Greening Government Strategy: A Government of Canada Directive

Departments will ensure that all new buildings and major building retrofits prioritize low carbon and climate resilience. Investment decisions will be based on total cost of ownership:

• all new federal buildings (including build-to-lease and public-private partnerships) will have net-zero emissions^{Footnote 9} unless a GHG life cycle cost analysis indicates net-zero-emissions-ready construction^{Footnote 10}
• all major building retrofits, including significant energy performance contracts, require a GHG reduction life cycle cost analysis to determine the optimal GHG savings (the life cycle cost approach will use a period of 40 years and a carbon shadow price^{Footnote 11} of $300 per tonne and be maintained at all project stages)
• the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat will require the submission of a life cycle cost analysis, including the shadow price of carbon, for major real property funding proposals that do not achieve net-zero emissions
• all new buildings and major retrofits incorporating parking facilities for federal fleet vehicles must include provisions for electric vehicle (EV) readiness^{Footnote 12}

Departments will ensure that all new buildings and major building retrofits prioritize low carbon and climate resilience, as follows:

• all new federal buildings, infrastructure and major building retrofits, including significant energy performance contracts, require a climate change risk assessment that incorporates both current and future climate conditions in the analysis and the incorporation of adaptation measures to reduce significant risks
• as of 2025, office tenant operations will be located in buildings (both leased and Crown-owned) based on identified operational risk level thresholds in discussion with client departments
• new and renewed office space leases, and occupancy agreements in Crown-owned buildings, for critical operations must have assessed and addressed significant climate risks

The government will manage its real property portfolios to minimize their GHG emissions. Departments will implement low-carbon real property operations, which include:

• using 100% clean electricity where available, and by 2025 at the latest by producing or purchasing renewable electricity^{Footnote 13}
• recommissioning large energy-intensive buildings on a regular cycle and/or implementing smart building technology
• incorporating all facilities in the RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software by 2025
• metering energy use for government-owned buildings of no less than 1,000 square metres with significant energy consumption^{Footnote 14}
• converting or replacing existing heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) systems^{Footnote 15} using high global warming potential refrigerants, ozone depleting refrigerants by 2030
• tracking and disclosing the total stock of refrigerants in large systems and associated GHG emissions from significant releases by 2025

The government will implement Buy Clean in its procurement by reducing the environmental impact of construction materials and design by:

• disclosing the amount of embodied carbon^{Footnote 16} in the construction materials of major construction projects, based on material carbon intensity or a life cycle assessment
• conducting whole-building (or asset) life cycle assessments by 2025 at the latest for major buildings and infrastructure projects
• reducing the embodied carbon of major construction projects by 30%, starting in 2025, using recycled and lower-carbon materials, material efficiency and performance-based design

Projects will also minimize the use of harmful materials in construction and renovation, including using low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials in building interiors.

The government will reduce the carbon footprint of its leased office space and assess assets for climate change risk to achieve net-zero emissions, climate-resilient leasing operations:

• Starting in 2030, 75% of long-term domestic office new lease and lease renewal rentable space must be in net-zero emissions, climate-resilient buildings^{Footnote 17}. Starting in 2025, all lease transactions will request and prioritize net-zero-emissions space^{Footnote 18}. By 2023, Public Services and Procurement Canada will develop a zero-carbon, climate-resilient leasing portfolio plan to achieve this objective, including a program to work with landlords
• In all new domestic office leases and lease renewals for space over 500 square metres, landlords must report building energy and water usage, GHG emissions and waste generated using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. Starting in 2023, this information will be publicly disclosed at the building level for new leases in major urban centres
• GHG emissions from the majority of office floor space leased will be reported by 2025
• By 2025, new leases and lease renewals where there are significant federal fleet operations must provide EV charging capacity

The government will reduce its water consumption and its load on municipal systems by:

• tracking and disclosing its potable water consumption from major facilities
• using best-in-class water-use practices in new construction and major renovations^{Footnote 19}
• designing all new Crown-owned buildings to effectively manage storm water

The government will manage its operations to reduce the amount of waste that is generated and take steps to reduce the environmental impact of waste by:

• diverting at least 90% by weight of all construction and demolition waste from landfills. By 2030, departments will strive to achieve 100% diversion for all construction and demolition waste from landfills ^{Footnote 20}
• diverting at least 75% by weight of non-hazardous operational waste from landfills by 2030
• diverting at least 75% by weight of plastic waste from landfills by 2030
• tracking and disclosing its waste diversion
• minimizing environmentally harmful and hazardous chemicals and materials used and disposed of in real property operations

The government will manage its significant land holdings, where operational requirements permit, to retain and restore biodiversity, and mitigate and adapt to climate change by:

• sequestering carbon through ecosystem restoration and improved management practices that increase carbon stored in forests, grasslands, soils, inland and coastal wetlands, and marine environments while maintaining ecological values
• enhancing climate resilience through nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure that, for example, reduce storm surge, improve flood water management, recharge groundwater and reduce heat islands and do not negatively impact surrounding areas
• ensuring that climate change impacts are considered in land management activities intended to protect, restore or advance biodiversity outcomes
• maintaining and restoring wild or near-wild areas that conserve healthy and climate-resilient populations of native species, including:
  • identifying any potential federal Crown lands or waters that could contribute to the commitment to conserve and protect 25% of Canada’s land and oceans (working toward 30% by 2030) through low- to no-cost designation or other effective conservation measures
  • developing management approaches as required for federal sites to protect biodiversity and enable sites to be recognized as protected areas or other effective conservation measures

