Question Period Note: Greening Government

What is the government doing to green its operations?

• We are committed to government operations that are net- zero, climate resilient and green.
• The Greening Government Strategy establishes the Government of Canada’s targets and commitments to get to net-zero and green operations by 2050 and enhance the climate resilience of its operations by 2035.
• Our efforts have resulted in positive results. As of 2023-24:
o 83% of the applicable light duty vehicles purchased by the federal government were green.
o Greenhouse gas emissions from our real property and conventional vehicle fleet were reduced by 42% compared to 2005 levels.
• TBS will continue to work with departments and Crown corporations to meet our targets and ensure net-zero emissions in government operations by 2050.

As the owner and manager of the largest fixed asset portfolio in Canada (over 30,000 buildings; 20,000 engineered assets, such as bridges and dams; and over 40,000 vehicles), the Government of Canada has a critical role to play in meeting Canada’s climate objectives.
With over $40 billion in annual procurement, the government is the largest public buyer in Canada and is well positioned to leverage its procurement power to stimulate market demand for low carbon products from Canada’s emerging clean technology sector.
The Government of Canada is transitioning to net-zero emissions and climate-resilient operations, while also reducing environmental impacts beyond carbon, including reductions in waste and water use and improvements to biodiversity.
The Greening Government Strategy: A Government of Canada Directive specifies greening government commitments for:
• government owned buildings
• government-owned fleet
• government procurement
• climate resilience (adaptation)
The Strategy was created in 2017 and updated in 2020 and 2024.
The Centre for Greening Government supports TBS’s mandate by:
• providing strategic advice to other federal departments and agencies regarding net-zero emissions, climate resilient and green operations through:
o providing practical guidance and tools for net-zero, resilient and green real property, fleet, and procurement
o convening interdepartmental working groups and external stakeholder communities of practice to share expertise, successes, and best practices among departments
• tracking and publicly disclosing government environmental performance information, including greenhouse gas emission reductions for federal operations
• administering the Greening Government Fund to reduce emissions and support projects that can be replicated within and across departments
• administering the Low-Carbon Fuel Procurement Program
• working with Public Services and Procurement Canada on common procurement tools that incorporate greening criteria.

None