Performance Report FY 01-02

SD Performance Report 01-02 PDF File - 421K

Table Of Contents

• Executive Summary
• Public Works and Government Services Canada
• Background

1. Goal No. 1:
   PWGSC will green its operations as a custodian and provider of facilities and common-use office space to federal departments and agencies
   1. Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
   2. Reduce Energy Consumption
   3. Implement Environmental Management Systems
   4. Implement Means to Comply More Effectively with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA)
   5. Responsible Management of Hazardous Waste
   6. Responsible Management of Asbestos
   7. Implement Integrated Pest Management
   8. Responsible Management of Contaminated Sites
   9. Develop and Implement Environmental Emergency Response Plans
   10. Responsible Management of Ozone-Depleting Substances
   11. Reduce Water Consumption
   12. Responsible Management of Tenant Office Waste
   13. Develop and Implement Environmentally Responsible Leasing Practices
2. Goal No. 2:
   PWGSC will green the services it provides to federal departments and agencies in its role as a common-service agent
   1. Expand Use of e-Purchasing-Cataloguing Application
   2. Increase Capacity to Deliver Real Property Projects in an Environmentally Responsible Manner
   3. Facilitate Green Procurement in Government
   4. Green Services as Property Manager of Other Custodial Departments' Properties
   5. Reduce Paper Consumption in Services Provided to Client Departments
   6. Provide Tools to Green Federal Government Travel
3. Goal No. 3:
   PWGSC will green its internal operations
   1. Reduce Paper Consumption in PWGSC
   2. Develop and Deliver Environmental Training Programs for Employees of PWGSC
   3. Increase Internal Purchases of Environmentally Responsible Goods and Services
   4. Green PWGSC Fleet Activities
   5. Increase Environmental Awareness in PWGSC Employees
   6. Encourage Green Travel within PWGSC

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is currently working toward fulfilling the three goals set out in its second Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS 2000). Simply put, PWGSC is seeking to "green" its facilities, to"green" the services that it makes available to other federal departments and agencies, and to "green" its own internal operations. This summary reviews PWGSC's performance during Fiscal Year 2001-2002 and its progress toward meeting the targets associated with each goal.

Excellent progress is being made. Of the 43 departmental targets:

• five have been achieved ahead of schedule including three by more than 25-percent of the target;
• 19 have been achieved on schedule;
• 16 are still in progress (deadline dates are still in the future);
• one was missed for reasons outside of the department's control; and,
• two targets exist where data is not available or is inconclusive.

Overall, we are reducing the environmental footprint of our facilities. We have developed an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and in particular, have achieved full ISO registration of the Esquimault Graving Docks. Reductions of our Greenhouse Gas Emissions are on-track to meet our long-term Kyoto related target. Hazardous materials have been removed from service, we have improved our waste management practices and are on-track to do more. We have taken steps to improve our leasing practices.

As a common service agency, we are assisting other departments in the greening of their operations. We have taken steps to make the delivery of real property projects and property management services more environmentally responsible. We have expanded e-Purchasing and found other ways to reduce paper consumption related to the services we offer. There is now a tool provided to facilitate green travel and we are on-track to facilitate green purchasing by others.

PWGSC has also "greened" our internal operations through the reduction of our own paper consumption, increased purchases of environmentally responsible goods and services and the use of alternative fuel vehicles in our vehicle fleet. We have also taken positive steps to increase environmental awareness in our own employees.

Last fiscal year, the department significantly improved its environmental management processes as it brought itself in line with ISO requirements, making the achievement of targets more reliable. While there is great room for optimism, it should also be recognised that the achievement of several of the remaining targets will not be easy. Some can best be viewed as "stretch" targets.

While much has been achieved, success will likely breed expectations that are even higher. The challenge will be to find new and cost-effective means to further reduce environmental impacts while continuing to support other key initiatives such as long-term costs reductions and broader government objectives. A significant challenge will also exist to share the means of achieving our successes with others, whether in the public or private sectors, so that they may achieve the same.

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) was created in June 1993 through the amalgamation of Public Works Canada, Supply and Services Canada, the Government Telecommunications Agency, and the Translation Bureau.

PWGSC's operating environment is complex and our activities are broad in scope. The department has approximately 12,000 employees, supporting the work of more than 100 federal departments and agencies. The department provides office accommodation for some 179,000 public servants and parliamentarians who work in more than 2,500 locations across the country.

PWGSC manages a diverse real property portfolio, including some 400 buildings worth more than $6.8 billion, and administers more than 2,000 leases every year in every province and territory. The department's real property portfolio also includes wharves, dams, bridges, housing and unoccupied lands, for a total of more than 1,900 real property assets.

As the nation's largest contracting agent, PWGSC annually issues over 50,000 contracts for approximately $8 billion of goods and services on behalf of its client departments, representing about 60-percent of the federal government's contracting in goods and services.

Through Government Telecommunications and Informatics Services (GTIS), PWGSC provides electronic infrastructure services to support government operations, information management and information technology (IM/IT) services. It acts as a key delivery agent of the government's IM/IT Federated Infrastructure, which provides a secure delivery channel for electronic commerce and electronic service delivery government-wide.

PWGSC also performs the government's Receiver General functions, prepares the Public Accounts, banks and disburses all public money for the government, and administers the government's payroll and pension plans.

Our goal at PWGSC is to provide the best value for taxpayers' dollars in common and central services for the Government of Canada, with due regard for the important values of prudence, probity and transparency. By focusing on what PWGSC does best, providing cost-effective services to government, we help departments focus on what they do best.

n accordance with the 1995 amendments to the Auditor General Act, Ministers tabled their first Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) in Parliament in 1997. The legislation calls for updates to the SDS to be submitted at least once every three years.

Each fall, Departmental Performance Reports are tabled in Parliament to report on departmental activity over the previous fiscal year. Beginning in FY 2000/2001, the SDS portion of the PWGSC Departmental Performance Report referenced a separate, more detailed account of the progress of the department toward meeting its SDS objectives. The same approach has been followed this year and has been adopted as PWGSC's practice for reporting against its SDS commitments.

Since tabling its first SDS in 1997, PWGSC has been engaged in a process of continuous learning and improvement. Data collection systems have been developed and modified. The initial SDS targets were refined to enhance measurability of performance. Reporting mechanisms have been adjusted to better align with existing frameworks. At the heart of this ongoing effort is the attainment of the following aims:

• to integrate a comprehensive Environmental Management System (EMS) into PWGSC's overall management framework and ensure environmental performance is achieved and sustained according to established objectives;
• to green PWGSC's operations, using a pollution-prevention approach to meet or exceed requirements of applicable environmental regulations and policies;
• to green PWGSC's daily activities by practising Green Citizenship; and
• to assist clients in their initiatives to green operations wherever feasible, and purchase environmentally responsible goods and services.

