Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

Table of contents

    1. Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

    The 2016 to 2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada’s sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) adheres to the principles of the FSDS, and while not bound formally by the Act, supports reporting on the implementation of the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

    2. Sustainable development in the Transportation Safety Board

    The TSB’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy for 2017 to 2020 describes the department’s actions in support of achieving low-carbon vehicle and furniture purchases, IT hardware and software, sustainable workplace and travel practices, and waste reduction and minimization of environmental impacts of assets throughout their life cycle. This supplementary information table presents available results for the departmental action[s] pertinent to these goals. Previous years’ supplementary information tables are posted on the TSB website.

    3. Departmental performance by FSDS goal

    The following tables provide performance information on departmental action[s] in support of the FSDS goals listed in section 2.

    Context: Low-Carbon Government

    Low-Carbon Government: The Government of Canada leads by example by making its operations low-carbon

    FSDS target(s) FSDS contributing action(s) Corresponding departmental action(s) Starting point(s)
    Performance indicator(s)
    Target(s)    		 Results achieved Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target
    Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025 Improve the energy efficiency of our buildings/operations New facilities for TSB - High performance building standards to be considered during the planning phase for new buildings or lease renewal projects. Percentage of new building or lease renewal projects that meet high performance building (such as LEED) standards 90%

    FSDS:
    High performance building standards are an integral part of the functional planning for replacement space for the Lab under the Labs Canada initiative, and for the Head Office.  Delivery of new space is expected in 2026.

    UN SDG:

    SDG 12
    Modernize our fleet TSB will reduce GHG emissions from its fleets as it focuses on alternative strategies to reduce employee reliance on ground transportation. TSB will gradually increase the percentage of hybrid vehicles in its fleet to reduce the consumption of fuel and GHG emissions as they become available in the categories needed for our operational needs. 33%

    FSDS:
    One-third of new vehicle purchases conducted in FY 2019/20 were hybrid vehicles.

    UN SDG:

    SDG 12    

    Support the transition to a low-carbon economy through green procurement

    Procurement specialists have completed the required Green Procurement training to apply sustainability and life-cycle assessment principles in procurement policies and practices.

    		 Percentage of procurement specialists who have completed the required green procurement training 100%

    FSDS:
    The procurement specialists are promoting the greening of the Canadian economy via their purchasing decisions.

    In FY 2019/20, the totality of furniture purchases were made from certified Green suppliers, and all surplus furniture was either sold for reuse or recycled, except for some broken equipment  which could not be sold and could not be accepted in the available recycling program.

    A metal recycling service provider was also found for large, heavy surplus equipment which could not be resold due to its age and market conditions.

    All IT hardware was purchased against PSPC or SSC consolidated procurement instruments; Some specialized software was procured outside of these instruments, where the supplier could not be certified as “Green” due to being outside of Canada.

    UN SDG:

    SDG 12.7
    Percentage of surplus assets sold for reuse or recycled   98%
    All of TSB office furniture purchase will include criteria to reduce the environmental impact associated with the production, acquisition, use and/or disposal of furniture

    Percentage of office furniture purchases that used green suppliers; green products, standing offers or supply arrangements with green considerations.

    		100%
    Information technology (IT) hardware and software will be purchased against PSPC/SSC consolidated procurement instruments that meet environmental criteria   Percentage of IT hardware and software purchased against PSPC/SSC consolidated procurement instruments that meet environmental criteria.  IT software includes all commercial off-the-shelf licences. 90.6%
    All surplus IT hardware is reused or recycled

    Percentage of IT hardware sent to Computers for Schools program or disposed through a recognized recycling program

    		100%
    Demonstrate innovative technologies Employees have received either a laptop or tablet in order to reduce energy consumption and material waste such as paper Percentage of employees who are able to make use of this technology who have either a laptop or tablet. 99.6% (227/228)

    FSDS:   

    By the end of FY 2019/20, all employees except one had been provided with a mobile solution.

    The TSB did not authorize the issuance of any printer since the Work-from-home directive in March, to encourage paperless work.

    UN SDG:

    SDG 12   

    Promote sustainable travel practices Reduce business travel by updating the video conference systems in order to encourage teleconferencing between Headquarters, regions and stakeholders Percentage of increase in use of videoconferencing equipment in meeting rooms compared to 2017-2018. 10%

    FSDS:   

    While the use of videoconferencing equipment in meeting rooms remained stable since 2017-18, the Work-from-home directive implementation in March 2020 demonstrated that most personnel were comfortable with desktop videoconferencing.

    The TSB conference room videoconference equipment has the capacity to integrate desktop videoconference participants.

    UN SDG:

    SDG 12
    Understand climate change impacts and build resilience Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable
    Improve transparency and accountability† Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable
    Develop policy for low‑carbon government† Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable
    † This contributing action applies only to the Centre for Greening Government at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS).

    Additional departmental sustainable development activities and initiatives related to Sustainable workplace practices

    Additional departmental activities and initiatives Starting point(s)
    Performance indicator(s)
    Target(s)    		 Results achieved Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal

    Use of recycled photocopy paper

    Starting Point:
    Undefined - there was no tracking of the printing paper composition in 2016

    Performance indicator:
    Percentage of photocopy paper purchased with recycled content.

    Target:
    100% of paper for printing and copying is made with recycling content

    100% of the paper purchased for printing or photocopying is made with recycled content.

    FSDS:
    Transitioning to low-carbon operations

    UN SDG:
    SDG 12

    Reduce printing devices by increasing ratio of employee per printing device

    Starting Point:
    Baseline ratio of 7 employees per printing device

    Performance indicator:
    Ratio of employees per printing device.

    Target:
    Ratio of 8 employees per printing device

    8:1

    FSDS:
    Greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions Scope 3 – reduction of indirect GHG emissions from leased facilities via the reduced quantity of printers to be powered and reduction in print runs

    Green Goods and services via reduced need to maintain equipment and purchase supplies

    UN SDG:
    SDG 12

    Educate employees to use laptop or tablet instead of printing documents

    Starting Point:
    Nil – while there was conceptual awareness of the possibility, there was no formal push for replacing paper with mobile IT in 2016

    Performance indicator:
    Number of information sessions held during the year on using WIFI on their laptop or tablet in attending meetings

    Target:
    2 information sessions per year

    For FY 2019/20, no session was held; the use of WIFI in conference rooms was instead integrated with the individual information briefing provided upon issuance of mobile computer equipment

     

    FSDS:
    Transitioning to low-carbon operations

    UN SDG:
    SDG 12

    Reduce or eliminate traditional fax machines to reduce consumption of paper and electricity

    Starting Point:
    22 fax lines; while most were set as a service on a Multifunction Device, all but one were printing faxes on receipt instead of using the MFD’s capacity to process incoming faxes electronically

    Performance indicator:
    Number of traditional fax machines eliminated from baseline

    Target:
    Elimination of 20 fax machines

    20 fax machines eliminated – The TSB was down to two fax lines by the end of FY 2019/20, both being set to process incoming faxes electronically via email

    FSDS:
    Greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions Scope 3 – reduction of indirect GHG emissions from leased facilities via the reduced quantity of printers to be powered and reduction in print runs

    Green Goods and services via reduced need to maintain equipment and purchase supplies

    UN SDG:
    SDG 12

    4. Report on integrating sustainable development

    During the 2019–20 reporting cycle, the Transportation Safety Board had no proposals that required a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and no public statements were produced.