First
Previous
3.2 Sustainability Tools, Practices, Research and Awareness (con't)
Sustainable Manufacturing
Sustainable manufacturing promotes minimizing or eliminating production and processing wastes through eco-efficient practices, and encourages adopting new environmental technologies. Making gains in sustainable manufacturing is a central element to the future success of the Canadian economy. In today's global economy, Canadian manufacturers face enormous pressures to stay competitive and maximize profit. In order to achieve these goals while adopting more sustainable approaches to manufacturing, Canadian manufacturers will have to view sustainable manufacturing management practices as more than a reaction to environmental regulatory pressures. They will also have to better understand the link between sustainability and improved profitability and competitiveness, and recognize the business case benefits associated with sustainable manufacturing. Finally, it will be important for them to consider a longer-term business case that addresses economic, environmental and social issues associated with a triple-bottom-line approach to corporate social responsibility.
Industry Canada will continue to help Canadian manufacturers build their competitive advantage by encouraging them to adopt sustainable development principles and practices, including lean manufacturing, as well as strategies that promote convergence between profitability and sustainability. Industry Canada will work to create awareness of practices and strategies for integrating sustainable development into manufacturing processes through outreach activities, partnerships, research, and policy analysis and development.
Action Plan Item
Supports Federal Sustainable Development Environmental Quality Goal: Clean Air
for People to Breathe and Ecosystems to Function Well
|
Industry Canada will encourage Canadian manufacturers to adopt sustainable development principles and practices, including lean manufacturing, as well as strategies that seek convergence between profitability and sustainability. Responsibility: Policy and Sector Services Branch |
|
|
Expected Three-Year Result
|
Performance Indicators
|
| Sustainable Manufacturing |
|---|
|
The Sustainability Paradigm: A New Mindset For business to prosper over the long term, strategic sustainable behaviour is necessary. It is an investment in good business health and in lasting success. Competitive Pressures Globally, businesses face the challenge of meeting growing demands from customers and suppliers to address environmental and social issues. To ensure they remain viable competitive players locally and globally, Canadian companies of all sizes must explore new markets and niche opportunities, and find new and cost-effective ways to exploit them. Sustainability Challenges Can Be Solved at a Profit Within the sustainability paradigm, there are two key themes: doing more with less, and doing better through alternative or new practices. Both themes are drivers for identifying new market opportunities, cost savings, enhancing productivity, implementing new technologies and process change, and social responsibility. Green production is the practice of achieving economic gain by improving environmental and social performance, which ultimately benefits society as a whole. It drives a business to improve productivity while reducing environmental impacts (such as waste, emissions, energy use, toxicity and dangerous work practices), and improves total performance by addressing the root causes of problems with new approaches. It transforms a business from the traditional single-bottom-line focus to triple-bottom-line thinking. Productivity and quality are a function of design, input and process. By actively managing the factors of production and manufacturing, a business can realize productivity and economic gains. The green production concept is directly linked to productivity. Organizational or process change does not have to be disruptive or technology-dependent. Simple incremental improvements in processes and practices, combined with employee training, can make a big difference. Current Sustainability Strategies and Practices Being Used in Canadian Business
Industry Canada's Resource Processing Industries Branch has served as the liaison with industry, the research community and experts to foster greater collaboration and accelerate the adoption and application of sustainable strategies. |
Sustainable Buildings
Green (sustainable) buildings are designed, constructed and operated to significantly reduce or eliminate short- and long-term negative impacts on the environment. Green buildings are architecturally designed to address issues such as energy consumption, hazardous materials, water quality, and sewer and water systems. In addition, retrofit projects, which address air, lighting and acoustics, can correct indoor environment problems to maximize comfort and improve health and productivity. The Canadian green building movement has been evolving at a fast pace over the last two years. Canadian industry is becoming increasingly aware of not only the critical role that green buildings play in addressing environmental concerns, but also the potential financial savings when constructing and engineering green buildings.
Industry Canada will continue to promote awareness of the advantages and benefits of green buildings to builders and consumers. By encouraging the use of sustainable materials and efficient energy and water systems, Industry Canada will build awareness of the benefits of such technologies. As energy prices rise and water conservation becomes a top priority, businesses will seek ways to reduce their energy consumption to ensure cost competitiveness. Energy-efficient buildings offer long-term energy savings, lower operating costs, higher resale values, and provide competitive leasing advantages over standard buildings. Finally, there appears to be a trend in foreign countries to require higher environmental standards for imported technologies and products, which may present more opportunities for Canadian exporters that produce and use sustainable building materials and systems.
Action Plan Item
|
Industry Canada will continue to build awareness and promote the benefits of green buildings to builders and consumers by:
Responsibility: Service Industries and Consumer Products Branch |
|
|
Expected Three-Year Result
|
Performance Indicators
|
Environmental Performance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Many large Canadian industrial sectors have been moving toward the self-regulation of their environmental impacts. Consequently, they have realized significant efficiencies from adopting environmental technologies, implementing environmental management systems and other process-improvement tools and practices. However, with respect to SMEs, there remains a significant challenge in terms of encouraging a critical mass of firms to implement such measures. SMEs span a diversity of sectors, represent about 97 percent6 of Canadian businesses, and account for approximately 45 percent7 of Canada's gross domestic product. Although Industry Canada offers a number of programs and services to assist SMEs, they are chronically under-subscribed. Further efforts, therefore, are needed to promote their take-up.
