Section 4: Performance Summary

4.1 Progress and Performance Highlights

Environment Canada's 2003-2004 Report on Plans and Priorities identifies three overarching priorities for the Department:

• Reduce the health impacts of environmental threats;
  
• Sustain our natural environment; and
  
• Move forward on climate change.
  

This section provides a summary of departmental performance in those areas as well as by the more specific priorities identified in our departmental accountability framework(see Section 3.2). See Section 5 of this report for more information on Environment Canada's 2003-2004 commitments and our performance.

Priority 1 - Reduce the Health Impacts of Environmental Threats

We continue to re-orient our approach to managing the environmental problems that impact on the health of Canadians. On a number of fronts, addressing environmental issues will be an increasingly important and more cost-effective approach to improving health outcomes. Our plans in 2003-2004 focused on four critical issue areas:

• Working to ensure Canadians have clean air to breathe;
  
• Working to ensure Canadians have clean, safe and secure water;
  
• Safeguarding Canadians from toxic substances and environmental contaminants; and
  
• Helping Canadians reduce their vulnerability to high-impact weather and related hazards.
  

Air Quality

Environment Canada continues the implement Government's 10-year Clean Air Agenda. In addition to the 2001 allocation of $120 million, the Department has received $40 million over two years in Budget 2003 and $15 million in Budget 2004. Resources received in 2004 are to further the commitment in the 2004 Throne Speech to intensify the commitment to clean air by engaging the United States on transboundary issues.

• During the reporting period, progress was made in implementing the regulatory agenda, particularly work to align Canadian emission standards for on-road vehicles and engines with those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which are recognized as the most stringent national standards in the world.
  
  

• Due to the nature of air pollution, working with the United States on reducing the level of toxic and harmful pollutants is essential. In 2003-04, Canada and the United States announced that they would increase their cooperation to reduce cross-border air pollution by undertaking three major pilot projects that enable greater opportunities for coordinated air quality management between both countries. These projects, will identify measures to reduce air emissions and address transboundary pollution in two key transboundary regions and will study the feasibility of cross-border cap and trade emission trading of the precursor pollutants to acid rain and smog - nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide emissions.
  
  
• Environment Canada also provided comments to the United States on its proposal to reduce sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions (by 50% and 65% respectively) from electricity generating stations in 29 eastern and Midwestern States by 2015. In Canada, federal-provincial and territorial governments are working under the Canada-Wide Standards to have substantial reductions in these pollutants by 2010.
  
  
• Partnership and outreach is a key component of the Clean Air Agenda. For example, Environment Canada's participation at the annual Toronto Smog Summit resulted in the signing of the Toronto and Region 2003 Inter-governmental Declaration on Clean Air outlining measures to achieve cleaner air into 2004. The Toronto Smog Summit is a forum for governments, industry and concerned groups and citizens to report on progress, and commit to further action for cleaner air in Southern Ontario.
  
  
• Since its proclamation in 1999, Clean Air Day has provided us with opportunities to raise awareness and to engage Canadians in concrete actions on clean air and climate change. Thanks to supporting campaigns such as the Canadian Urban Transit Association's awareness campaign on sustainable transportation, the Commuter Challenge, and the One Tonne Challenge, Clean Air Day provides opportunities for Canadians to take tangible action to contribute to healthier lifestyles and a healthier environment by reducing harmful emissions.
  
  

Conservation and Protection of Water

The federal government is working towards a vision that aims to ensure clean, safe and secure water and a safe environment for Canadians. This vision recognizes that water is one element of a broader ecosystem and that there must be an integrated, sustainable approach to good governance across all jurisdictions.

• Environment Canada leads the federal strategy on water in a number of ways, including policy development, direct involvement on issues such as municipal wastewater, infrastructure, research and monitoring that inform international and domestic policies, and the development of management tools to support integrated water resource management in Canada in partnership with other government departments.
  