This report will examine each of these broad aims, looking at specific targets, performance highlights, areas of concern and corrective action planned.

PWGSC will green its operations as a custodian and provider of facilities and common-use office space to federal departments and agencies.

About Greenhouse Gas Reductions

PWGSC is a full participant in the Federal House-in-Order (FHIO) initiative aimed at identifying opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The FHIO initiative is the Government of Canada's own contribution to the National Action Program on Climate Change. The purpose of the initiative is to demonstrate leadership by reducing GHG emissions from federal government operations. Canada's Kyoto Protocol commitment is to reduce the country's GHG emissions by 2008/2010 to a level six-percent below the 1990 level.

PWGSC conducted a building energy-use assessment to identify the potential for energy efficiency and GHG emission reductions. The assessment resulted in PWGSC's GHG emission reduction strategy and a three-year action plan. The department is on track to reduce PWGSC emissions, by 2010, to a level 19-percent below the 1990 level; considerably exceeding Kyoto Protocol targets. (This excludes contributions from "green power" purchases).

To ensure that these projects take priority, a special PWGSC program for the implementation of building energy initiatives has been established. The scope of these activities is as follows:

• comprehensive building energy audits;
• building operations refinements (recommissioning);
• implementation of Federal Buildings Initiative (FBI) projects where they are cost effective;
• implementation of the National Capital Area central heating plant strategy; and
• establishment of a national energy management reporting protocol.

A key strategy under PWGSC's SDS 2000 commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is the purchase of green power, which the department is tasked to undertake on behalf of the federal government. To date, PWGSC has achieved the following:

• it has established an interdepartmental management infrastructure;
• it has signed Memoranda of Understanding with suppliers having green power production capabilities (SaskPower, Maritime Electric in PEI, Nova Scotia Power, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, and New Brunswick Power); and
• it is negotiating with Nova Scotia Power and New Brunswick Power to secure an annual 190 gigawatt hour (GWh) supply of green power. The department also plans to issue, on or before December 31, 2002, a Request for Proposal for an annual purchase of 225 GWh of electricity from renewable resources in Alberta and Ontario.

About Energy Consumption

Energy efficiency is a key component of PWGSC operating practices and has reduced building energy consumption over the past decade. However, energy consumption is on the rise again in response to increasing inventory demands, and these demands are expected to continue to escalate over the next ten years.

The Federal Buildings Initiative (FBI) program is being evaluated to assess its applicability to PWGSC building stock with floor areas of under 10,000 square metres. To date, 44-percent of PWGSC office space (48 buildings) have received energy-saving upgrades under the FBI program. The 29 contracts, which cost $40 million, will save $6.5 million a year, so that the upgrades will pay for themselves in six years. Crown-funded energy-saving upgrades were implemented in an additional 20-percent of PWGSC office space (139 buildings). With the FBI and Crown-funded energy-saving upgrades combined, 60-percent of PWGSC office building space has been upgraded.

The National Master Specification (NMS) is a specification guide for both public- and private-sector specification writers. The NMS is a library of master specifications with some 720 separate sections covering all aspects of the construction industry for both vertical and horizontal construction. The NMS is a "delete master". This means PWGSC must try to ensure the NMS contains everything that a designer would need to tell a contractor delivering a new or renovated construction project or facility. In reality, even in PWGSC projects, about 25-percent of the information in the average project specification is derived from sources other than the NMS. Departmental Policy 039 (Use of the National Master Specification) specifies that the NMS must be used as the basis for producing construction specifications on projects done by or for PWGSC. The Department of National Defence has a similar policy.

Adding Specification Notes to the NMS outlining the use of more energy-efficient equipment in the construction of facilities is just one of the many actions that have been taken by the NMS Secretariat. Other environmentally responsible strategies include writing articles on construction waste and demolition, contaminated sites, hazardous material remediation, water use efficiency, greenhouse gas reduction initiatives and ozone-depleting substances. All of these initiatives affect PWGSC projects and their impact filters down to construction projects in general in Canada. The NMS is seen internationally as a model on how to include environmentally responsible activities and products in everyday construction.

About Environmental Management System Implementation

The PWGSC Environmental Management System (EMS) Manual was published on-line on the department's intranet site in the Fall of 2001. Branches are developing their respective Environmental Management Systems in keeping with the corporate direction.

In FY 2000/2001, an internal Real Property Services (RPS) branch EMS Review indicated that the RPS EMS had reached 100-percent conformance with three of five ISO 14001 elements, and 90-percent conformance with the remaining two elements. An EMS Manual was required to achieve full conformance with the remaining two elements. During FY 2001/2002 RPS completed its EMS Manual and released it as an interim draft, pending translation and completion of the full approval process through the RPS Policy Network. RPS retained the Canadian General Standards Board CGSB, an ISO 14001 Registrar, to verify that the RPS EMS was consistent with the requirements detailed in the ISO 14001:1996 Standard. In their review of the RPS EMS Manual, CGSB found only three minor non-conformances with ISO 14001, and recommended that RPS could proceed with a pre-registration audit. Two of the three non-conformances have been rectified. The remaining non-conformance will be addressed with the updating of the Departmental Policy 074 - the PWGSC Environmental Policy during FY 2002-2003.

Facility-level target

The verification of the RPS corporate elements at the facility-level is achieved through the Environmental Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Review. The criteria stipulated for the EMS portion of the review has been expanded to articulate clearly what must be in place so that the facility is fully conforming to the RPS EMS. Through the continued application of the KPI for EMS, full conformance with the RPS EMS is achieved and assured.

About CEAA Compliance

PWGSC assesses the environmental effects of its projects in accordance with the provisions and regulations of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). CEAA sets out the responsibilities and procedures involved in conducting environmental assessments (EAs) of projects in which the federal government holds decision-making authority. The purpose of the Act is to ensure that environmental impacts are considered before action is taken; to promote sustainable development; to ensure an efficient EA process; to eliminate or minimize adverse environmental effects; and to provide for public participation.

Under CEAA, PWGSC must conduct an EA before it:

• commits to carry out a project;
• provides financial assistance to a proponent to enable a project to be carried out;
• sells, leases, disposes of or otherwise transfers control or administration of land to enable a project to carried out; or,
• issues a regulatory approval to permit a project to be carried out.

The level of environmental assessment required will vary, depending on the nature of the project and the significance of any potential environmental impacts. Most projects are assessed relatively quickly under what is known as a screening level environmental assessment, as opposed to the more rigorous comprehensive study process.

Environmental assessment is also a useful tool for ensuring that other legislation, such as the Fisheries Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, are considered during a project's planning stages. In addition, CEAA ensures that social and economic issues are considered in a project's development and design.

