Ottawa 2020

Environmental Strategy

3.4 Corporate Environmental Action Planning

To implement the direction of this Environmental Strategy, a comprehensive Corporate Environmental Action Plan will be prepared every five years. The action plan will outline any individual supporting plans, projects and activities that will be rolled out within the five-year span of the plan. Specific items will be linked in the action plan to both the environmental goals and strategic commitments. The plan will be adjusted annually to reflect emerging trends and priorities, during the City's annual budget and business planning cycle. Long-term budget needs will be incorporated into the City's Long Range Financial Plan.

The first Corporate Environmental Action Plan, for the period of 2004-2008, is provided in Table 3. Key short and medium-term actions proposed to meet the strategic commitments are highlighted. Some of the actions identified will establish the targets and priorities to complete this strategy and will establish the medium to long-term activities for implementation of the Environmental Strategy.

Table 3: Corporate Environmental Action Plan (~2004-2008)

Commitments Short-term Actions
(0-2 years)		 Medium-term Actions
(3-5 years)
Overall - Associated with several commitments
  • Establish clear roles, responsibilities and timeframes for conducting business area inventories, setting targets and monitoring progress
  • Complete an environmental scan of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers to environmental management
  • Prepare a coordinated communication strategy for delivery of the City's environmental initiatives and a support to implementing the Environmental Strategy
  • Update the Environmental Strategy in five years to assess the targets, priorities, effectiveness of the process and progress in achieving the environmental goals and commitments
1. Manage material, human and natural resources as efficiently and effectively as possible
  • Conduct an inventory of current resource use within City operations to establish a baseline - major areas of focus will include water, land, energy, and will include a comprehensive inventory of all resources used
  • Set targets for reduction in resource use
  • Establish and develop internal and external networks, partnerships and resources to coordinate and integrate efforts in environmental management
  • Complete the Integrated Waste Management Master Plan
  • Conduct an inventory of resource use within the community to establish baseline parameters
  • Set targets for reduction in resource use
  • Continue, and enhance where appropriate, existing community programs related to solid waste reduction, water efficiency, land stewardship, energy use; Coordinate materials with schools for curricula, where appropriate
  • Establish a network of information
  • Develop a program to encourage eco-industrial systems
2. Manage greenhouse gas emissions to reduce to targets identified as a Partner for Climate Protection
  • Confirm inventory of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in City operations and in the community
  • Establish targets and a comprehensive set of measures for GHG emission reduction as part of the Air Quality and Climate Change Plan
  • Implement measures to reduce GHG emissions
  • Continue implementation of measures to reduce GHG emissions
  • Develop a policy to promote longer term payback for capital investments in energy efficiency
  • Develop a method for budgeting of GHG that will help incorporate consideration of GHG emissions into project design
3. Incorporate environmental factors and costs into the City's decision-making on its policies, programs and initiatives
  • Develop a green procurement policy
  • Review City operations and policies and Community practices for their potential environmental impact to such as water, air, soil, forests, greenspaces, species diversity, using or building upon existing guides such as provincial Environmental Assessments of municipal environmental impact statements
  • Implement a procedure for full cost accounting, building in a consideration of the environmental costs associated with the provision of City services and the purchase, use and disposal of materials and assets
  • Develop targets, procedures and programs to reduce identified environmental impacts, on a priority basis
  • Develop tax initiatives and other economic incentives to encourage sustainable practices
  • Encourage use of sustainable practices by individuals and businesses, within industries, commercial facilities, agriculture and forestry
  • Develop or identify available information and tools that help make it simple for all of us to choose "green" products and services
4.Demonstrate and promote leadership in environmental stewardship
  • Begin to develop City facilities, lands, parks, forests roadways as showcases for environmental best practices
  • For community-directed environmental education programs, model the corresponding sustainable practices and sound environmental management within City business
  • Implement an awards program to recognize the innovative and exemplary actions of organizations and individuals
  • Enhance promotion of land stewardship and sustainable land management throughout the community
5. Take an ecosystem management approach to new and existing land development and in the protection of the City's natural resource features
  • Complete the Groundwater Management Strategy, Water Environment Strategy, Greenspace Master Plan, Biodiversity Strategy and the Air Quality and Climate Change Plan
  • Implement Official Plan policies for protection of Natural Environment Areas, Urban Natural Features and water and policies related to transportation, land use and conduct of subwatershed studies
  • Implement Integrated Environmental Review process
  • Implement Design Guidelines to guide how development is situated within the existing environment
  • Develop a program to encourage development of brownfields
  • Develop a method of adequately valuing green spaces in both an urban and rural context
  • Develop and encourage community greening initiatives, such as naturalization of public and private lands, community gardening.
6. Measure, assess, and report on progress of the City on these commitments, through a meaningful, simple and consultative process
  • Contribute to the annual report card that will monitor the City's progress in implementing the Ottawa 20/20 plans
  • Develop an internal data collection and monitoring process to measure environmental progress.
  • Adopt and report on an ecological footprint model that best captures our community environmental impact
  • Develop a comprehensive set of environmental indicators to assess overall quality of life in Ottawa

Many of the activities in the Corporate Environmental Action Plan will be conducted through existing resources within environmental programs across the corporation. Some examples include the completion of supporting plans, conduct of baseline data collection, setting of targets, review of City practices and policies, review of community practices for environmental impact and delivery of education and awareness programs. Other initiatives are likely to require additional financial or human resources. These will be identified through both the annual budget process and in the long-term financial plan with resources allocated according to available resources and current priorities. It is expected that other sources of funding will be available for many of the environmental initiatives, especially for climate change, an area that is currently a priority for the federal government. As the City explores incentives and disincentives for responsible environmental management within the community, opportunities for some cost recovery will be identified. Finally, improving our environmental performance will, at times, cost more initially. In the longer term, however, City operational costs will be reduced when we improve our resource use efficiency, for example. This payback will also be true for the businesses and individuals within our community.

Next: 3.5 Setting Targets and Monitoring our Progress