2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

Section 1: Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

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 Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) supports the goals laid out in the FSDS through the activities described in this Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS).

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 CanNor's DSDS.

In order to promote coordinated action on sustainable development across the Government of Canada, this departmental strategy integrates efforts to advance Canada's implementation of the 2030 Agenda National Strategy, supported by the Global Indicator Framework (GIF) and Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF) targets and indicators. The strategy also now captures SDG initiatives that fall outside the scope of the FSDS to inform the development of the Canada's Annual Report on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

Section 2: CanNor's Sustainable Development Vision

As the regional development agency for the North, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) has a key role in helping unlock business potential and helping develop key economic sectors, such as mining, tourism, fisheries, renewable energy, arts and culture; and supporting community and business development and Indigenous economic development.  Because partnerships are central to CanNor's efforts to harness the full economic potential of the territories, CanNor works with Northerners, Indigenous groups, communities, businesses, organizations, and other federal departments to help foster long-term economic sustainability in Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon.

CanNor is uniquely positioned as an advocate for Northerners, and through its tailored suite of programming, provides short-, medium- and long-term investment for businesses and organizations to close gaps in economic and social prosperity, support the greening of energy and transportation systems, promote job creation and address food insecurity.

The Agency supports the 2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) by delivering programs that contribute to the priorities of greening the economy and inclusive growth, including those linked to clean technology and Indigenous economic reconciliation.

Section 3: Listening to Canadians

As required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) has taken into account comments on the draft 2022-2026 FSDS made during the public consultation held from March 11 to July 9, 2022.

During the public consultation, more than 700 comments were received from a broad range of stakeholders, including governments, Indigenous organizations, non-governmental organizations, academics, businesses, and individual Canadians in different age groups and of various backgrounds. The draft FSDS was also shared with the appropriate committee of each House of Parliament, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Advisory Council for their review and comment.

Section 4: Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency's Commitments

Goal 2
Zero Hunger
Support a healthier and more sustainable food system

CanNor is the key federal player for developing a strong, diversified, sustainable, and resilient economy for Northerners, Indigenous peoples, communities, and businesses across the territories. In support of Canada's Food Policy, CanNor supports actions that strengthen the northern food sectors, including supporting the implementation of regional strategies and development of local producers and processors capacity (e.g. support for market development, facilities, and skills training) with the goal of increasing production and employment in the territories. This also contributes to and supports the implementation of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, which includes nurturing healthy families and communities as a priority.

The Northern Isolated Community Initiatives (NICI) Fund supports innovative, community-led projects for local and Indigenous food systems to help improve food security in Canada's territories. Through its three program streams, NICI enhances Indigenous and northern food security by supporting local, community-led projects that reduce dependence on the southern food industry for northern communities. In 2023-24, CanNor will be delivering the final phase of its innovative funding program, the Northern Food Innovation Challenge, one of the streams of the NICI Fund. This challenge supports community-led projects for local and Indigenous food production to help enhance food security in the territories, with the goal of spurring innovation and highlighting new techniques. This includes social innovations or service delivery models as well as technologies to be adopted in Northern food systems. 2023-24 will mark the final year of the current NICI program, after which point CanNor will seek programs and strategies for continuing its work with other federal and territorial partners to support solutions to food insecurity in the territories.

Implementation strategies supporting the goal

This section is for implementation strategies that support the goal "Support a Healthier and More Sustainable Food System" but not a specific Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) target.

Implementation strategy: Enhancing Indigenous and Northern Food Security

Departmental action: Investments in Strengthening Northern Food Security

Continue to support innovative, community-led projects for local and Indigenous food systems to help improve food security in Canada's territories.

Performance indicator: Number of projects approved that improve food security

• Starting point: 10 projects in 2022-2023
• Target: 15 projects approved annually^{Footnote 1}

How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

The Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund (NICI) helps strengthen and support Indigenous and northern food systems in three territories by supporting community-led projects, with funding for equipment such as community freezers, greenhouses, local food production projects, and skills training for local and Indigenous food producers.

NICI has three program streams:

Stream 1A - (Support for Agriculture and Food Businesses) –supports agriculture and agri-foods SMEs, social enterprises and communities to undertake specific activities (e.g. introduction of alternative food delivery or storage methods) to enhance current and new business operations.

Stream 1B - (Northern Food Innovation Challenge) –supports the stages of the Northern Food Innovation Challenge. Strategies could include the identification; incubation; and testing of innovative ideas.

Stream 2 - (Support for Northern Food Working Group and Initiatives) –projects proposed by the territorial government Northern Food Working Group that support northern food security. Projects are complementary to funding provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Local Food Infrastructure Fund.

The Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund directly supports the Community Development Program of the Departmental Results Framework and the result of "People and communities participate in the economy of the territories".