  

• Environment Canada, working with Health Canada, provincial and territorial ministers of the environment and the Committee on Environmental and Occupational Health (CEOH) Drinking Water Committee, has adopted a comprehensive, integrated approach to protecting our drinking water. This approach focuses on making sure that drinking water is clean from it's source, all the way to the tap, and that we can develop and implement even stronger national guidelines for water quality, water monitoring and research.
  
  
• On November 25, 2003, Canada's environment ministers reaffirmed water issues as a priority, and agreed to explore conservation measures, including economic considerations, public education and the need for better information. Ministers also agreed to work together to develop a national strategy for harmonized management of municipal wastewater effluents. The strategy will be based on the principles of flexibility, respect for jurisdictional responsibilities, and a single-window approach for municipalities. For more information, see the press release.
  
  

Toxic Substances

In Budget 2003 Environment Canada received $75 million over two years to maintain the Department's capacity to assess and manage toxic substances in collaboration with Health Canada. The investment helps Environment Canada to meet its obligations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

• During the past year, the Department has continued to work to meet its commitment to complete the categorization of the 23,000 substances on the Domestic Substances List by 2006. In addition, a pilot project to develop assessment methods for the substances that will undergo screening level has been completed. These pilot projects will develop the approach for future screening level risk assessments. Other risk assessment work was completed on some substances on the Priority Substance I and II list.
  
  
• In order to manage the risk of toxic and harmful substances, Environment Canada relies on a range of instruments including regulations, pollution prevention plans (P2 Plans), Environmental Performance Agreements (EPAs) and Codes of Practice. This year, regulations were published for Solvent Degreasing and Federal Halocarbons and draft regulations were published for the management of the Export and Import of Hazardous Wastes and Hazardous Recyclable Materials. Environmental Emergency regulations were also announced by the Minister that will require industrial facilities to put into place environmental emergency plans to prevent environmental emergencies and when they still occur, to enable emergency response teams to respond quickly and effectively to protect the environment and the health of Canadians in the event of an emergency.
  
  For more information, see the press releases or the Solvent Degreasing Regulations, the Environmental Emergencies program web site or the Environmental Emergency Plan Notices.
  For more information on risk management activities, visit the National Office of Pollution Prevention website.
  
  

• Of particular note for this reporting period is the use of innovative risk management instruments. Five P2 planning Notices were published in 2003-04 including two final notices and three proposed P2 Notices, marking the first time that the P2 planning instrument will be used to manage the risk associated with toxic substances. P2 planning notices set the Risk Management Objective and the timelines by which the P2 plans must be prepared and implemented. P2 planning also allows industry to determine the most effective and efficient pollution prevention and control actions for their own facility. Please refer to Section 5.1 for further information.
  
  
• This year also saw the implementation of several Environmental Performance Agreements (EPA) as well as the signing of a new one, in addition to a proposal for one Environmental Code of Practice. An Environmental Performance Agreement is an agreement with core design criteria negotiated among parties to achieve specified environmental results. Please refer to Section 5.1 for further information.
  
  
• Environment Canada has also made progress in developing our monitoring and reporting capacity through investments in programs such as the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). The NPRI collects and makes publicly available information on releases (to air, water and land) and transfers (for disposal and recycling) of toxic substances and other substances of concern from industry in Canada. This type of information is used to inform the Department about the effectiveness of current risk management activities and allow citizens to learn about the industrial activities in their communities.
  
  
• There are approximately 3,900 contaminated sites in Canada that fall under federal responsibility. In the last several years, federal departments have spent more than $100 million annually to assess and clean up these sites. Budget 2003 allocated an additional $175 million over two years to speed up action on the highest risk sites.
  
  
• The 2004 Speech from the Throne and the 2004 federal budget commit the Government to accelerated action on federal contaminated sites. Budget 2004 confirmed $4 billion over 10 years for federal and shared-responsibility contaminated sites, including Sydney Tar Ponds. On March 27, 2004, the Minister of the Environment welcomed the Province of Nova Scotia's reaffirmation of provincial funding for the Sydney Tar Ponds remediation. The Minister noted that working with the province to clean the site is a priority for the federal government.
  
