2020-2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
Context for the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
Although the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB, the Board) is not bound by the Federal Sustainable Development Act and is not required to develop a full departmental sustainable development strategy, the VRAB adheres to the principles of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) by complying with the Policy on Green Procurement.
The Policy on Green Procurement supports the Government of Canada’s effort to promote environmental stewardship. In keeping with the objectives of the policy, the VRAB supports 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.
Commitments for the Veterans Review and Appeal Board
| FSDS target | FSDS contributing actions |
Corresponding departmental action(s) |
Contribution by each departmental action to the FSDS goal and target | Starting point(s), target(s) and performance indicator(s) for departmental actions | Link to the department’s Program Inventory |
| Actions supporting the Greening Government goal and the Policy on Green Procurement | Departments will use environmental criteria to reduce the environmental impact and ensure best value in government procurement decisions |
Set departmental targets to reduce the environmental impact of specific goods or services.
Ensure environmental considerations are taken into account in procurement activities by including green procurement objectives in the Performance Management Agreements for key procurement staff |
Green procurement incorporates environmental considerations into purchasing decisions and is expected to motivate suppliers to green their goods, services and supply chain. |
Performance indicator: Number of accommodation stays that meet the target objective relative to the total number of all accommodation stays in the given year. Performance indicator: Number of imaging hardware purchased that meet the target objective relative to the total volume of all imaging hardware purchased in the year. Performance indicator: Number of toner cartridges recycled relative to the total volume of toner cartridges purchased in the given year. Performance indicator: Percentage of key procurement staff whose Performance Management Agreements includes green procurement objectives. |
Review and Appeal |
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Support for green procurement will be strengthened, including guidance, tools and training for public service employees |
Enhance capacity to incorporate environmental performance consideration into procurement decisions by requiring that all new acquisition cardholders take green procurement training within one year of hire. |
Green procurement incorporates environmental considerations into purchasing decisions and is expected to motivate suppliers to green their goods, services and supply chain. |
Performance indicator: Percentage of acquisition cardholders that take green procurement training within one year of hire. |
Review and Appeal |
Integrating sustainable development
Green procurement practices
- The Board receives procurement services from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) under a Memorandum of Understanding; The Board does very little of its own procurement (approximately 10%).
- As a small organization that does very little of its own procurement, it is more effective for the Board to leverage the benefits of existing green procurement instruments. The Board will maximize the use of green procurement instruments provided by Public Services and Procurement Canada, such as standing offers and supply arrangements, as environmental considerations are integrated into the planning process. These common use instruments are designed to meet federal government green procurement standards.
- The Board promotes sustainable development through employee training and awareness in areas such as sustainable development and green procurement.
- Where possible, the Board has put management processes in place to support the achievement of its targets to reduce the environmental impact of purchases.
Sustainable workplace practices
- The Board continues to identify and implement, to the extent possible, opportunities to innovate and modernize business practices and functions that benefit sustainable practices across the organization.
- The Board has invested a significant amount of time and effort into redesigning its hearing process to reduce its reliance on paper by incorporating more technology. Going paperless has made the Board’s process more green, efficient and reliable. The Board continues to explore opportunities to use electronic documents instead of paper documents (e.g. change processes so that documents are sent, received, reviewed and approved electronically when possible).
- The Board supports green meetings as a sustainable workplace practice. The majority of employees use laptops for notetaking and reference materials during meetings, which further reduces reliance on paper.
A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for policy, plan or program proposals includes an analysis of the impacts of the given proposal on the environment, including on the FSDS goals and targets. The results of these assessments are made public when an initiative that has undergone a detailed SEA is announced. The purpose of the public statement is to demonstrate that when there are environmental effects, including impacts on achieving the FSDS goals and targets, of the approved policy, plan or program that they have been considered during proposal development and decision making. The Board’s mandate is to provide an independent avenue of redress to individuals who are dissatisfied with disability benefits decisions made by VAC. Given its mandate, the Board does not develop plans, programs or policies subject to strategic environmental assessments.