All federal departments and agencies have a role to play in ensuring that the Government of Canada leads by example by making its operations low-carbon. Although VAC is not a custodian of buildings in Canada, the Department has identified a range of measures that support the goal of low-carbon government and will seek to engage all employees in achieving this goal.
VAC is committed to supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy by making workplaces more energy efficient and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its facilities. VAC will continue to apply Workplace 2.0 fit-up standards and explore and implement Activity Based Workplace initiatives to ensure that space is used effectively and greenhouse gases are minimized. This will include support for flexible work arrangements such as teleworking, which can further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from commuting.
Another way that VAC will support the goal of low-carbon government is through procurement that takes into account environmental considerations and supports new and innovative technologies.
Finally, VAC will support all 13 FSDS goals through the use of Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA). The SEA is a key tool for integrating sustainable development considerations into decision making. It requires departments and agencies to identify potential environmental effects of proposed policies, plans and programs, as well as ways to reduce potential negative effects and strengthen positive effects on the environment.