During the 2001/2002 fiscal year, PWGSC continued to apply CEAA legislation to its proposed undertakings. This commitment is reiterated in PWGSC's Environmental Policy, Departmental Policy 074.

PWGSC has fulfilled the requirements of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) target by completing a three-year compliance monitoring framework which was developed and implemented for environmental assessment quality assurance. Completion of the program involved implementation of the action items identified to improve the National EA Program. Such actions included holding the first National Workshop of EA Regional Coordinators, delivering EA training for PWGSC staff, and creating procedural guidelines.

PWGSC continues to use CEAA checklists to document whether proposed projects are legally required to conduct an environmental assessment. The checklists are tracked using both manual and electronic reporting systems. In 2001/2002, it was reported that 1,631 PWGSC proposals were assessed to determine whether CEAA requirements applied. Of these, 1,550 were exempted from EA requirements, either because they were not "projects" as defined by the Act, or because they were projects listed in the Exclusion List Regulations. The remaining 81 projects required EAs. Only one project required a comprehensive study. The other 80 projects required EA screenings. At the end of the fiscal year, 63 of the screenings had been completed and the remaining 17 were on-going.

During 2001/2002, PWGSC worked on means to better monitor the number of projects requiring EAs, including improvement of the CEAA Checklist in our Project Business Management System (PBMS) and the related electronic checklist reporting system.

Besides conducting EAs during 2001/2002, PWGSC undertook other initiatives to ensure CEAA compliance, high-quality EA practices, and consistency amongst regional EA practitioners.

For example, PWGSC introduced the Guide for Environmental Assessment Follow-Up and Monitoring for use by EA practitioners and project managers. The Guide enables them to determine when and how to implement EA follow-up programs and use mitigation monitoring techniques.

PWGSC also began to develop the Environmental Assessment Officer's Guide as a supplement to the department's Environmental Assessment Manual for PWGSC, which was initiated in the previous fiscal year. The Guide is intended to help EA practitioners conduct and prepare nationally consistent EA analyses and reports.

In addition, the first Environmental Assessment National Workshop was held in December 2001; EA practitioners from every region and representatives from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency attended. Workshop outcomes included commitments to:

• develop national EA report templates and terms of reference;
• develop topic-specific reference guides to improve the efficiency of CEAA implementation;
• make recommendations to further tailor the department's CEAA monitoring framework;
• implement the framework's Quality Assurance Program in 2002/2003;
• develop tools to better track and report on the number of projects requiring EAs and to ensure that the CEAA is considered early in the planning process; and,
• develop best practices to clarify roles and responsibilities throughout the EA process.

Many of these items, such as the Environmental Assessments for Real Property Services' Projects were started and completed in 2001/2002, while others will be undertaken in 2002/2003 or in future years. To maintain communication among regions, monthly teleconferences have been initiated and continue to be held to provide a forum for sharing information about best practices and the achievement of the above-mentioned objectives.

Further to its commitment to improve departmental EA practices, PWGSC continued to deliver a one-day training session entitled Introduction to Environmental Assessment . The purpose of the EA course is to help employees understand and apply federal EA legislation and procedures. During FY 2001-2002, the course increased delivery and participation. Implementation by PWGSC EA practitioners was very successful and generated much positive feedback.

Strategic Environmental Assessments

Although not mandated under the CEAA, strategic environmental assessments (SEAs) provide a process for evaluating the environmental effects of policies, plans or programs and their alternatives. SEA direction is found in the 1999 Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals. During 2001/2002, PWGSC completed a number of SEAs for departmental plans and policies. These SEA processes and the resulting lessons learned continue to provide guidance for future PWGSC SEA projects.

About Hazardous Materials Management

Hazardous Materials

PWGSC has a list of more than 260 hazardous materials currently in use throughout its facilities. The main hazardous materials present in PWGSC facilities include oils, glycol, fluorescent lamps, batteries and cleaning solvents. Some of these materials are more toxic than others. Some have been targeted by Canadian environmental legislation for elimination or life-cycle management. Hazardous materials not targeted should still be considered for 3R management opportunities: reduce (e.g., practise material substitution, perform preventive maintenance, use appropriate purchasing and inventory management techniques); reuse (e.g., modify equipment, install alternative equipment on site); and recycle (e.g., practise on-site or off-site recycling).

PWGSC Departmental Policy 037, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Policy, requires that, "prior to purchasing chemical/hazardous products for the workplace, Managers in charge of worksites and Supervisors should determine if a suitable substitute can be purchased that is not hazardous or that is less hazardous".

The Protocol to Promote the Use of Alternative Hazardous Materials and/or Processes for PWGSC was developed in order to meet the requirements of PWGSC Departmental Policy 037 and SDS Objective 1.5.

There are financial as well as environmental considerations in reducing the use of hazardous materials. In general, buying hazardous material alternatives may cost more but, on the other hand, disposing of hazardous waste may cost many times more than disposing of normal waste.

When it is not possible to use non-hazardous material, PWGSC licenses private-sector disposal firms to dispose of hazardous wastes through long-term contracts. The contracts stipulate that all applicable Acts and Regulations must be adhered to during all stages of removal and final disposal. PWGSC receives Certificates of Disposal for all its hazardous materials. A typical PWGSC office facility generates fewer than 100 kg of hazardous waste per year, and that amount is diminishing every year.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were widely used prior to 1980 as a dielectric fluid in electrical equipment enhancing conductivity in transformers. They pose a serious threat if released into the environment or involved in a fire. The by-products of their combustion, if burned at too low a temperature, are dioxins and furans, which are carcinogens. All 35 tonnes of PCB waste materials held in PWGSC storage in 2001/2002 were transferred for destruction.

The percentage of PWGSC Crown-owned inventory considered to be PCB-free declined slightly from the previous year to 57-percent, due to more accurate information collection during the past year. There are no longer any askarel-filled transformers in the PWGSC inventory. In the National Capital Area (NCA), six transformers with a concentration of more than 50 parts per million of PCBs remain, but are undergoing decontamination. The success of this decontamination process has yet to be determined, due to technical problems with the program. Virtually all the PCBs left in PWGSC buildings are in lighting ballasts. These are routinely removed as refits, renovations, maintenance procedures, and energy-conservation measures are implemented. It is therefore anticipated that the year-by-year elimination of PCBs will be gradual.

Environment Canada is currently reviewing the regulations that govern PCB storage and disposal and has been involved in public meetings and discussions with other departments regarding the proposed changes to the Regulations.

Standing offers for PCB disposal have been established across the country as a service to PWGSC and other government departments.

Objective 1.6
Responsible Management of Asbestos

*This target was modified by the Report of Plans and Priorities for FY 2002/2003. Please visit http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20022003/rGSC___e.pdf for details.