Industry Canada will continue to identify market gaps, provide information, raise awareness and encourage SMEs to implement sustainability-enhancing tools, practices and technologies. The Department will also reinforce the business case for investing in process improvements and new technologies. The business case includes better productivity performance, increased competitiveness and improved environmental performance through energy efficiency and waste reduction measures.
Action Plan Item
Supports Federal Sustainable Development Environmental Quality Goal: Reduce
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
|
Industry Canada will continue to encourage SMEs to improve their environmental performance by identifying barriers and opportunities for SMEs to use new technologies to improve their productivity. Work will also be undertaken to identify incentives, and develop and test delivery models through workshops and presentations to stakeholders. Responsibility: Service Industries and Consumer Products Branch |
|
|
Expected Three-Year Result
|
Performance Indicators
|
Comparative Research on Renewable Energy Policy Instruments
Canada has generally not had significant experience in using market-based instruments to induce environmental behavioural change among firms and individuals. Empirical evidence suggests that market-based approaches are better than command and control instruments, such as regulations. In fact, in the past 20 years, significant research has been done on the abatement costs of environmental objectives, demonstrating the substantial benefit of a market-based approach. Industry Canada will apply the results of this literature to the Canadian context in order to advocate for the further use of market-based policy instruments to address Canada's environmental sustainability and competitiveness challenges.
Action Plan Item
|
Industry Canada will undertake research and analysis on economic and fiscal instruments in support of renewable energy. Responsibility: Strategic Policy Branch and Micro-Economic Policy Analysis Branch |
|
|
Expected Three-Year Result
|
Performance Indicator
|
Sustainable Development in Post-Secondary Education
The demand for environmental and sustainable development experts is growing across a range of occupations and industry sectors. This increased demand is affecting occupations such as engineering and related technical areas, business management and law. These occupations are being pressured to improve knowledge capacity in sustainable development areas such as eco-efficiency, environmental performance, and corporate social responsibility. Canadian educational institutions play a critical role in preparing the next generation for employment in the expanding field of sustainable development. Although some post-secondary education programs have succeeded in building sustainable development knowledge capacity, others are being challenged to improve their knowledge levels in this area.
In the past, Industry Canada has partnered in compiling comparative data on the extent to which university students in schools of business, schools of engineering and faculties of law are exposed to topics related to sustainable development in their curricula. There is an opportunity to broaden and deepen the nature of these comparative assessments. Industry Canada will partner on initiatives to undertake similar studies and assessments of post-secondary programs.
Action Plan Item
|
Industry Canada will support a minimum of one research initiative leading to the comparative assessment of post-secondary programs (e.g., schools of architecture and urban planning) in terms of the extent to which their students are exposed to sustainable development concepts, principles and practices in their curricula. Responsibility: Strategic Policy Branch |
|
|
Expected Three-Year Result
|
Performance Indicators
|
Canadian Environmental Solutions (CES) Database
Canadian Environmental Solutions (CES) is an online searchable database that includes more than 1600 exporting and export-ready Canadian companies that provide technologies and expertise to address the environmental challenges faced by every sector of the economy. It connects companies to new customers and market opportunities, and provides information about the capabilities of Canadian businesses.
Government, industry and foreign buyers use the CES to identify Canadian environmental firms that are capable of serving the needs of the global marketplace. CES is regularly promoted nationally and internationally at major environment-related events, such as GLOBE, AMERICANA, the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other sector-specific events.
Industry Canada will evaluate and update the CES website to ensure that its design is interactive and informative. This work will enable the CES to become a more powerful tool for forming business partnerships. It will also encourage more sustainable production and consumption through awareness of and access to contact information for environmental firms.
Action Plan Item
|
Industry Canada will update and evaluate the Canadian Environmental Solutions (CES) Database to determine opportunities to enhance its effectiveness and usability by the Canadian environmental industry. Responsibility: Service Industries and Consumer Products Branch |
|
|
Expected Three-Year Results
|
Performance Indicators
|
Computers for Schools
Annually since 1993, Computers for Schools (CFS) has been refurbishing approximately 100 000 computers used by the federal government and the private sector. The refurbished computers are redistributed to schools, libraries and non-profit learning organizations throughout Canada. This initiative has addressed a number of persistent barriers to wide access to the Internet and information and communications technologies (ICTs). Such barriers include affordability, digital literacy, disabilities, awareness and geography. For example, access to the Internet is significantly lower for persons who have a low income or low level of education.
Industry Canada's leadership role in collecting and refurbishing surplus moveable Crown assets, such as surplus desktop and laptop computers, has contributed to the diversion of large quantities of toxic waste that would otherwise have been sent to landfills.
Action Plan Item
|
Industry Canada will continue to work with government, industry and other stakeholders to refurbish and distribute computers to schools, libraries and not-for-profit organizations. Responsibility: Information Highway Applications
Branch |
|
|
Expected Three-Year Results
|
Performance Indicators
|
6. Debus, Aneliese. Small Business Profile: An Overview of Canada's Small and Mid-sized Business Sector. Canadian Federation of Independent Business, December 2005.
7. Public Works and Government Services Canada: "Importance of SMEs " (2005)., September 2006.