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Cat. No.: MQ1-21E-PDF (Electronic PDF, English)
ISSN: 2818-5498
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Introduction to the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report
The
2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada's sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the
Federal Sustainable Development Act. This is the first
FSDS to be framed using the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and provides a balanced view of the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development.
In keeping with the purpose of the Act, to make decision-making related to sustainable development more transparent and accountable to Parliament, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canda (IRB or the Board) supports the goals laid out in the
FSDS through the activities described in the
IRB's
2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS). This Report provides a report on progress related to the Board's
DSDS in the fiscal year 2023 to 2024.
The
Federal Sustainable Development Act also sets out
7 principles that must be considered in the development of the
FSDS as well as
DSDSs. These basic principles have been considered and incorporated in the
IRB's
DSDS and 2023 to 2024
DSDS Report.
To promote coordinated action on sustainable development across the Government of Canada, the Board's departmental strategy reports on Canada's progress towards implementing the 2030 Agenda and advancing the
SDGs, supported by the Global Indicator Framework (GIF) and Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF) targets and indicators. The Report also now captures progress on
SDG initiatives that fall outside the scope of the
FSDS.
Commitments for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Text version: Commitments for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
| 10. Reduced inequalities | 12. Responsible consumption and production | 13. Climate action |
Goal 10: Advance reconciliation with indigenous peoples and take action on inequality
FSDS Context:
The
IRB is committed to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. As progress down the path to truth and reconciliation is made, it's important to acknowledge the significant roles Indigenous Peoples have played and continue to play in shaping Canada. It is also vital that the Board continues to learn about past injustices that have been committed against the Indigenous population in Canada. Only by understanding, can a better, and more inclusive future be created. In June, the
IRB marks National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day with events to provide its staff with opportunities to learn and honour the stories, achievements, and resilience of Indigenous Peoples. The Board also ensures that its employees have access to Indigenous cultural competency training as identified in the
IRB's mandatory training framework. The Board monitors progress on its mandatory training twice a year to identify training courses which require additional promotion to help ensure compliance.
Most of the
IRB's contracting activity is facilitated using Public Services and Procurement Canada's mandatory ProServices, which includes prequalified Indigenous business vendors. The
IRB procurement strategies encourage procurement officers to include one or more of these Indigenous vendors in solicitation requests whenever possible. This has proven successful in reaching annual incremental percentage growth in awarding
IRB contracts to Indigenous businesses. The Board's annual procurement plan also includes engagement strategies to help promote and support participation of Indigenous businesses in competing for
IRB contracts. As of the fiscal year 2023 to 2024, the
IRB generates quarterly reports to effectively monitor the status of the dollar value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses.
Target theme: Advancing reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis communities
Target: Between 2023 and 2026, and every year on an ongoing basis, develop and table annual progress reports on implementing
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada)
| Implementation strategy | Departmental action | Performance indicator
Starting point
Target | How the departmental action contributes to the
FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy and
SDGs
| Results achieved |
|---|
Implement the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act | Include Indigenous cultural competency training within the
IRB's mandatory training framework.
Program: Internal Services |
Performance indicator: Percentage of staff who have completed Indigenous cultural competency training (internal or external).
Starting point: 41% as of June 2023
Target: 80% on an ongoing basis | Public servants are in a unique position to help build respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples in Canada. This action encourages public service employees to increase their cultural competency skills and awareness of issues related to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada, and their knowledge of the
UN Declaration. This action also contributes to the development of necessary competency knowledge to implement the
UN Declaration.
Relevant targets or ambitions:
CIF Target: 10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard. |
Indicator result: 73%* as of March 31, 2024.
Note: The 73% includes employees who completed the
IRB mandatory Canada School of Public Service course (A Brief History of the Relationship Between Indigenous Peoples and the Government of Canada). The result only includes
IRB employees that were at the
IRB as of October 31, 2023, as employees have six months to complete the mandatory course from their start date. Further to this, the indicator does not reflect any other internal or external Indigenous cultural competency training. *While the Board did not meet its target, it did experience an impressive 78% completion rate increase since the June 2023 starting point of 41%. The
IRB will continue to promote course participation and hold Indigenous cultural events, such as the one held in September 2023, for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. |
Implement the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act | Promote and support the participation of Indigenous businesses in competing for
IRB contract awards.
Program: Internal Services |
Performance indicator: Percentage of contracts with Indigenous businesses.
Starting point: 0.23% in 2021 to 2022
Target: 5% by April 1, 2024. | In accordance with Appendix E:
Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses in the Directive on the Management of Procurement (effective April 1, 2022), all federal organizations under Schedules I, I.1, and 2 of the
Financial Administration Act must produce a procurement plan to identify opportunities for Indigenous businesses.