About Asbestos Management

Asbestos is the common name for a group of naturally occurring mineral silicates best described as having long, thin, easily separated fibres. Because they are naturally occurring, asbestos fibres can be found virtually anywhere. Asbestos is primarily used as an insulating material and a fire retardant.

Two main classes of materials contain asbestos:

• Friable materials - when dry, these can be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand
• Non-friable materials - these remain intact under hand pressure

Because of the health risks (lung cancer and other diseases) associated with exposure to asbestos and to asbestos dust in particular, friable products are now banned from production.

Asbestos Management Plan

PWGSC is highly involved in the stewardship of federal buildings. Departmental Policy 057, Asbestos Management, provides the department with a framework for asbestos management. The policy includes a code of practice with guidelines for monitoring, reporting, communicating, training and conducting of assessments and surveys. The PWGSC Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) has been developed to meet federal and provincial regulatory requirements.

The AMP was developed to enable the department to:

• identify all friable asbestos materials;
• maintain all accessible friable asbestos materials in good condition;
• prevent unintended asbestos exposures to client staff and visitors, contractors, and PWGSC staff;
• manage all construction and maintenance activities that might disturb asbestos materials; and,
• comply with all federal, provincial, territorial and municipal requirements for occupational health and safety, and environmental control.

In 2001/2002, PWGSC implemented AMPs in 72-percent (167 of 233) of its facilities identified as containing asbestos. The relative percentage remains unchanged from 2000/2001 for the following reasons:

• AMPs are only implemented in buildings where asbestos may be disturbed due to renovation or retrofit projects, or maintenance. Facilities may be listed as containing asbestos, yet have no AMP because the asbestos is contained in locations where it poses no risk to health.
• The number of buildings identified as containing asbestos fluctuates because initial asbestos surveys cannot always determine the presence of asbestos. Asbestos may not be discovered until a building's walls and ceilings are removed to expose the inner cavities. This is not practical during the initial survey, nor is it recommended, as there is no threat of exposure from contained asbestos. Consequently, a major renovation or retrofit project requiring the removal of a wall or ceiling may reveal asbestos that, until then, has not been found. With the passage of time, increasing numbers of major retrofits can be expected to result in the identification of additional buildings containing asbestos, allowing its progressive removal.
• The sale or demolition of older facilities is progressively reducing the inventory of asbestos-containing buildings.

Objective 1.7
Implement Integrated Pest Management

About Integrated Pest Management

PWGSC is responsible for protecting personnel and the integrity of property from the harmful effects of pests. Any decision to use chemical control measures must follow a careful assessment of the value of the asset at risk and the potential damage to personal health. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is defined as a decision-making process that uses cultural, natural, mechanical and chemical controls to suppress pests effectively, economically and in an environmentally sound manner. Applying IPM minimizes any adverse environmental impact and risk associated with using pesticides. The PWGSC Guidance Document on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Sustainable Landscape Design and Maintenance is now available as a PDF document, downloadable through the departmental intranet site. This will assist the Client Service Units in developing and assessing their IPM programs.

In October 2001, representatives of federal custodial departments and agencies established a Working Group under the Federal Committee on Environmental Management Systems (FCEMS) so as to have a formal mechanism for developing a standard approach for pest management decisions in federal government operations. The mandate of the Working Group, co-chaired by PWGSC and National Defence, was to ensure that current directives, policies and initiatives of the federal government are consistent with Integrated Pest Management principles and practices, beginning with lawn care.

Guidance for the Implementation of IPM in Federal Government Operations was drafted by the working group as a first step towards developing a general policy that could be adopted by all federal custodial departments and agencies. The document is currently being circulated in both official languages within all departments and agencies to gather comments before the Working Group reconvenes in the fall of 2002.

In addition, a National Best Practice on Integrated Pest Management has now been included in the RPS Environmental Management System Manual. This Best Practice reflects much of the approach recommended in FCEMS draft document on Integrated Pest Management.

Objective 1.8
Responsible Management of Contaminated Sites

*This target was modified by the Report of Plans and Priorities for FY 2002/2003. Please visit http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20022003/rGSC___e.pdf for details.

About Responsible Management of Contaminated Sites

If managed improperly, contaminated lands, sediments and waters can be both a financial and a regulatory environmental burden. Dealing with a contaminated site involves assessing the site, evaluating the risk, doing careful remediation where warranted, and conducting continuous monitoring. By sharing and implementing best practices, existing contamination problems can be solved and future problems prevented.

Under the 2000/2001 contaminated sites program at PWGSC, significant progress was made in completing the environmental site assessment work. The number of sites that were assessed increased in 2001/2002. Assessments have been completed at 703 of the 850 sites on record. Five hundred and forty-three require no further action and 18 were remediated. Of the 144 sites where contamination was identified, remediation or risk management was ongoing at 44 sites and plans had been prepared for another 19.

The process of reconciling the Directory of Federal Real Property (DFRP) and PWGSC's Facility Inventory System (FIS) has created new challenges in defining the real property inventory. Formerly, targets involved only office buildings, as these structures were considered to pose the biggest environment risk for PWGSC. In 2000/2001, PWGSC included all types of assets (including office buildings, housing, infrastructure and land) in its reporting program, for an overall inventory of close to 1,400 assets. This increased the challenges and pressures facing our environmental management resources in meeting our contaminated sites targets. However, with resources provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat through its Federal Contaminated Sites Assessment Initiative, PWGSC was able to increase the number of sites assessed significantly, and to prepare management plans for known contaminated sites.

Regarding assets not formerly reported on, PWGSC continued to employ integrated risk management principles in order to complete the assessments in the most cost-effective manner. The majority of these assets include residences, infrastructures and unused lands which generally present a lower risk of contamination than more intensive-use sites such as buildings, where more contaminant sources may exist. As a result, PWGSC is completing screening-level reviews of these properties in order to evaluate past land use and to prioritize them in a more cost-effective manner for environmental site assessment activities. As for residences, a representative sampling approach has been taken to evaluate the presence of contamination in this type of land use.

Objective 1.9
Develop and Implement Environmental Emergency Response Plans

About Environmental Emergency Response Plans

An Environmental Emergency Response Plan (EERP) is designed to deal with events that threaten the environment and human health. It is an integral part of an infrastructure continuity plan (ICP), which is an emergency response plan aimed at dealing with threats that may affect the daily operations of a particular facility.

Under the provisions of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), a building or facility must have a plan in place for dealing with substances that may harm the environment or pose a risk to human health if they enter the environment as a result of an emergency. In keeping with that notion, PWGSC has taken on the task of developing EERPs and processes for its facilities, and of offering these services to all federally-owned or managed facilities. The ICP/EERP initiative is also a requirement under the Emergency Preparedness Act and supports PWGSC's departmental policies and Sustainable Development Strategy commitments.