Associated Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF) targets or ambitions and/or Global Indicator Framework (GIF) targets:

• CIF Ambition: Canadians have access to sufficient, affordable and nutritious food
• GIF Target:
  • 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, Indigenous Peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment
  • 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

Goal 8
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Encourage inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Canada

CanNor supports businesses and communities incorporating clean technology and adapting technologies for the Northern environment. There is no specific program for this priority, instead, CanNor funds projects that incorporate clean technology through its various programs. CanNor's Pan-Territorial Growth Strategy prioritizes encouraging the development and deployment of new technologies and innovative practices to support continuous productivity and environmental improvements within the sector. In addition, CanNor's Northern Projects Management Office (NPMO) provides a coordinating and convening role in environmental assessments in the three territories.

Goal 10
Reduced Inequalities
Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action on inequality

Canada's territories are home to 114,000 people, half of whom are Indigenous, living across 40% of Canada's landmass. As the key federal player for developing a strong, diversified, sustainable, and resilient economy for the territories, CanNor has an important role in supporting Indigenous economic development. CanNor's approach in implementing its Pan-Territorial Growth Strategy (PTGS) prioritizes collaboration with territorial governments, Indigenous organizations, industry and other stakeholders, as well as other federal departments. This collaborative approach allows for the integration of economic, social, cultural, and environmental considerations. It also allows for economic growth inside and out of the territorial capitals allowing Northerners to flourish in their own communities. Finally, this approach assists in closing the socio-economic gap for northern Indigenous peoples.

CanNor's Northern Indigenous Economic Opportunities Program (NIEOP) supports greater participation by northern Inuit, First Nations and Métis communities and businesses in economic opportunities. Through its Community Readiness and Opportunities Planning (CROP) program, which funds capacity building to support participation in economic activities, NIEOP will advance opportunities for employment, income, and wealth creation. 2023-24 also marks the first full year of the reintroduction of core funding delivered to Indigenous communities through CROP – CanNor will remain committed to working directly with these communities to ensure they are positioned to take advantage of economic opportunities. In addition, CanNor has been working with partners, including Indigenous partners in the North, to cultivate and grow the Northern innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem through targeted supports and through CanNor's emerging economic research stream under NIEOP, which will aim to identify economic development opportunities for territorial Indigenous community-owned development corporations, private Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs.

CanNor's Northern Projects Management Office (NPMO), will continue to play a pivotal coordinating and convening function with industry proponents, regulators, and Indigenous communities while also coordinating Crown consultation for federal regulators during the environmental assessment of new and expanding major projects in the territories. As the host of Pilimmaksaivik, CanNor will continue its work in coordinating a whole-of-government approach to building a representative federal public service in Nunavut, as described under Article 23 of the Nunavut Agreement.

In addition to targeted actions in the territories, CanNor will work with other federal departments to help advance broader Government of Canada commitments, including implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (particularly aspects pertaining to economic development) and the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (ANPF). An important priority of the ANPF is advancing reconciliation and improving relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

CanNor outsources its procurement services through a Memorandum of Understanding with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). In collaboration with ISC, CanNor will examine planned procurements to identify opportunities for Indigenous businesses, support the participation of Indigenous business to compete for contract awards, and contribute to the enhancement of oversight, planning and reporting mechanisms specific to Indigenous procurement. Finally, CanNor contributes to Indigenous economic development and reconciliation through participation in the Inuit-Crown Partnership working committees, collaboration with other RDAs to enhance supports across Inuit Nunangat, and through determination of how best to implement the National Indigenous Economic Strategy recommendations in the territories.

Goal 12
Responsible Consumption and Production
Reduce waste and transition to zero-emission vehicles

CanNor in compliance with the Policy on Green Procurement will support sustainable development by integrating environmental performance considerations into the procurement decision-making process through the actions described in the 2019 to 2022 FSDS "Greening Government" goal. CanNor aims to ensure all procurement specialists are trained in green procurement. CanNor is outsourcing its procurement services through a Memorandum of Understanding with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC).

Goal 13
Climate Action
Take action on climate change and its impacts

Through its multiple programs related to climate change and climate resilience, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) is contributing to Goal 13.  CanNor will implement the Greening Government Strategy by improving climate resilience. CanNor will do this by continuing to raise awareness internally on how climate change impacts programs, operations and policies in the North. CanNor also funds projects that incorporate clean technology through its various programs.

Section 5: Integrating Sustainable Development

CanNor will continue to integrate green procurement practices into its operations and comply with the Policy on Green Procurement. CanNor will consider the environmental effects of initiatives subject to the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, as part of its decision-making processes.

CanNor 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.

Public statements on the results of CanNor's assessments are made public when an initiative that has undergone a detailed SEA (see Reporting on Green Procurement). 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.

Footnotes