  

Weather

The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) - the core service supporting the Weather and Environmental Predictions (WEP) Business Line - operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, to forecast weather and environmental conditions from coast to coast to coast. Over 90 % of Canadians seek weather information at least once a day and the Meteorological Service of Canada's weather web site averages about 300,000 visits per day with major peaks on significant weather days, such as approximately 430,000 visits per day as hurricanes Juan and Isabel approached Canada in September 2003. Each year the MSC provides about 500,000 public weather forecasts, 400,000 aviation forecasts, 200,000 marine weather forecasts and issues approximately 14,000 severe weather warnings and 3,500 ice hazard warnings.

Environment Canada works in partnership with others to improve Canadians' capacity to anticipate, mitigate, withstand, adapt to and recover from high-impact events and related hazards by improving lead time, accuracy, utility and satisfaction with warnings.

• In March 2003, the Minister of the Environment announced an investment of $75 million over five years to help the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) improve the quality of its forecasts and its service to Canadians in all regions. The Meteorological Service of Canada will have forecasting and research staff working as integrated units in five offices across Canada - Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver. There are now Meteorological Service of Canada offices and staff in 62 locations across the country, serving Canadians from coast to coast to coast - this will not change. The investment will allow the Meteorological Service of Canada to strengthen its research capability and partnerships with weather-sensitive industries, other levels of government, and the university community. Canadians will benefit from more accurate and timely weather information while a broader range of specialized services will be available to groups with specific needs, such as the agriculture, aviation, forestry, marine, transportation, and tourism industries, as well as municipal governments, provincial emergency organizations, the media, and universities.
  
  
• Since spring 2000, the Meteorological Service of Canada has installed new Doppler radars in: Marion Bridge (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia); Marble Mountain (Newfoundland); Franktown (Ontario); Britt (Georgian Bay, Ontario); King (Ontario); Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario); Spirit River (Alberta); Foxwarren (Manitoba); and Victoria (located on Mt. Sicker, near Duncan B.C.). This continues the development of a national network of 30 Doppler Radars which Environment Canada is installing under a seven-year, $34.9 million National Radar Project. When completed, the network will extend from St. John's, Newfoundland to Vancouver, British Columbia and provide coverage for 90 percent of the country's population, particularly in those areas prone to severe weather.
  
  
• In 2003, access to almost all the Meteorological Service of Canada's historical weather and water data was made available to the general public free-of-charge via the Internet. This enables users to obtain quality data in real-time fashion to make day-to-day informed decisions.
  
  For more information, see the press release or the National Climate Data and Information Archive.
  
  
• On January 7, 2004, Environment Canada announced the first step in the modernization of Environment Canada's Weatheradio Network. The major improvement to the network is the addition of the capability to broadcast Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) and Specific Area Messaging Encoding (SAME) codes. This step will permit Environment Canada's Meteorological Service to expand the reach and functionality of the Weatheradio network and to provide Canadians who have purchased a Weatheradio with an enhanced public warning system.
  
  For more information, see the press release or the Weatheradio network web site.
  
  
• New maps showing lightning hot spots in Canada were released. For more information, see the press release, the maps or Section 5.3.3 of the 2003-2004 DPR.
  
  

Priority #2: Sustain Our Natural Environment

Environment Canada is continuing to shape and promote a natural legacy agenda by encouraging the conservation, protection and sustainable use of natural resources. In setting our priorities, the Department continues to strive towards more integrated ecosystem approaches to conservation while also addressing the unique needs of individual species and species groups. The efforts of Environment Canada, working with its partners, have focused on the following areas:

• Broader ecosystem strategies; and
  
  
• Species protection.
  
  

Ecosystem Strategies

The ecosystem approach is the most appropriate strategy for the integrated and adaptive management of the natural environment. It provides guidance for applying our understanding of nature in a practical management context: one that recognizes that human health, ecosystem health and competitiveness are inseparable, and that human well-being is directly impacted by environmental changes.

