About Us

What We Do: Key Facts and Activities

A dedicated organization:

• Approximately 4700 employees,
• More than a half billion dollar budget,
• Located in 100 communities,
• Working with thousands of partners in every province and territory and around the globe.

A clean environment is Environment Canada's business

• Making more than 20 000 inspections and nearly 600 prosecutions for offenses against Canada's environmental laws over five years (See the Environmental Law Enforcement Web site),
• Assessing and controlling the most dangerous chemicals among the 23 000 or so in use in Canada (See the Substances Web Site),
• Providing expert scientific advice and environmental impact assessments in over 1000 significant spill incidents,
• Implementing or supporting 350 environmental technology advancement projects in Canada and abroad,
• Funding of over 190 community action projects in support of cleaner air and water, and the reduction of emissions linked to climate change (See the EcoAction Web site - A Community Funding Programme).

Weather and environmental prediction is Environment Canada's business

• Issuing approximately 500 000 public forecasts, 200 000 marine and sea state forecasts, 400 000 aviation forecasts, 14 000 warnings of severe weather and responding to 44 million requests for weather and environmental information per year,
• Helping Canadians adapt to their environment by providing scientific information affecting their health, safety and business.

Our natural heritage is Environment Canada's business

• Helping to protect over 400 species of internationally shared migratory birds and 11 million hectares of habitat,
• Helping to sustain the 340 plant and animal species being at risk in Canada (See the Species at Risk in Canada Web site),
• Funding over 560 community action projects in support of the protection of our natural heritage (See the EcoAction Web site - A Community Funding Programme).

Environment Canada's science is the foundation of each of its businesses

• Dedicating 81% of its budget and 60% of its workforce to science and technology related activities,
• Operating 15 laboratories, taking and testing hundreds of thousands of lake levels, stream flow, water quality and wildlife toxicology samples,
• Developing measures and indicators of ecosystem health and new technology solutions for eco-efficiency,
• Publishing over 350 scientific articles annually.