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Response to parliamentary committees

(1) Hearing - Standing Committee on Public Accounts

The Public Accounts Report regarding the IICP was presented to the House on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.  Report 9 - Report 9, Investing in Canada Plan, of the 2021 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada. The government response to this report was tabled in the House on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.  Government Response.

Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

Report 7—Environmental Petitions Annual Report

The purpose of this annual report is to inform Parliament and Canadians about the number, nature, and status of environmental petitions and responses received from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, as required by section 23 of the Auditor General Act.

Twenty-one federal organizations received petitions from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021. Infrastructure Canada was included in one (1) petition during that timeframe.

There were no related recommendations.

Report 4—Funding Climate-Ready Infrastructure

This audit focused on whether Infrastructure Canada designed and implemented a climate lens approach to designated projects under selected funding programs, and whether investments under these programs contributed to more resilient and inclusive, and less carbon-intensive infrastructure investments.

It also examined the evolution in the design and application of the Climate Lens to projects funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, the Smart Cities Challenge, and the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program. The audit also included the integration of gender-based analysis plus and United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals considerations in infrastructure investment decisions.

There were six recommendations to Infrastructure Canada from the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development in 2021-2022 with respect to the Audit of Funding Climate-Ready Infrastructure. Infrastructure Canada's response to the audit can be found on the Office of Auditor General of Canada Website. The recommendations, as well as the departmental responses from April 2022, are summarized as follows:

Recommendation 4.32

To help ensure that it receives reliable information on the expected climate change benefits of infrastructure projects, Infrastructure Canada should require that information be prepared on the basis of clear, specific, and internationally recognized quality criteria for proponents to use when preparing emission reduction and climate resilience information for their proposed projects.

Departmental Response

Agreed. Infrastructure Canada is committed to continuous improvement of its evergreen Climate Lens guidance and to the consistent tracking of climate change benefits of funded infrastructure.

This work will enhance clarity around the department's general Climate Lens guidance and will include developing sector-specific guidance including introducing GHG quantification modules in priority areas.

Recommendation 4.54

To ensure the efficient management of climate mitigation and resilience outcomes information it receives from project proponents, and to ensure the completeness and reliability of this information, Infrastructure Canada should integrate its information management procedures, and establish effective and efficient data transfer protocols and quality controls as this information is pulled from submissions and transferred in internal systems.

Departmental Response

Agreed. While Infrastructure Canada views its information management systems as effective, there is always room for improvement. Infrastructure Canada will improve the cataloguing, documentation, and tracking of Climate Lens data throughout the project life cycle (from submission through validation, approval, and implementation).

Recommendation 4.62

To ensure it can consistently implement the Climate Lens tool and account for the expected GHG emission reductions and resilience outcomes of submitted projects with confidence, Infrastructure Canada should specify data completeness and comparability criteria to be met and should implement vetting procedures to validate that the quality of information received enables the compilation of program-level achievements.

Departmental Response

Agreed. Infrastructure Canada will improve the communication and clarity of the criteria and expected data required for completeness as part of the Climate Lens guidance, and in particular through the development of sector-specific guidance consistent with ISO standards. The department will review its vetting procedures to ensure validation of the assessments to allow program-level reporting on achievements.

Recommendation 4.72

Building on information it collects from program applicants and processes internally on the climate change benefits of funded projects, Infrastructure Canada should develop and implement program-level performance indicators of estimated emission reductions and resilience outcomes and report them publicly.

Departmental Response

Agreed. Although the departmental reporting cycle (Departmental Report on Results) fell outside the timeframe for the audit, the department has identified performance indicators for emission reductions and resilience and reported on them publicly. Infrastructure Canada reported on the GHG emissions reductions associated with its Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program spending in its 2021 Departmental Results Report, published 1 February 2022, which states, “As of March 31, 2021, 71 approved Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program—Green infrastructure stream projects contribute to a net GHG emissions reduction of 2.7 MT (27% of target), based on forecasted levels for the reference year.”

Understanding that certain program performance indicators have already been established, Infrastructure Canada will explore ways to further improve measurement and public program-level reporting on estimated emission reductions and resilience outcomes.

Recommendation 4.79

Infrastructure Canada should identify the targets for the Sustainable Development Goals that a federal infrastructure program will contribute to and establish performance indicators specific to each and use them to track and report publicly on progress.

Departmental Response

Agreed. Infrastructure Canada will report on progress for relevant targets for United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the whole-of-government Canadian Indicator Framework and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, which continues to refine a set of indicators that aim to demonstrate progress toward the SDGs. In contributing to this work, the department's input will reflect the effect of investments from its programs and initiatives.

Recommendation 4.89

The department should ensure that its infrastructure programs consistently measure and report on their specific contributions toward gender, diversity, and inclusivity in order to improve the assessment of the programs' objectives and outcomes and inform the design of future programs.

Departmental Response

Agreed. For existing programs, Infrastructure Canada will work with project proponents on reporting on gender, diversity, and inclusion, within established processes and reporting requirements such as Community Employment Benefits.

Infrastructure Canada will explore opportunities to improve the measurement and reporting of its new programs toward gender, diversity, and inclusivity.

Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

There were no audits in 2021–22 requiring a response.