• The Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative (GBEI): A Five-Year Perspective report was released at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention. The report focuses on accomplishments over the past five years between the Governments of Canada and British Columbia in areas of clean air, water, conserving habitat and species and achieving sustainable communities in the Georgia Basin.
  
  For more information, see the press release or the report.
  
  
• On April 2, 2003, the Minister of the Environment announced a five-year contribution of $22.5 million for clean air, clean water, habitat and species protection, and improved environmental decision-making in the Georgia Basin region of British Columbia. The funding, combined with an ongoing investment of $8 to $10 million from Environment Canada, will support the renewal of the Georgia Basin Ecosystem Initiative, to be renamed as the Georgia Basin Action Plan.
  
  For more information, see the Georgia Basin Action Plan web site.
  
  
• British Columbia announced that the governments of Canada and British Columbia, with their partners, had succeeded in acquiring 5,004 acres within Burns Bog through a unique conservation partnership. The partnership consists of the Government of Canada ($28M), the Government of British Columbia ($28.6M), the Greater Vancouver Regional District ($10.4M) and the Corporation of Delta ($6M). The agreement preserves an area of 5,004 acres - an area five times the size of Stanley Park. This is slightly more than the area deemed necessary to protect the Bog as determined by the Ecosystem Review conducted in 2000. The four levels of government will develop a management agreement for the lands, with the Greater Vancouver Regional District holding responsibility for the operations and management of the lands.
  
  For further information, see the December 2003 press release.
  
  

• At the September 2003 Wildlife Ministers Council Meeting, federal, provincial and territorial ministers endorsed a plan to develop a Biodiversity Index, approved a draft plan on invasive species and approved and released Canada's Stewardship Agenda. Ministers also affirmed the commitment of federal and provincial governments to work with the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Centre to manage wildlife diseases.
  
  
• Environment Canada has assumed a national and federal coordination role on invasive alien species. The national plan that federal officials are now developing places a priority in three areas: prevention of new invasive species, rapid response to deal with new invaders once discovered; and management, containment, control and eradication, if possible, once established.
  
  
• Environment Canada's new Pesticide Science Fund (PSF) Program will invest $7 million over the next five years to enhance the Government of Canada's knowledge base related to the environmental presence and effects of priority pesticides in Canada. The PSF Program will facilitate nationally-coordinated research to improve our capacity for environmental protection and conservation through surveillance, monitoring and research on the environmental fate and effects of pesticides in Canada.
  
  
• The St. Lawrence Action Plan is on its way to achieving major five-year commitments to protect ecosystem health, protect human health and involve riverside communities in making the St. Lawrence more accessible and recovering its former uses.
  
  For more information, see Section 5.2.3, the St. Lawrence Action Plan web site or the St. Lawrence Vision 2000 Five Year Report 1998-2003.
  
  
• The Minister of the Environment announced federal funding of $1.9 million from the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund to support 40 restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin. On February 18, 2004, $1.5M in funding from the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund was allocated to support 47 restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin.
  
  For further information, see Section 5.2.3, the press release, or the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund web site.
  
  
• Canada reaffirmed its commitment to the Great Lakes Water Quality agreement in its response to the International Joint Commission recommendations in the Eleventh Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality.
  
  For more information, see the 11th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality and the Government's response.
  
  

Species Protection

Environment Canada's overall approach to the Canadian conservation agenda has been developed with an emphasis on prevention i.e. on managing, protecting and conserving habitats to ensure health of ecosystems and all wildlife species.

• A major milestone was reached on June 5, 2003 when the Species at Risk Act was proclaimed. Passage of the Act fulfills a major part of the Government's commitment to protect species at risk and their habitats and also fulfills some of Canada's key international obligations under the Biodiversity Convention and domestic obligations under the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy. The Act is one component of a three-part strategy for the Protection of Species at Risk. The other two are complementary stewardship programs and federal-provincial/territorial cooperation under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk.
  
