In accordance with the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (2010), a Strategic Environmental Assessment was conducted for the A New Approach for Supporting National Innovation Ecosystems Proposal. The SEA indicated that the Proposal is likely to result in important environmental effects.
In order to achieve maximum growth Canada must continue to evolve the business innovation ecosystem. This evolution must move towards more scaling up and growth of firms which should ultimately result in firms accessing more domestic and global markets. The consolidation of the Business-Led Networks of Centers of Excellence (BL-NCE) and Centers of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) programs under SIF, as per the Budget 2018 decision, provides the Government of Canada an opportunity to create a framework that will ensure ample support to networks focused on large scale projects and the highest growth potential firms. It is proposed that a new stream be established under SIF that would be dedicated to supporting large-scale national ecosystems, that are industry-led and cover a broader range of innovation related activities.
It is anticipated that projects supported by the Fund could contribute to a certain extent to the government’s broader sustainability objectives through the development of more efficient technologies which enhance the performance of products, reduce manufacturing processes that generate less waste.
This proposal may contribute to a certain extent toward a number of goals and targets of the 2016-2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, including the clean growth goal and clean tech target for which the Minister of ISED is accountable, including:
Effective action on climate change
Long-term goal: A low-carbon economy contributes to limiting global average temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius and supports efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Medium-term target: By 2030, reduce Canada's total GHG emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels.
Clean growth
Long-term goal: a growing clean technology industry in Canada contributes to clean growth and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Medium-term target: implement our Missions Innovation commitment to double federal government investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration, by 2020, from 2015 levels