Archived: Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2016-17, Environment and Climate Change Canada, chapter 2

Target 1.1: Climate Change Mitigation

Relative to 2005 emission levels, reduce Canada’s total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions 17% by 2020.

• Expected impact of actions to meet the reduction target

Target 1.2: Climate Change Adaptation

Facilitate reduced vulnerability of individuals, communities, regions and economic sectors to the impacts of climate change through the development and provision of information and tools. 

• Measuring adaptation is complex, given the broad nature and scope of potential impacts. In the short term, measurement for the FSDS will focus on measures of the performance of specific government actions that are expected to be available for inclusion in the next FSDS Progress Report. These may be complemented in the future by additional indicators that measure adaptation outcomes for Canada more broadly.

Target 2.1: Outdoor Air Pollutants

Improve outdoor air quality by ensuring compliance with new or amended regulated emission limits by 2020 and thus reducing emissions of air pollutants in support of Air Quality Management System (AQMS) objectives.

• Air pollutant emissions of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and ammonia

Target 3.3: Great Lakes - Canadian Areas of Concern

Take federal actions to restore beneficial uses for delisting 5 Canadian Areas of Concern (AOC) and to reduce the number of Impaired Beneficial Uses in the remaining Areas of Concern by 25% by 2019.

• Restoring the Great Lakes Areas of Concern

Target 3.4: Great Lakes

Contribute to the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes by developing and gaining bi-national acceptance of objectives for the management of nutrients in Lake Erie by 2016 and for the other Great Lakes as required.

• Phosphorus levels in the Great Lakes

Target 3.5: St. Lawrence River

Take federal actions to reduce pollutants in order to improve water quality, conserve biodiversity and ensure beneficial uses in the St. Lawrence River by 2016.

• Phosphorus levels in the St. Lawrence River

Target 3.6: Lake Simcoe and South-eastern Georgian Bay

Reduce an estimated 2000 kg of phosphorus loadings to Lake Simcoe by 2017, which will support the Province of Ontario’s target to reduce phosphorus inputs into Lake Simcoe to 44 000 kg/year by 2045.

Reduce an estimated 2000 kg of phosphorus loadings to South-eastern Georgian Bay watersheds by 2017. 

• Reducing phosphorus loads to Lake Simcoe

Target 3.7: Lake Winnipeg Basin

By 2017, reduce phosphorus inputs to water bodies in the Lake Winnipeg Basin, in support of the Province of Manitoba’s overall plan to reduce phosphorus in Lake Winnipeg by 50% to pre-1990 levels.

• Nitrogen and phosphorus levels in Lake Winnipeg
• Reducing phosphorus loads to Lake Winnipeg

Target 3.9: Marine Pollution - Disposal at Sea

Ensure that permitted disposal at sea is sustainable, such that 85% of disposal site monitoring events do not identify the need for site management action (such as site closure) from 2013 to 2016.

• Monitored disposal at sea sites requiring no management action

Target 3.11: Wastewater and Industrial Effluent

Reduce risks associated with effluent from wastewater (sewage) and industrial sectors by 2020.

• Wastewater effluent quality - percentage of wastewater systems whose releases achieve regulatory limits
• Wastewater effluent loading - loading of biological oxygen demand matter and suspended solids
• Metal mining effluent quality - percentage of facilities whose releases achieve regulatory limits
• Pulp and paper effluent quality - percentage of facilities whose releases achieve regulatory limits

Target 3.12: Water Resource Management

Facilitate sustainable water resource management through the collection of data and the development and dissemination of knowledge from 2013 to 2016.

• Overall client satisfaction index, on a scale of 1 (unsatisfactory) to 10 (excellent) towards ECCC’s delivery of the Hydrometric Program

Target 4.1: Species at Risk

By 2020, populations of species at risk listed under federal law exhibit trends that are consistent with recovery strategies and management plans.

• Species at risk population trends

Target 4.2: Migratory Birds

Improve the proportion of migratory bird species that meet their population goals.

• Population Status of Canada's Migratory Birds

Target 4.3: Terrestrial Ecosystems and Habitat Stewardship

Contribute to the proposed national target that by 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters are conserved through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures

Habitat-conserved indicators:

• Land secured by ECCC and partners as a percentage of the total amount needed to achieve waterfowl population goals.
• Total land area and shoreline that have been improved or restored to benefit wildlife under the Habitat Stewardship Program
• Total land area identified that is key to the conservation of migratory birds and species at risk
• Percentage of total terrestrial territory (including inland waters) conserved in protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.

Target 4.6: Invasive Alien Species

By 2020, pathways of invasive alien species introductions are identified, and risk-based intervention or management plans are in place for priority pathways and species.

• Number of known new invasive alien species in Canada, by federal regulatory status
• Percent of federally regulated foreign invasive alien species not established in Canada

Target 4.7: Environmental Disasters, Incidents and Emergencies

Environmental disasters, incidents and emergencies are prevented or their impacts mitigated.^Footnote 1

• Number of environmental emergencies at facilities subject to environmental emergency regulations

Target 4.8: Chemicals Management

Reduce risks to Canadians and impacts on the environment and human health posed by releases of harmful substances.^Footnote 2

Indicators:^Footnote 3

• Reduce releases of harmful substances (mercury, cadmium, lead and isoprene) to the environment (air and water)
• Reduce concentrations of harmful substances in the environment - In 80% of drainage regions where Canadian or Federal Environmental Quality Guidelines are not exceeded for selected substances:
  • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in fish and sediment
  • Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in water and fish