  For more information, see the press release, the Species at Risk web site or the SARA Registry.
  
  
• On March 3, 2004, the Minister of the Environment launched public consultations to consider adding 63 species to the legal list of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The 63 species include all of the species designated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as being at risk that are under the direct responsibility of the Minister of the Environment. A consultation document has been posted on the SARA public registry that provides a plain language summary of the threats affecting each species and the immediate legal implications of listing.
  
  For more information, see the press release.
  
  
• The Department promotes a number of stewardship initiatives enabling private landowners, Aboriginal peoples, stakeholders and conservation organizations to protect and maintain habitat for species at risk, including the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk and the Ecological Gifts Program.
  
  
• In 2003-2004, the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) entered its fourth year of operation. In the program's first year (2000-2001), $5 million was distributed to 37 projects. In the second year (2001-2002), the program was expanded, with $10 million going to 148 projects. In the third year (2002-2003), $10 million in HSP funding was allocated to 166 projects across the country. The Program is now in its fourth year of operation with $9 million in HSP funding allocated to 164 projects across the country. Funding is being directed to aquatic projects, Aboriginal projects, environmental non-government organizations, projects in the resource sector and to a variety of other projects.
  
  For further information, see the Section 5.2, the press release or the Habitat Stewardship Program web site.
  
  

• The Ecological Gifts Program continues to attract donations of ecologically sensitive lands across Canada. Since 1995, over 286 eco-gifts have been donated to environmental charities and governments across Canada. These eco-gifts total more than 22,700 hectares of land worth more than $65M. Over half of these eco-gifts have already been designated as municipally, provincially and in a few cases, nationally and internationally important. At least 20% of the eco-gifts donated to date include habitat for species at risk and over 30% support migratory birds.
  
  
• More than 450 square kilometres of the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield in Alberta was officially designated Canada's 51st National Wildlife Area (NWA). This designation represents a significant contribution to the Government of Canada's goal of establishing protected areas to preserve critical wildlife habitats and protect species at risk. Through a delegation of authority from the Minister of Environment to the Minister of National Defence, this will be the first NWA managed by a federal department other than Environment Canada.
  
  
• The next generation of the Hinterland Who's Who public service announcements and a new Web site were launched. They will help maintain the link millions of viewers made with wildlife through the original series and, by expressing the importance of protecting our natural legacy, will help ensure that wildlife continues to be an essential part of what it means to be Canadian.
  
  For more information, see Section 5.2 the press release or the Hinterland Who's Who web site.
  
  
• Environment Canada works closely with other federal departments and with provinces and territories to stop the illegal possession, transport, export and trafficking in wild animals and plants. Canada was one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Environment Canada's enforcement officers have a strong record of success in enforcing federal and provincial laws, including the federal Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act. In May 2003, joint federal and provincial wildlife enforcement officers in Ontario and Quebec laid a number of charges related to internet-based trafficking in wild animal parts.
  
  
• The Government of Canada contributed $1 million to Simon Fraser University's Centre for Wildlife Ecology. The funding is to support ongoing research activities over the next five years and recognizes the Centre's renowned innovation and research in defining ecology and conservation requirements of bird species important to Canada.
  
  For more information see the press release or the Centre for Wildlife Ecology web site.
  
  
• The National Wildlife Research Centre officially opened the doors to its new home at Carleton University on April 7, 2004.
  
  For more information, see the press release or the National Wildlife Research Centre web site.
  
  

• In February 2004, the Minister of the Environment announced that regulations will be proposed to bring about an eventual prohibition on the import, manufacture and sale of fishing sinkers and jigs containing lead. Sinkers and jigs that are lost while fishing account for about 18 per cent of all direct lead releases into the environment, and represent a major threat to water birds, such as the loon. Studies show that up to 30 per cent of reported adult loon deaths during the breeding season in eastern Canada are the result of lead poisoning. Restrictions on the use of lead sinkers in Canada's National Wildlife Areas and National Parks have been in place since 1997.
  