Objective 1.10
Responsible Management of Ozone-Depleting Substances

About Managing Ozone-Depleting Substances Responsibly

Safeguarding the earth's ozone layer and preventing the accumulation of greenhouse gases are important international issues. To meet current standards and avoid adverse long-term environmental effects, PWGSC has targeted the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) because of their contribution to climate change and the depletion of the earth's ozone layer.

In 1987, Canada signed an international agreement known as the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Under this agreement, the production, import and export of ODSs and their use in certain situations have been or will be restricted or prohibited in accordance with the deadlines set in the Montreal Protocol and in its subsequent amendments. The Kyoto Protocol reinforces Canada's commitment to addressing climate change.

At PWGSC facilities, ODSs are used in chillers and in air-conditioning and refrigeration systems for the most part, which account for most of the traditional refrigerants such as chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) and alternative refrigerants such as hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) and hydrochloroflurocarbons (HCFCs). ODSs are also found in fire protection systems and extinguishers that use halons.

Based on the 2001/2002 ODS inventory, the following table summarizes the quantities of ODS materials contained in PWGSC equipment. These respective ozone-depleting and global warming potentials are expressed in terms of kilogram equivalents of baseline substances.

PWGSC 2001/2002 inventory of ODS equipment

PWGSC developed its 1992 CFC Management Strategy by adopting a phase-out approach commensurate with the Montreal Protocol. Therefore, rather than immediately replacing all CFC-containing equipment, PWGSC developed a systematic replacement, conversion and improvement approach. To date, equipment that could be converted has been, with a limited replacement of equipment. A new strategy focusing on our largest pieces of equipment which contain CFCs (chillers with a cooling capacity of over 100 tonnes) is being prepared.

Regulatory requirements relating to the management of ODS materials became more stringent with the introduction of the Federal Halocarbon Regulations (FHRs), 1999 under Part IX of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. These Regulations focus on refrigeration, air conditioning, solvent cleaning and fire protection systems for the federal house (Government of Canada operations and operations under federal jurisdiction). These Regulations, which came into effect on July 1, 1999, put in place new control measures for the end-use of ODSs and their halocarbon alternatives for activities in the federal house. The objectives are to minimize releases, require recovery and recycling, establish reporting mechanisms and to implement environmental awareness training. Training on the Regulations continued to be delivered to appropriate PWGSC staff in 2001/2002.

Objective 1.11
Reduce Water Consumption

About Water Consumption

Water conservation measures have been implemented in 65-percent of the PWGSC floor space in Crown-owned facilities. The remaining 35-percent of the Crown-owned inventory is being evaluated. It is suspected that it will not be cost-effective to implement water savings in approximately 30-percent of the remaining inventory because of the type of facility, i.e., warehouses, storage sheds, small office buildings, etc.

There are many barriers to implementing a consistent national water conservation program. In general, many of these barriers are linked to the inconsistent price of water, which varies from region-to-region and city-to-city. The price that PWGSC is charged for consumption varies similarly. In major centres in Ontario and Quebec, for example, the price of water may be five times higher than it is on both coasts (excluding Vancouver), a fact that directly affects the implementation of water conservation initiatives for every region. In other cases, the city charges a flat rate or includes the water charges in its property tax structure. Unless direct negotiations are undertaken, a successful water conservation program will not result in a lower water bill and will make cost-effectiveness impossible.

With this in mind, water conservation should and will remain on the PWGSC agenda. As demands on potable water increase and water treatment costs rise, the cost-effectiveness of a water conservation program will only increase in importance. Specific initiatives that are unfeasible today may become feasible in the future, and regions where water costs are low today may see sharp increases in the future. While continuing to implement the cost-effectiveness programs, PWGSC is positioning itself to continue implementing new programs as opportunities arise.

Objective 1.12
Responsible Management of Tenant Office Waste

*This target was modified by the Report of Plans and Priorities for FY 2002/2003. Please visit http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20022003/rGSC___e.pdf for details.

About Tenant Office Waste Management

Of the 767 landfills operating nation-wide, 41-percent will likely reach capacity within the next six years. The federal government's 1992 Green Plan acknowledged this issue by committing to divert from landfill 50-percent of the waste generated in its own operations by 2000 (relative to 1988 levels). Studies carried out by Environment Canada have established a 1998 benchmark of 190 kg per full-time equivalent employee per year for the overall waste-generation level (landfilled and diverted from landfill combined). A federal office worker generates about one-tenth the waste produced by a typical household, with paper fibre accounting for 86-percent.

PWGSC provides office accommodation for almost 200,000 federal servants working in more than 1,000 sites. In its capacity as common service provider, PWGSC is implementing an extensive office recycling program. The program, called Recycling for the Nation, involves educating occupants to either reuse their office supplies or place their office waste into special collection centres and containers so that the waste may be manufactured into new products such as office paper or file folders. More than 90-percent of normal office waste is potentially recyclable. The Ottawa offices of the Treasury Board Secretariat and Finance Canada were informed of their outstanding accomplishment during celebrations for Environment Week 2002. An enhanced motivational program is under development to honour workplaces that achieve exceptional performance.

When offices achieve outstanding recycling performance, six types of benefits occur:

• Recycling establishments may pay departments up to $6.00 per year per employee in supplementary funds for the waste they recycle;
• the cost to the taxpayer for landfill or incineration is reduced from $8.50 to $2.85 per year per employee;
• one tree is saved per year per employee;
• municipal waste disposal requirements decrease;
• a reduction of 0.09 metric tonnes in Greenhouse Gas emissions is achieved per year per employee; and,
• for every 25 workers, approximately one box of surplus office supplies, such as binders, is made available for donation either to charities or to local school boards.

Despite the target being achieved, PWGSC staff, through its Green Citizenship Network, has expressed a strong desire to perform within the top quartile of federal workers. In the National Capital Region, at PWGSC's Client Service Unit Office for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and in the Parliamentary Precinct, approximately 100 employees are operating a vermiculture composting system. In other locations, refundable beverage containers are collected with proceeds going to local charities. New communication tools and localised performance reporting systems are being piloted.

Canadians readily understand which types of paper, metals and glass are recyclable. However, they have trouble determining which plastics to recycle. This is the long-term educational challenge facing policy-makers. The large variety of plastics used in consumer product packaging, coupled with improper individual sorting and soiled products, makes it extremely difficult to obtain high-quality recyclable plastic from home or office recycling programs. A joint effort by the department, its service providers and municipalities has made the issue manageable to date. A continuing effort by all parties will be required in the future. The issue will have to be re-examined by the department in the coming years in terms of the cost-effectiveness of recycling plastic. As landfill capacity becomes scarce, European-style wet/dry municipal collection systems will become more prevalent in Canada. These next-generation systems reduce the amount of individual sorting. Halifax, Guelph and Edmonton are currently operating such systems.