The government will also manage its operating practices where operational requirements permit to:

• minimize the impacts of air, land and marine activities on species, including by addressing impacts from vessels’ noise emissions on marine species and by taking steps to minimize bird strikes into buildings
• adopt low GHG-emitting ecosystem-sensitive land use practices on areas of properties actively managed for operations
• implement climate-resilient groundskeeping using native species where possible and practices such as xeriscaping and porous landscapes where feasible
• eliminate the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes on federal lands^{Footnote 21}

• The government encourages employees to use low-carbon forms of transportation to reduce emissions from employee commuting and is tracking these emissions. The federal public service is a hybrid workforce that offers flexible work arrangements, enabled through advancements in information technology (IT), allowing most employees to work from home up to 3 days a week
• The government will promote and incentivize lower-carbon alternatives to work-related air travel. Departments will contribute to the Greening Government Fund based on their air travel emissions.^{Footnote 22} The Greening Government Fund aims to incentivize lower-carbon alternatives to government operations by providing project funding to federal government departments and agencies to reduce GHG emissions in their operations, including through adoption of clean technology
• Purchase of carbon offsets are permitted for major events hosted, travel related to operations not included in Greening Government Fund contributions, and ministerial travel^{Footnote 23}
• Purchase of carbon offsets for events, conferences and travel may also be used as an eligible expense for grants and contribution program recipients^{Footnote 24}

• The government will prioritize zero-emissions options for all new vehicle and mobile equipment purchases where suitable options are available and considering operational feasibility
• Starting in 2025, 100% of new light-duty fleet vehicle purchases^{Footnote 25} will be zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs),^{Footnote 26} with the objective that the government’s light-duty fleet comprises 100% ZEVs by 2030^{Footnote 27}
• By 2030, at least 40% of new commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicle purchases will be ZEVs^{Footnote 28}
• Fleet management will be optimized to achieve the targets, including by maintaining a long-term strategic fleet greening plan, establishing internal policies and controls to prioritize ZEVs, right-sizing fleets and vehicles, promoting energy-efficient operating practices, and applying telematics to analyze vehicle usage data and inform EV charging needs

On the pathway to net-zero emissions, the Government of Canada is committed to reducing emissions from NSSF operations^{Footnote 29} while providing Canada with effective operational capability. The government’s NSSF will use more environmentally friendly technologies and low-carbon fuels when available, affordable, compatible and operationally feasible. These measures will allow NSSF to decarbonize operations without impacting operational levels, requirements or mission parameters.

Canada is currently modernizing and expanding its NSSF operations to protect Canadian interests at home and abroad. By 2024, NSSF departments will develop Operational Fleet Decarbonization Plans^{Footnote 30} that outline how they will reduce their emissions from operations in line with the overall 2050 target and contribute to the following interim objectives:

• By 2030, at least 20% of the total volume of annual domestic fuel purchases for NSSF air and marine operations will be low-carbon fuels^{Footnote 31}
• By 2030, the RCMP’s NSSF light-duty fleet will comprise 50% ZEVs, increasing to 100% ZEVs by 2035^{Footnote 32}
• By 2040, the average net-emission intensity^{Footnote 33} of all NSSF operations will be reduced by at least 50% on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050.^{Footnote 34} This will be achieved through measures such as low-carbon fuels, low- and zero-emission platforms, and permanent carbon dioxide removal

In addition, NSSF departments will adopt best practices to improve efficiency and reduce emissions and environmental impacts in the areas of:

• fuel procurement, including low-carbon fuels^{Footnote 35}
• fleet procurement, including purchasing energy-efficient platforms^{Footnote 36}
• operational efficiency and net-zero emissions research and innovation

• include criteria that address GHG emission reductions (including embodied emissions), as well as broader environmental benefits such as reducing waste (including plastic waste), in all phases^{Footnote 39} of the procurement of products and services that have a high environmental impact
• include criteria that addresses climate resilience in high-value procurements and of critical services or activities by 2027^{Footnote 40}
• promote procurement of goods and services that are environmentally preferable, reduce waste (including plastics waste), and eliminate unnecessary use of plastics, in particular single-use plastics, in government operations, events and meetings
• promote materiel management and procurement practices that are in line with circular economy principles of reusing, repairing, refurbishing, repurposing and recycling, such as divesting of surplus materiel through GCSurplus
• incentivize major suppliers to adopt a science-based emissions reduction target in line with the Paris Agreement, and to disclose their GHG emissions and environmental performance information
• require that suppliers provide GHG life cycle assessment reports as deliverables for high-value procurements starting in 2025
• include or enhance environmental criteria in the renewal or creation of shared procurement instruments led by Public Services and Procurement Canada and Shared Services Canada, such as standing offers and supply arrangements, for commodities with the highest environmental impact
• strengthen support for green procurement, including guidance, tools and training for public service employees

Federal departments will integrate green procurement considerations into their management control frameworks according to the Policy on Green Procurement by:

• implementing centrally established green procurement criteria (from this Strategy, the Policy on Green Procurement, and shared procurement instruments)
• identifying departmental categories of procurement with the highest environmental impact, with a focus on carbon; establishing related criteria by 2025 (if no centrally established criteria already exist); and starting the implementation of these criteria by 2026

Departments are adopting clean technologies as they green their buildings, electricity, fleet and procurement. Departments are also adopting clean technologies through initiatives including the Greening Government Fund, the Innovative Solutions Canada program’s Challenge and Testing Streams, and the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program.