  For more information, see the press release.
  
  

Priority #3: Move Forward on Climate Change

Addressing climate change is important to Canada's competitiveness and the health and security of Canadians. Implementing near term and enduring emission reductions and setting long-term goals to make the deep emission reductions needed to successfully address climate change and starting to work towards them will accelerate a shift to sustainability.

• The 2003 federal budget announced $2 billion in new climate change funding over five years to help the Government implement the Climate Change Plan for Canada. On August 12, 2003, the Government of Canada announced the details of $1 billion of that investment.
  
  For further information, see the 2003 budget, the August press release, the Climate Change Plan for Canada web site or Section 5.1.1 of Environment Canada's 2003-2004 DPR.
  
  
• The 2004 Speech from the Throne committed the Government to respecting its commitments to the Kyoto Protocol in a way that produces long-term and enduring results while maintaining a strong and growing economy. The commitment includes consulting with provincial and territorial governments and other stakeholders to develop "an equitable national plan" for achieving Canada's Kyoto commitments.
  
  For further information, see the 2004 Throne Speech.
  
  
• In 2003-2004, Environment Canada announced a $2.6 million investment in a series of projects aimed at informing youth, educators and the general public about climate change and the benefits of taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The announcements involve funding through the Public Education and Outreach (PEO) component of the Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF) for 67 new projects across Canada to provide individual Canadians with tools and information to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut their energy costs and contribute to clean air.
  
  For further information, see Section 5.1.1, the June 2003 press release, the November 2003 press release, the CCAF-PEO web site or the CCAF project database.
  
  
• The Government of Canada released its report of greenhouse gas emissions for 2002. While emissions increased 2.1 percent in 2002, our economy grew by 3.3 percent, continuing a decade-long trend in improving the greenhouse gas efficiency of our economy. Since the beginning of the Kyoto baseline year of 1990, the economy has grown by more than 40 percent (based on GDP), compared to a 20.1 percent increase in GHG emissions. In other words, we are seeing the bending of the curve in emissions.
  
  For further information, see the backgounder or the report.
  
  
• The Government of Canada signed memoranda of understanding for cooperation on addressing climate change with the governments of Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba in 2003-2004.
  
  For further information, see Section 5.1.1, the Nunavut announcement, the PEI announcement, or the Manitoba announcement.
  
  
• The Government launched the second round of the $15 million Pilot Emissions Removals, Reductions and Learnings (PERRL) initiative on September 26, 2003. Building on the success of the first auction round, PERRL allocated $2.5 million in 2003-2004 to encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the area of renewable energy.
  
  For further information, see Section 5.1.1, the September press release, the February 2004 press release or the PERRL web site.
  
  
• The Government announced details of new mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by Canada's largest emitters. In keeping with the views expressed by stakeholders during consultations, the federal, provincial and territorial governments will continue to collaborate on developing a harmonized, "single-window", domestic mandatory reporting system, and to implement it in orderly phases. This will help to ensure that a fully developed and tested system, that meets the reporting needs of all jurisdictions and the public, and minimizes burdens on both Canadian industry and governments alike, will be in place by the start of the first Kyoto Protocol commitment period (2008 to 2012).
  
  For further information, see the press release or the Large Final Emitters web site.
  
  
• The Government officially launched the One-Tonne Challenge on March 26, 2004. Using national awareness initiatives and partnerships with communities, provinces and territories, youth, educators and the private sector, the One-Tonne Challenge will raise awareness of how the choices individuals make every day impact on greenhouse gas emissions, and it will provide information, tools and opportunities for Canadians to take action on climate change. As an example of the type of partnerships the One-Tonne Challenge will encourage, Scouts Canada unveiled its Climate Change Education and Action Program (CCEAP).
  
  For more information, see Section 5.1.1, the press release or the One-Tonne Challenge web site.
  
  

• Climate Change: The Federal Investment 1997-2002 Comprehensive Report was tabled in the House of Commons on June 11, 2003. See the report for further information.