Objective 1.13
Develop and Implement Environmentally Responsible Leasing Practices

About Environmentally Responsible Leasing Practices

PWGSC holds approximately 2,000 leases, representing some two million square metres of space. The standard leasing document requires landlords to:

• grant PWGSC the right to reuse existing improvements in space offered;
• ensure compliance with legislation;
• ensure the absence of hazardous materials (friable asbestos, formaldehyde and PCBs);
• ensure the provision of multi-material recycling and paper recycling programs where recycling facilities exist in the community;
• grant PWGSC the right to conduct environmental assessments of projects; and
• ensure that all workplace cleaning products are classified, labelled and environmentally responsible.

In addition, leases include a Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment clause that includes energy expenditures. This clause has been recognized as an effective energy-saving inducement and an innovative business practice. The CPI clause permits landlords to benefit financially from any energy-efficiency savings measures they implement.

Goal No. 2:

PWGSC will green the services it provides to federal departments and agencies, in its role as a common service agent.

Objective 2.1
Expand Use of e-Purchasing Application

About Use of e-Purchasing-Cataloguing

A lead departmental working group has been established to participate actively with PWGSC's Electronic Supply Chain Sector (ESCS) to meet the objectives of the Government of Canada Marketplace (GoCM), which is replacing e-Purchasing. This working group will provide a forum where client departments can work together with the ESCS project team, the GoCM service provider, and various PWGSC supply business areas, to prepare their organizations for GoCM implementation. The four participating departments are Transport Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and PWGSC.

In addition, ESCS convenes a committee called the Business Design Coordination Team (BDCT), which has representation from approximately 15 client departments as well as the ESC Steering Committee, which is chaired by the ADM Supply Operations Service Branch (SOSB). The ESC Steering Committee also has representation from approximately 15 client departments - although not necessarily the same departments that are part of the BDCT. The BDCT provides input into the functional design of the new service. The Steering Committee provides advice on strategies and the vision of a government-wide electronic procurement system that will meet the needs of PWGSC and its client community. The GoCM environment will be defined to support SDS commitments.

Objective 2.2
Increase Capacity to Deliver Real Property Projects in an Environmentally Responsible Manner

About Environmentally Responsible Project Delivery

The main activities targeted in this area are to complete the development of key tools used in the departmental Project Delivery System (PDS), and then to ensure that these tools are put into use.

The key tool which remained to be developed was a building environmental performance assessment system applied to the departmental Project Delivery System. A prototype building assessment tool based on the internationally recognized Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) system has been completed. A complementary BREEAM system already exists in the Department's asset management system related to Operations and Maintenance. Other tools which had already been developed include:

• The Generic Request for Proposals, incorporating Sustainable Development Principles;
• The Architects' Guide to the Sustainable Design of Office Buildings;
• The Environmentally Responsible Construction and Renovation Handbook, Ed. 2;
• The Green Office at a Glance;
• The RPS Construction, Renovation and Demolition Non-Hazardous Solid Waste Management Protocol; and,
• The Construction, Renovation and Demolition (CRD) Screening Tool.

While these tools have been developed, this area is rapidly evolving, and we are continuing to work with industry representatives to further enhance and improve them. We will also continue to examine departmental Project Delivery practices and update them as opportunities occur when it is feasible to do so. For example, the subject of investment and cost analysis will continue to be an area for research and development.

In the regions across Canada, several projects, in their planning stages, are already using this or another fully complementary system know as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^TM). These projects include new construction, such as the Government of Canada Buildings in Charlottetown, PEI and Vancouver, BC as well as major renovations such as the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, the CD Howe Building, L'Esplanade Laurier and the National Portrait Gallery of Canada, all in Ottawa.

The Athena^TM Environmental Impacts Estimator computer program has also been used to evaluate design alternatives for a number of projects on a demonstration basis. Finally, Natural Resources Canada's Commercial Buildings Incentive Program has also been successfully applied to two recent projects in the Gatineau, Quebec area to achieve improved energy performance in a lease proposal. This experience is being repeated for two additional projects in Ottawa Ontario.

Construction and demolition activities in Canada are the largest contributors to solid waste in landfills, accounting for between 25- and 30-percent of all waste. Ontario has implemented waste management regulations and a number of other provinces are in the process of developing similar measures. Municipalities across the country are imposing increasingly strict landfill bans on an ever-broadening range of construction materials. It is clear that PWGSC needs to adopt effective CRD waste management practices. Accordingly, the department will continue to work with organizations such as the Canadian Construction Association to achieve this objective.

The department has embarked on a program to incorporate CRD waste management more effectively into project delivery. There have been some notable successes. These include the demolition of Industry Canada's Electronics Testing Laboratory in Ottawa (99-percent diversion rate), the renovation of the East Memorial Block in Ottawa (89-percent diversion rate), and the decommissioning of the former United States naval base at Argentia, Newfoundland, where enormous amounts of construction material were diverted from landfill. Similar successes can be found in every region of the country.

Although PWGSC has made significant progress in managing CRD waste, a full evaluation of whether the 50-percent implementation target can be reached cannot be fully assessed. Reporting in this area is to be enhanced to capture more complete information for CRD projects. From the sample of data reported, 271 projects out of 742 (36-percent) have incorporated some CRD waste management initiatives for their project.

Objective 2.3
Facilitate Green Procurement in Government

About Green Procurement in Government

The Green Contracting Strategy (GCS) will need to be approved. Once the GCS is approved, PWGSC contracting sectors and regions will undertake supporting actions and will work with clients to ensure their needs are being met. PWGSC will encourage clients and employees to consider environmental impacts in making purchasing decisions.

The Green Procurement Network, a website for federal employees, is one of the tools that has been developed to help clients and employees become more aware of the environmental factors that need to be considered in making purchasing decisions.

PWGSC has provided venues where clients can meet suppliers of green goods and services.

Green procurement training is an important part of greening federal government procurement and it will be provided to all contracting officers. PWGSC is promoting the green procurement course with client departments. Green procurement training has also been given to 21 employees of other government departments.

Objective 2.4
Green Services as Property Manager of Other Custodial Departments' Properties

About Green Services as Property Manager of Other Custodial Departments' Properties

Where the Other Government Department (OGD) clients are custodians, PWGSC, upon request, will help develop their reporting mechanisms based on the current templates used within PWGSC. The mechanisms will be customized for the OGD to incorporate their own objectives and targets.

PWGSC will continue to provide environmental services currently offered to PWGSC property managers and OGD clients. It will continue to customize services based on specific needs expressed by the clients, e.g., laboratories, fleets, penitentiaries, etc.

The tracking and reporting capacities of PWGSC's Environmental Management System and Sustainable Development Strategy have been included in a menu of services offered to clients for incorporation into client agreements.

