C-47423956-57Elizabeth II2007-2008An Act to require the development and implementation of a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and the development of goals and targets with respect to sustainable development in Canada, and to make consequential amendments to another ActFederal Sustainable Development ActFederal Sustainable Development201105
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F-8.6332008392039Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:SHORT TITLE
Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Federal Sustainable Development Act.
INTERPRETATION
DefinitionsThe following definitions apply in this Act.CommissionercommissaireCommissioner means the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development appointed under subsection 15.1(1) of the Auditor General Act.MinisterministreMinister means the Minister of the Environment. precautionary principleprincipe de la prudenceprecautionary principle means the principle that where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.sustainabilitydurabilitésustainability means the capacity of a thing, action, activity, or process to be maintained indefinitely. sustainable developmentdéveloppement durablesustainable development means development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. targetcibletarget means a measurable objective.
PURPOSE
PurposeThe purpose of this Act is to provide the legal framework for developing and implementing a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy that will make environmental decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament.
HER MAJESTY
ApplicationThis Act and the regulations are binding on Her Majesty in right of Canada.
BASIC PRINCIPLE
Basic principle of sustainable developmentThe Government of Canada accepts the basic principle that sustainable development is based on an ecologically efficient use of natural, social and economic resources and acknowledges the need to integrate environmental, economic and social factors in the making of all decisions by government.
COMMITTEE
Committee on Sustainable DevelopmentA 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.
OFFICE
Sustainable Development OfficeThe 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.ReportThe Office shall, at least once every three years after the day on which this Act comes into force, provide the Minister with a report on the progress of the federal government in implementing the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. The Minister shall cause the report to be laid before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the Minister receives it.
  • 2008, c. 33, s. 7;
  • 2010, c. 16, s. 1.
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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL
Sustainable Development Advisory CouncilThe Minister shall appoint a Sustainable Development Advisory Council composed of one representative from each province and territory, and three representatives from each of the following:Aboriginal peoples;environmental non-governmental organizations;organizations representative of business; andorganizations representative of labour.ChairThe Minister is the chair of the Sustainable Development Advisory Council.RemunerationThe representatives appointed to the Sustainable Development Advisory Council shall hold office without remuneration and shall not be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the course of their duties.
FEDERAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
PreparationWithin two years after this Act comes into force and within every three-year period after that, the Minister shall develop, in accordance with this section, a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy based on the precautionary principle.ContentThe 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.Consultation: first draftThe 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.Consultation: first draftThe Minister shall at the same time submit the draft of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to the Commissioner for review and comment as to whether the targets and implementation strategies can be assessed, for which the Minister shall allow a period of not less than 120 days.
  • 2008, c. 33, s. 9;
  • 2010, c. 16, s. 2.
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Submission to Governor in CouncilThe 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.Tabling in each House of ParliamentThe Minister shall table the official Federal Sustainable Development Strategy in each House of Parliament within the period referred to in subsection 9(1) or on any of the first 15 days thereafter on which that House is sitting.Deemed referred to appropriate committeeA 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 the environment or to any other committee that the House may designate for the purposes of this section.
  • 2008, c. 33, s. 10;
  • 2010, c. 16, s. 3.
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Sustainable development strategies of departments and agenciesEach Minister presiding over a department named in Schedule I to the Financial Administration Act, or an agency named in the schedule of this Act shall cause the department or agency to prepare a sustainable development strategy containing objectives and plans for the department or agency that complies with and contributes to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, appropriate to the department or agency’s mandate and shall cause the strategy to be laid before each House of Parliament within one year after the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy is first tabled in a House of Parliament under section 10.Updating and tablingA minister to whom subsection (1) applies shall cause the sustainable development strategy of the department or agency to be updated at least once every three years and shall cause each updated strategy to be laid before each House of Parliament on any of the next 15 days on which that House is sitting after the strategy is updated.Application to other departments and agenciesThe Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of a minister presiding over a department not named in Schedule I to the Financial Administration Act, or agency not named in the schedule of this Act, direct that the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) apply in respect of the department or agency.RegulationsThe Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister, make regulations prescribing the form in which sustainable development strategies are to be prepared and the information required to be contained in them.
  • 2008, c. 33, s. 11;
  • 2010, c. 16, s. 4.
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Performance-based contractsPerformance-based contracts with the Government of Canada shall include provisions for meeting the applicable targets referred to in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategies.
REGULATIONS
RegulationsThe Governor in Council may make regulations for the purpose of achieving any of the goals of this Act.
TRANSITIONAL PROVISION
DirectionsThe 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.
CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTSAuditor General Act
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(Subsection 11(1))Atlantic Canada Opportunities AgencyAgence de promotion économique du Canada atlantiqueCanada Border Services AgencyAgence des services frontaliers du CanadaCanada Revenue AgencyAgence du revenu du CanadaCanadian International Development AgencyAgence canadienne de développement internationalEconomic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of QuebecAgence de développement économique du Canada pour les régions du QuébecParks Canada AgencyAgence Parcs CanadaPublic Health Agency of CanadaAgence de la santé publique du Canada