Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

The position of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development is the result of important changes to the Auditor General Act in 1995. These amendments encourage stronger performance by the federal government in environmental and sustainable development areas. A Brief History of CESD.

The Commissioner provides parliamentarians with objective, independent analysis and recommendations on the federal government's efforts to protect the environment and foster sustainable development.

Encouraging the government to be more accountable for greening its policies, operations, and programs is a key to the Commissioner's mandate.

Reports at a Glance

• Our performance audits look at whether activities designed to respond to federal environment and sustainable development policies are being implemented effectively and are delivering results. We select audit topics based on a range of considerations and input. We also monitor departmental progress on recommendations from past audits, and we conduct follow-up audits of activities reported on previously.

Monitoring sustainable development strategies

• Designated departments and agencies are required by law to prepare sustainable development strategies and update them every three years. These strategies are meant to be the main vehicle to drive responsible management, from an environmental and sustainable development perspective, throughout the federal government. We assess the quality of the strategies, and we monitor and report on the progress of departments and agencies in meeting selected commitments made in their strategies.

Managing the petitions process for Canadians

• The petitions process was established by Parliament to make sure Canadians can get timely answers from federal ministers on specific environmental and sustainable development issues that involve federal jurisdiction. Petitions have prompted such action by federal departments as new environmental projects, follow-up on alleged violations, and changes or clarifications in policies and practices. The full text of petitions and responses can be found in the petitions catalogue.