2019-20 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
1. Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
The 2016 to 2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada’s sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) adheres to the principles of the FSDS, and while not bound formally by the Act, supports reporting on the implementation of the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
2. Sustainable development in the PMPRB
The PMPRB’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy for 2017 to 2020 describes the department’s actions in support of achieving a low-carbon government for which the PMPRB had departmental actions. This supplementary information table presents available results for the departmental action[s] pertinent to this goal. Previous years’ supplementary information tables are posted on the PMPRB’s website.
3. Departmental performance by FSDS goal
The following tables provide performance information on departmental action[s] in support of the FSDS goals listed in section 2.
Context: Low-Carbon Government
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) is an independent quasi-judicial body established by Parliament in 1987 under the Patent Act (the “Act”). The PMPRB is a consumer protection agency with a dual regulatory and reporting mandate. Its regulatory mandate is to ensure that the prices of patented medicines sold in Canada are not excessive. Its reporting mandate is to provide stakeholders with pharmaceutical trends information to help them make informed choices.
Given the PMPRB’s mandate it has little opportunity to impact the achievement of the goals and targets of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.
Low-Carbon Government: The Government of Canada leads by example by making its operations low-carbon
| FSDS target(s) | FSDS contributing action(s) | Corresponding departmental action(s) | Starting point(s) Performance indicator(s) Target(s) |
Results achieved | Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025 |
Support the transition to a low-carbon economy through green procurement |
Ensure that decision‑makers have the necessary training and awareness to support green procurement |
Baseline 2017-18: 100% |
100% of procurement and/or material management decision makers have completed the required Canada School of Public Service Procurement courses |
Procurement agents who are trained to apply such criteria can award contracts to suppliers with a reduced GHG footprint. |
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Set departmental targets to reduce environmental impact of specific goods or services:
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Baseline 2017-18: 100% |
100% of toner cartridges and paper purchased in 2019-20 were made from reused or recycled materials |
The use of reused or recycled materials reduces the amount of waste from manufacturing plant as well as the amount of waste that ends up in land fill sites. |
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Baseline: 2017-18 100% |
The PMPRB had zero e-waste in 2019-20 |
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4. Report on integrating sustainable development
During the 2019–20 reporting cycle, the PMPRB had no proposals that required a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and no public statements were produced.
The PMPRB will continue to maximize its use of PSPC common use procurement instruments, such as standing offers and supply arrangements, and integrate environmental considerations into procurement processes.
In addition, the PMPRB always considers the following factors when making purchases:
- Reduce Use – the PMPRB purchases only what is necessary and reuses as much as possible.
- Use of Standing Offers – PSPC is continually renewing standing offers for the most commonly procured goods and services and additionally increasing the integration of environmental considerations.
- Look for Environmental Certifications – there are now reliable environmental labels and standards widely adopted by the industry, including EcoLogo, Green Seal, ENERGY STAR and Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), which make it easy to identify environmentally preferable goods.