Publication

> 2020 to 2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

Section 1: Context for the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

Although the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS or Secretariat) is not bound by the Federal Sustainable Development Act and is not required to develop a full departmental sustainable development strategy, the Secretariat adheres to the principles of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) by implementing the Policy on Green Procurement.
The Policy on Green Procurement supports the Government of Canada’s effort to promote environmental stewardship. In keeping with the objectives of the policy, the CICS supports sustainable development by integrating environmental performance considerations into the procurement decision making process through the actions described in the “FSDS goal: Greening Government” table in section 3 of this document.

Section 2: Sustainable Development in the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat

CICS supports federal, provincial and territorial governments in the planning and conduct of senior-level intergovernmental conferences held across Canada, which is a critical component of the workings of the Canadian federation. The interests of all Canadians are represented by their elected governments participating in these intergovernmental conferences.
As an institution dedicated to supporting events that give rise to, and support the spirit of cooperation and negotiation among governments, CICS seeks to execute its role to maximum effect, creating an environment conducive to productive discourse and optimal decision-making and promoting a sustainable development culture, to the benefit of all Canadians.
The Secretariat is a small organization of about 30 people; all of our employees are located at our headquarters in Ottawa. The focus of CICS’s Sustainable Development Strategy is to take small but effective steps to contribute to the greening of government.

Section 3: Commitments for the CICS

FSDS goal: Greening Government

FSDS target	FSDS contributing action(s)	Corresponding departmental action(s)	Contribution by each departmental action to the FSDS goal and target	Starting point(s), target(s) and performance indicator(s) for departmental actions	Link to the department’s Program Inventory
Actions supporting the Greening Government goal and the Policy on Green Procurement	Departments will use environmental criteria to reduce the environmental impact and ensure best value in government procurement decisions	Acquire, use, and dispose of goods and services in an environmentally responsible manner Have management processes and controls in place	Green procurement incorporates environmental considerations into purchasing decisions and is expected to motivate suppliers to green their goods, services and supply chain.	By March 2021, CICS will maximize the use of PSPC procurement instruments such as standing offers and supply arrangements that include environmental criteria Targeted Performance Level: 75% Percentage of internal processes and controls that have been reviewed and updated in order to integrate environmental considerations Targeted Performance Level: 75% CICS will create a green committee. Targeted Performance Level: 1	Intergovernmental Conference Services
	Support for green procurement will be strengthened, including guidance, tools and training for public service employees	Ensure all those with procurement responsibilities have the necessary Training Include FSDS target in performance evaluations		By March 2021, CICS will ensure that all staff with procurement responsibilities completed the CSPS training on green procurement. CICS will also require that all new staff with procurement responsibilities complete the course within three months of being hired. Targeted Performance Level: 90% By March 2021, CICS will ensure that an objective to include environmental considerations in procurement activities is integrated into individual performance evaluations of Directors and Managers. Targeted Performance Level: 100%	Intergovernmental Conference Services

Section 4: Integrating Sustainable Development

Support the transition to a low-carbon economy through green procurement
Support clean technologies and green products and services by taking environmental considerations into account in our purchasing decisions. Our approach is to continue leveraging instruments established by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) designed to meet federal government green procurement standards.

Reduce our office space and Workplace 2.0
Collaborated with Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to reduce office space, as mandated by Blueprint 2020; when the office required a lease renewal, it underwent a Workplace 2.0 Fit-up. The latter entails a much smaller area with a more open and bright workspace by constructing fewer walls and by locating offices and meeting rooms along the core – away from perimeter windows. As a result, the space gained better natural light and air circulation for all occupants. In turn, this reduces the workload on the buildings’ heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Fewer walls, smaller workstations, enclosed offices, lower usage of HVAC, and a reduced overall footprint bring benefits for both the environment and long term costs

Reduce, reuse and recycle
CICS has sets its multi-function devices’ to double-sided and black and white printing as the default standard. Purchased paper and toners contain recycled materials; empty toner cartridges are also re-cycled. The Secretariat is also considering creating an inventory of surplus items for re-use internally. Currently, old computers are sent to Computers for Schools while other surplus items are sent to GC Surplus.
Control printing with card access has been added to most multi-function devices at Headquarters, thus allowing the monitoring of printing activities and the reporting of paper utilization and color printing.

Promote responsible disposal
The Secretariat continues to ensure that surplus electronics and electrical waste (e.g., batteries, networking equipment, and electrical wiring) are handled in an environmentally appropriate manner.

Going Paperless
CICS is using technology to encourage a paperless environment: smart boards and Bring your own devices (BYOD) connected to Wi-Fi. Finance and Procurement started to eliminate the use of paper files and now accept electronic signatures.