform capital investment decisions, guide future collaborative work with other levels of government and enable low-carbon federal operations. The roadmap will be designed using input from federal departments, provinces, municipalities, Indigenous communities, academia and industry in order to achieve the government's broader low-carbon objectives.
"Greener practices have environmental, economic and social benefits for all Canadians, including improved air and water quality, and reduced operating costs. This is why our government is taking a broad approach to decreasing the impact of its activities. Through our low-carbon roadmap, we are proud to play a leadership role in designing better and more sustainable government buildings."
The Honourable Carla Qualtrough
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
"We're committed to a cleaner, more innovative economy that reduces emissions and protects our environment while providing good, middle-class jobs for Canadians. Making our buildings more sustainable and climate resilient and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from federal operations may ultimately also provide solutions for communities across Canada."
The Honourable Scott Brison
President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government
Quick facts
The value of the contract awarded to Sustainability Solutions Group is $2,024,018 (including taxes).
As one of the largest real property owners in Canada, the federal government has already implemented a number of initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations, including smart building technology, green procurement, and more generally, the Greening Government Strategy.
Most of the federal GHG emissions come from energy required for Government of Canada buildings (88%) and its vehicle fleet (12%).
The Government of Canada tracks its energy use and its greenhouse gas emissions as part of the Greening Government Strategy. We are aiming to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050 relative to 2005 levels, building on the 40% reduction promised by 2030. Collectively, as of March 31, 2017, we have reduced GHG emissions from federal operations by 28%.
PSPC has already exceeded the 40% reduction federal target by reporting a 54% reduction in 2017, compared to 2005 levels, for its Crown-owned assets.
