Federal Sustainable Development Act

This Act may be cited as the Federal Sustainable Development Act.

The following definitions apply in this Act.

appropriate Minister has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Financial Administration Act. (ministre compétent)

Commissioner means the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development appointed under subsection 15.1(1) of the Auditor General Act. (commissaire)

designated entity means an entity named in the schedule. (entité désignée)

entity means

any body named in any of Schedules I to II to the Financial Administration Act; or

any Crown corporation as defined in section 2 of the Financial Administration Act. (entité)

Minister means the Minister of the Environment, unless the context otherwise requires. (ministre)

precautionary principle[Repealed, 2019, c. 2, s. 1]

sustainability means the capacity of a thing, action, activity, or process to be maintained indefinitely. (durabilité)

sustainable development means development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (développement durable)

target[Repealed, 2019, c. 2, s. 1]

The purpose of this Act is to provide the legal framework for developing and implementing a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy that makes decision making related to sustainable development more transparent and subject to accountability to Parliament, promotes coordinated action across the Government of Canada to advance sustainable development and respects Canada’s domestic and international obligations relating to sustainable development, with a view to improving the quality of life of Canadians.

This Act and the regulations are binding on Her Majesty in right of Canada.

The following principles shall be considered in the development of sustainable development strategies:

the principle that sustainable development is based on an efficient use of natural, social and economic resources and the need for the Government of Canada to integrate environmental, economic and social factors in the making of all of its decisions;

the principle that sustainable development

is a continually evolving concept,

may be achieved by, among other things, the protection of ecosystems, prevention of pollution, protection of human health, promotion of equity, conservation of cultural heritage, respect for domestic and international obligations relating to sustainable development and recognition of the present generation’s responsibility to provide future generations with a healthy and ecologically sound environment, and

may be advanced by, among other things, taking into account the precautionary principle, the “polluter pays” principle, the principle of internalization of costs and the principle of continuous improvement;

the principle of intergenerational equity, which is the principle that it is important to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs;

the principle of openness and transparency, which is the principle that the release of information should be encouraged to support accountability and public engagement;

the principle that it is important to involve Aboriginal peoples because of their traditional knowledge and their unique understanding of, and connection to, Canada’s lands and waters;

the principle of collaboration, which is the principle that it is important for stakeholders to collaborate in the pursuit of common objectives; and

the principle that a results and delivery approach — that allows for developing objectives, developing strategies for meeting those objectives, using indicators for reporting on progress towards meeting those objectives and establishing accountability — is key to meeting measurable targets.

A committee of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, consisting of a Chairperson and other members of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, shall have oversight of the development and implementation of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

The Minister shall establish a Sustainable Development Office within the Department of the Environment to develop and maintain systems and procedures to monitor progress on implementation of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

The Office shall, at least once every three years after this Act comes into force or, as of November 10, 2017, at least once within every three-year period beginning on that date, provide the Minister with a report on the progress of the Government of Canada in implementing the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

Every designated entity or, in the case of a designated entity over which a minister presides, the minister presiding over the designated entity shall contribute to the development of the report.

The Minister shall cause the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the Minister receives it.

A report that is tabled in a House of Parliament is deemed to be referred to the standing committee of that House that normally considers matters relating to sustainable development.

The Minister shall appoint a Sustainable Development Advisory Council composed of one representative from each province and territory, six representatives of Aboriginal peoples, and three representatives from each of the following:

[Repealed, 2019, c. 2, s. 5]

environmental non-governmental organizations;

organizations representative of business; and

organizations representative of labour.

The Minister shall, when appointing representatives to the Sustainable Development Advisory Council, seek to reflect the diversity of Canadian society by taking into account demographic considerations such as age and gender.

The Minister is the chair of the Sustainable Development Advisory Council.

The mandate of the Sustainable Development Advisory Council is to advise the Minister on any matter related to sustainable development, including matters referred to it by the Minister.

The representatives appointed to the Sustainable Development Advisory Council may be paid reasonable expenses incurred by them in connection with the business of the Council, subject to applicable Treasury Board directives.

The Minister shall develop, in accordance with this section, a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy within two years after this Act comes into force and at least once within every three-year period after that or, as of November 10, 2017, at least once within every three-year period beginning on that date.

Every designated entity or, in the case of a designated entity over which a minister presides, the minister presiding over the designated entity shall contribute to the development of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy shall set out federal sustainable development goals and targets and an implementation strategy for meeting each target and identify the minister responsible for meeting each target. Each target shall be measurable and shall include a time frame.