Objective 2.5
Reduce Paper Consumption in Services Provided to Client Departments

About Paper Reduction

Direct Deposit

Government Operational Service (GOS) saves more than two million kilograms of paper annually by issuing Government of Canada payments electronically.

During the 1990s, campaigns were carried out to encourage those receiving cheques to convert to direct deposit. Direct deposit is now a mature payment method. GOS continues to promote its use through enrolment forms available from financial institutions, as well as through the inclusion of the direct deposit option on applications for government benefits.

Each electronic payment saves 0.016 kilograms of paper, namely the weight of a cheque and an envelope. In baseline year 1991/1992, a total of 22,262,008 payments were issued electronically, saving approximately 360,000 kilograms, or 0.36 million kilograms of paper in all. The savings continued to increase in subsequent years as shown in the following graphs.

Greening Telecommunications Billing Details

The Telecommunications Sector of the Government Telecommunications and Informatics Services (GTIS) Branch delivers common telecommunications services to the government-wide community and acts as a broker in leveraging its buying power to provide the highest quality at the lowest prices.

For some years, the Telecommunications Sector has been proactively promoting the reduction of paper in the billing process. Thanks to the gradual streamlining of processes and improved electronic tools, Telecommunications clients were sold on the idea of moving towards electronic billing information. While minimum paper invoicing was maintained, Service Utility software enabled users to access detailed invoice information electronically from their desktops. This gave them the capability to perform customized reports on service usage and inventory information, allowing trend analysis and other management functions. At present, all 144 federal institutions have accepted the use of the Service Utility alternative to access detailed billing information electronically.

The implementation of the paper reduction process and the transition to Service Utility software was well received by clients, and achieved the following:

• it eliminated 1.5 million paper attachments, or the equivalent of approximately 300 boxes of paper, per year;
• it saved thousands of trees; and,
• it supported the statement from the 1999 Speech from the Throne, in which the federal government committed itself to becoming a model of environmental excellence in its own operations.

Taxi Management System

The old taxi management system used many types of paper for its settlement and notification procedures. Except for the actual taxi chits, the current system is paperless, since approval of the books and payment through the Enterprise Resource Planning Systems is done electronically.

Scanning, which is part of the proposed new release, would provide an electronic audit trail and improve storage and reporting.

Government Enterprise Network (GENet)

The Government Enterprise Network (GENet) is a Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol- (TCP/IP) based government-wide extranet that interconnects the networks of federal departments, agencies, boards, commissions and provinces. GENet allows access to common applications and information, as well as optional access to the global Internet. The dedicated departmental GENet connection includes a router, an access line and a fully managed network connection. Clients have a choice of two management services: standard (8 a.m. to 8 p.m., five days a week) or extended (24 hours a day, seven days a week).

GENet is an essential part of the federal information technology infrastructure and supports federal e-commerce and e-service delivery initiatives by providing access to information and services not available by any other means. A GTIS flagship offering, GENet serves over 100 departments and agencies.

GENet provides a broad range of connection options and speeds, including:

• Dedicated connections - DS0, multiple DS0 and DS1 across Canada; xDSL; Ethernet and ATM (2 Mbps to 100 Mbps); and
• Dial-up connection - analogue up to 56 kbps (local calling in over 70 sites, 1(800) for the rest of Canada and the U.S.) or ISDN up to 128 kbps.

As part of the Secure Remote Access (SRA) services, GENet is proving to be successful in all 21 participating departments, with the number of users growing daily. By June 2003, the entire service will have migrated to the new Secure Channel network.

Secure Applications and Key Management Service

Fast, simple and cost-effective - the Internet is the preferred means for exchanging electronic information and conducting commercial transactions. To implement electronic commerce in government, departments need two types of security services - confidentiality services and signature-based services. GTIS has the solution: its Secure Applications and Key Management Service (SAKMS) provides a robust public key infrastructure (PKI).

SAKMS delivers confidentiality services at the Protected "B" security level to prevent unauthorized disclosure of information that may violate the Privacy Act or Government of Canada security policy. Signature-based services (access control, proof of origin, data integrity and non-repudiation) are provided for actions requiring a certain level of authorization, perhaps because they establish a contractual commitment or involve access to costly resources.

SAKMS has proven its worth - it has provided PKI security technology for the past five years and it services more than half of all government departments. SAKMS received national attention as a finalist in two different categories of the Distinction Awards, a program run by Technology in Government (GTEC).

Objective 2.6
Provide Tools to Green Federal Government Travel

About Green Federal Government Travel

The Accommodation Directory for Government Employees provides lists, by city, of hotels that offer special rates on accommodation for employees travelling on official government business in the performance of their duties. In an effort to provide employees with environmentally responsible choices, the Directory provides information about a hotel's membership in the Green Leaf program and now permits employees to search the Directory by Green Leaf rating.

The Hotel Association of Canada Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Program is a graduated rating system designed to identify hotels committed to improving their environmental performance. The program, managed by TerraChoice Environmental Services, recognizes environmental achievements by rewarding one to five green leaves: one for a minimum commitment to a set of environmental principles and two to five for results in applying those principles.

Goal No. 3:

PWGSC will green its internal operations.

Objective 3.1
Reduce Paper Consumption in PWGSC

About Paper Consumption in PWGSC

The number of boxes of paper supplied by the Materiel Management Division (MMD) to the department decreased from 7,661 boxes in FY 1999/2000 to 7,112 boxes in FY 2000/2001. As well, the percentage of boxes of paper with recycled content increased from 17-percent of the total boxes in FY 1999/2000 (1,285 boxes) to 99-percent in FY 2000/2001 (7,046 boxes). In FY 2001/2002, MMD completely discontinued the purchase of virgin paper products for supply to its clients and has replaced it with paper with recycled content.

Electronic Forms

ELF is a user-friendly, bilingual, front-end application which is used to design both paper and electronic forms.

ELF was developed to increase the speed and functionality of FormFlow at the workstation and to allow users to send forms via e-mail. ELF simplifies form completion, storage and data-sharing processes, and also reduces repetitive tasks associated with the use of forms.

Other government departments may obtain copies of the ELF application free of charge from PWGSC's Knowledge Exchange Service.

Media Clipping Service

PWGSC has developed Media Net - an electronic media clipping service - to scan and categorize articles from 40 Canadian daily news sources. The site is accessible to over 13,000 PWGSC employees through the departmental Intranet site, The Source. The archival feature of Media Net also reduces the need for printing articles for future reference.

Ensemble

Ensemble is the newsletter for PWGSC employees. It is distributed exclusively on-line, and is accessible through the departmental Intranet site, The Source. Previous editions of the newsletter are electronically archived, eliminating the need for printing articles of special interest.