Relevant targets or ambitions:
CIF Target: 10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard. |
Indictor result: 6.2% as of March 31, 2024. |
Goal 12: Reduce waste and transition to zero-emission vehicles
FSDS Context:
The
IRB is aware of and considers government-wide climate change commitments when procuring goods and services. In support of strengthening green procurement, the Board's procurement and materiel management specialists and acquisition card holders are required to take specific training that incorporates environmental considerations into purchasing decisions.
Target theme: Federal Leadership on Responsible Consumption
Target: The Government of Canada's procurement of goods and services will be net-zero emissions by 2050, to aid the transition to a net-zero, circular economy (All Ministers)
| Implementation strategy | Departmental action | Performance indicator
Starting point
Target | How the departmental action contributes to the
FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy and
SDGs
| Results achieved |
|---|
Strengthen green procurement criteria | Ensure procurement and materiel management specialists, and project and accommodation managers and supervisors are trained in green procurement (such as the Canada School of Public Service course on green procurement, or equivalent).
Program: Internal Services |
Performance indicator: Percentage of procurement and materiel management specialists, and project and accommodation managers and supervisors trained in green procurement.
Starting point: 100% in 2020 to 2021
Target: 100% on an ongoing basis | Green procurement incorporates environmental considerations into purchasing decisions and is expected to motivate suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of goods and services they deliver, and their supply chains.
Relevant targets or ambitions:
CIF Ambition: Canadians consume in a sustainable manner.
CIF Indicator: 12.2.1 Proportion of business that adopted and selected environmental protection activities and management practices.
GIF Target: 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities. |
Indicator result: 100% as of March 31, 2024. |
Strengthen green procurement criteria | Ensure all procurement and materiel management specialists, and project and accommodation managers and supervisors are trained in green procurement (such as the Canada School of Public Service course on green procurement, or equivalent).
Program: Internal Services |
Performance indicator: Percentage of the
IRB's acquisition card holders who have taken training that incorporates green procurement considerations.
Starting point: 100% in 2020 to 2021
Target: 100% on an ongoing basis | Green procurement incorporates environmental considerations into purchasing decisions and is expected to motivate suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of goods and services they deliver, and their supply chains.
Relevant targets or ambitions:
CIF Ambition: Canadians consume in a sustainable manner.
CIF Indicator: 12.2.1 Proportion of business that adopted and selected environmental protection activities and management practices.
GIF Target: 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities. |
Indicator result: 100% as of March 31, 2024. |
Goal 13: Take action on climate change and its impacts
FSDS Context:
The
IRB does not own any real property. However, the Board aligns, where applicable, with Government of Canada policies, regulations, directives, and best practices related to climate change impacts, risks, and adaptation actions. In support of this, the
IRB will ensure that employees occupying a position within the accommodation services team receive training on climate-resilient operations.
Target theme: Federal Leadership on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions and Climate Resilience
Target: The Government of Canada will transition to net-zero carbon operations for facilities and conventional fleets by 2050 (All Ministers)
| Implementation strategy | Departmental action | Performance indicator
Starting point
Target | How the departmental action contributes to the
FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy and
SDGs
| Results achieved |
|---|
Implement the Greening Government Strategy through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve climate resilience, and green the government's overall operations | Ensure that all
IRB employees occupying a position within the accommodation services team are trained on assessing climate change impacts, undertaking climate change risk assessments, and developing adaptation actions.
Program: Internal Services |
Performance indicator: Percentage of
IRB employees occupying a position within the accommodations services team that completed training on climate-resilient operations.
Starting point: 0% on April 1, 2023
Target: 80% on an ongoing basis | To combat climate change, the Government of Canada has committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In order to achieve this ambitious objective, the federal government must adopt climate-resilient operations. This action will ensure that employees responsible for staff accommodations are trained to identify risk to critical program delivery, and develop responses to increase the resilience of operations to impacts of climate change.
Relevant targets or ambitions:
GIF Target: 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. |
Indicator result: 83% as of March 31, 2024.
Note: The methodology calculation for this performance indicator is the number of employees within the accommodations team responsible for planning and initiating accommodations projects. |
Integrating Sustainable Development
The
IRB will continue to ensure that its decision-making process includes consideration of
FSDS goals and targets through its Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. An
SEA for a policy, plan or program proposal includes an analysis of the impacts of the given proposal on the environment, including on relevant
FSDS goals and targets.
As an independent, accountable administrative tribunal, the Board works to resolve immigration and refugee cases fairly, efficiently and in accordance with the law. The Board has four programs, namely Refugee Protection Decisions, Refugee Appeal Decisions, Immigration Appeal Decisions, and Admissibility and Detention Decisions. As a result, the Board rarely develops and proposes new policies and programs, especially policies that would impact the environment and the achievement of
FSDS goals and targets.
Public statements on the results of the Board's assessments will be made public on its website when an initiative has undergone a detailed
SEA. The purpose of the public statement is to demonstrate that the environmental effects, including the impacts on achieving the
FSDS goals and targets, of the approved policy, plan or program have been considered during proposal development and decision making.
The
IRB did not complete any detailed
SEAs in fiscal year 2023 to 2024.