The Minister shall submit a draft of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to the Sustainable Development Advisory Council, the appropriate committee of each House of Parliament and the public for review and comment, for which the Minister shall allow a period of not less than 120 days.

The Minister shall at the same time submit the draft of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to the Commissioner for review and comment, including as to whether each target is measurable and includes a time frame, for which the Minister shall allow a period of not less than 120 days.

The Minister shall, within the period referred to in subsection 9(1), submit the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to the Governor in Council for approval as the official Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

The Minister shall cause the official Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to be tabled in each House of Parliament within the period referred to in subsection 9(1) or on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after that period.

The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy that is tabled in a House of Parliament is deemed to be referred to the standing committee of that House that normally considers matters relating to sustainable development.

The Treasury Board may establish policies or issue directives applicable to one or more of the designated entities in relation to the sustainable development impact of their operations.

Within one year after a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy is tabled in a House of Parliament under subsection 10(2), every designated entity other than a designated entity referred to in section 12 shall

prepare a sustainable development strategy that

contains objectives and plans for the designated entity,

complies with the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and contributes to the meeting of its goals,

takes into account the designated entity’s mandate,

takes into account any of the applicable policies or directives of the Treasury Board that are established or issued under section 10.1, and

takes into account comments made under subsections 9(3) or (4); and

provide the sustainable development strategy to the appropriate Minister with respect to the designated entity.

The appropriate Minister shall cause the sustainable development strategy to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the appropriate Minister receives it.

The designated entity shall, at least once in each of the two years following the tabling of its sustainable development strategy in a House of Parliament under subsection (2), provide the appropriate Minister with a report on its progress in implementing the sustainable development strategy. The appropriate Minister shall cause the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the appropriate Minister receives it.

In the case of a designated entity over which a minister presides, the minister who presides over the designated entity shall

within one year after a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy is tabled in a House of Parliament under subsection 10(2), prepare a sustainable development strategy with respect to the designated entity that

contains objectives and plans for the designated entity,

complies with the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and contributes to the meeting of its goals,

takes into account the designated entity’s mandate,

takes into account any of the applicable policies or directives of the Treasury Board that are established or issued under section 10.1, and

takes into account comments made under subsections 9(3) or (4); and

cause the designated entity’s sustainable development strategy to be tabled in each House of Parliament within the year referred to in paragraph (a) or on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after that year.

The minister presiding over the designated entity shall, at least once in each of the two years following the tabling of the designated entity’s sustainable development strategy in a House of Parliament under paragraph (1)(b), prepare a report on the progress of the designated entity in implementing its sustainable development strategy. That minister shall cause the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament within the year in which the report shall be prepared or on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after that year.

A sustainable development strategy or report that is tabled in a House of Parliament under section 11 or 12 is deemed to be referred to the standing committee of that House that normally considers matters relating to sustainable development.

The Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister, make regulations prescribing the form in which a sustainable development strategy is to be prepared and the information that is required to be contained in it.

The Governor in Council may, by order, amend the schedule

to add or amend an item, in order to subject an entity to the application of this Act; or

to remove or amend an item, in order to exclude an entity from the application of this Act, on the recommendation of the entity’s appropriate Minister.

The Governor in Council may make regulations for the purpose of achieving any of the goals of this Act.

The administration of this Act shall, every five years after the day on which this section comes into force, stand referred to any committee of the Senate or the House of Commons that normally considers matters relating to sustainable development, or of both Houses of Parliament, that may be designated or established for that purpose.

The committee designated or established for the purpose of subsection (1) shall, as soon as feasible, undertake a comprehensive review of the provisions and operation of this Act and shall, within one year after the review is undertaken or within any further time that the House of Commons, the Senate or both Houses of Parliament, as the case may be, may authorize, submit a report to Parliament, including a statement of any changes to this Act or its administration that the committee would recommend.

The directions made under subsection 24(3) of the Auditor General Act, as this subsection read immediately before the coming into force of section 18 of this Act, remain in force and are deemed to have been made under subsection 11(3) of this Act.

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For the first report referred to in subsection 7(2) of the Federal Sustainable Development Act prepared after the day on which this Act comes into force, subsection 7(3) of the Federal Sustainable Development Act applies only in respect of designated entities, as defined in section 2 of that Act, that were subject to that Act before that day.

In respect of designated entities, as defined in section 2 the Federal Sustainable Development Act, that become subject to that Act on the day on which this Act comes into force, sections 11 and 12 of the Federal Sustainable Development Act, as enacted by section 8 of this Act, apply only in respect of any Federal Sustainable Development Strategy tabled in a House of Parliament on or after that day.