Objective 3.2
Develop and Deliver Environmental Training Programs for Employees of PWGSC

*This target was modified by the Report of Plans and Priorities for FY 2002/2003. Please visit http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20022003/rGSC___e.pdf for details.

About Environmental Training Programs for PWGSC Employees

The RPS Environmental Training Program was approved by the Real Property Services Management Committee (RPSMC) in September 2000 and consisted of five courses:

• Environmental Liabilities and Responsibilities;
• Introduction to Environmental Assessment;
• Green Procurement;
• Indoor Air Quality; and
• the Green Buildings Workshop.

This program was developed to support the Sustainable Development Strategy and to allow the implementation of an ISO-consistent Environmental Management System (EMS), which includes an environmental training component. An organized training plan for the branch is an essential component of an EMS. Effective training is also a significant component of Real Property Services' demonstration of due diligence in meeting its environmental responsibilities and minimizing the potential for liabilities.

Since the commencement of the environmental training program, a total of 2,703 of 6,436 of targeted employees (43-percent) have attended environmental training. This is respectable progress, given the duration of the program over fiscal year 2001/2002. The Green Buildings Workshop had the highest proportion trained at 99-percent, with Indoor Air Quality at 98-percent. Green Procurement had the lowest proportion at 25-percent; however, an on-line course has been introduced and participation rates are expected to increase. The remaining two courses, Environmental Responsibilities and Liabilities and Environmental Assessment, achieved 45- and 34-percent respectively. On average, more than half the employees still require topic-specific environmental training. The program continues to meet its goals and objectives.

Objective 3.3
Increase Internal Purchases of Environmentally Responsible Goods and Services

About Internal Purchases of Environmentally Responsible Goods and Services

As PWGSC's lead in procurement strategy, the Materiel Management Division (MMD) is responsible for promoting this strategy and has initiated such activities as:

• information sharing;
• the provision of a central information clearinghouse;
• the review and amendment of existing policies;
• the development of new policies; and,
• the sharing of best practices.

Materiel Management is also involved in researching alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and promoting their acquisition.

In the 2001/2002 fiscal year, PWGSC used e-Purchasing to make $1.3 million in purchases, of which 18.7-percent were considered green.

To increase this number, MMD regularly provides input to training courses on procurement and ensures that departmental managers are aware of the key components of green procurement and green practices.

Objective 3.4
Green PWGSC Fleet Activities

About Green PWGSC Fleet Activities

Once again, PWGSC has exceeded its obligations under the Alternative Fuels Act, thereby making another significant contribution to the reduction of harmful emissions from its vehicle fleet. For the 2001/2002 fiscal year, the department has replaced 21 of its older, less efficient motor vehicles with new vehicles powered by cleaner alternative transportation fuels (ATFs) such as ethanol and natural gas.

PWGSC has also exceeded its commitment to have 60 alternative fuel vehicles by March 31, 2004. As of March 31, 2002, the departmental fleet included 72 vehicles powered by an alternative fuel.

PWGSC is expected to exceed its goal to increase the percentage of fleet-kilometres travelled by AFV vehicles by 30-percent by March 31, 2004.

Despite growing pressures, the size of the department's fleet has remained relatively stable since April 1999 and is expected to remain at between 285 and 300 units for the next two years.

Objective 3.5
Increase Environmental Awareness in PWGSC Employees

About PWGSC Employee Environmental Awareness

The Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) Green Citizenship program, initiated in 1998, encourages departmental employees to reduce the environmental impact of their daily activities. This includes initiatives to reduce paper consumption, purchase greener products, and minimize waste through reduction, reuse and recycling.

In preparation for further development of the Green Citizenship program, and in keeping with the employee awareness commitment made in the PWGSC Sustainable Development Strategy 2000, PWGSC completed a telephone survey of its personnel across the country in June 2001. The specific objectives of this survey were to measure employee awareness of, perception of, and participation in the Green Citizenship program and other environmental initiatives at PWGSC.

According to the survey, perceptions of the program were quite positive. The results indicated that:

• 95-percent of respondents believed that PWGSC should take a leadership role among federal departments in greening its operations and services;
• 87-percent of respondents thought that PWGSC's environmental initiatives add to the pride of being a PWGSC employee; and
• 77-percent of respondents indicated that, because of PWGSC's environmental initiatives, they were more likely to green their activities at home as well as at work.

With regard to awareness of PWGSC's Green Citizenship program, Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS), Environmental Management System (EMS), and e-Purchasing system:

• 59-percent of respondents felt they understand how these initiatives may affect, or be affected by, their work;
• 20- to 30-percent of respondents were "not at all familiar" with the various initiatives; and
• 7- to 11-percent of respondents were "very familiar" with the various initiatives.

The environmental behaviour results provided valuable information that can facilitate the improvement and promotion of current programs and the development of new initiatives. According to the survey:

• 84-percent of respondents indicated they always turn off their computers and other electrically powered equipment at the end of the workday;
• 90-percent of respondents indicated they recycle or reuse waste/surplus materials 75- to 100-percent of the time;
• 41-percent of respondents who make purchases take environmental considerations into account 75- to 100-percent of the time;
• 13-percent of respondents who make purchases used the e-Purchasing system 75- to 100-percent of the time;
• 40-percent of respondents indicated that they always use public transportation or alternative means of transport (e.g., walking, bicycling, telecommuting, etc.) for commuting to and from work, but 37-percent indicated that they never do; and
• 36-percent of respondents indicated their behaviour was "greener" at home than at work, mainly due to greater personal control and convenience at home.

The results of the survey will be used:

• to develop and implement a targeted employee environmental awareness program;
• to increase the level of awareness of SDS and Green Citizenship initiatives; and,
• to foster and maintain an environmental ethic at PWGSC, encouraging environmentally responsible behaviour in the workplace and at home.

Objective 3.6
Encourage Green Travel within PWGSC

About Green Travel within PWGSC

Development of the capacity to sort hotels by their Green Leaf rating (where applicable) within the electronic Accommodation Directory for Government Employees, has facilitated the take-up of this target. That capacity was achieved through the implementation of Objective 2.6 of the PWGSC SDS 2000, as discussed previously. Departmental organizations have made their employees aware of the initiative in a number of ways.

A department-wide awareness program encouraging employees to choose Green Leaf hotels is expected to include:

• sending e-mails to frequent travellers to remind them of the commitment;
• organizing awareness/information sessions for employees;
• issuing reminders through the Green Citizenship Network; and
• reminding employees and supervisors of this commitment when official travel is authorized so that they can make the appropriate reservations.

In addition, the department intends to develop and issue a departmental policy on the subject.

Footnotes

[5]This target was modified in the Departmental Performance Report for FY 2001/2002.
Please visit http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rma/dpr/01-02/PWGSC/PWGSC0102dpr03_e.asp for details.