Mandate, Principles and Policies

Context

Effective January 1, 2004, the Senate, the House of Commons, the Library of Parliament and Public Works and Government Services Canada, Parliamentary Precinct Branch, agreed to enter into a partnership for the environmental management of Parliament Hill under a new environmental program entitled "Partners for a Green Hill - Preserving our Past, Protecting our Future". This program represents a commitment to preserve and enhance the Parliament Hill environment by implementing the "4Rs" of environmental protection - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink.

This new partnership will build upon the highly successful initiatives of past environmental programs of the Senate and the House: the Green Committee Program and the Greening the Hill Program. The new program will provide a unified approach for the standardization and modernization of current environmental programs and practices and also for the introduction of new programs to promote environmental protection on the Hill. 

Partners for a Green Hill will increase awareness with target audiences to preserve and protect the Parliament Hill environment. The programs will involve the buildings and the working environment of more than 4,000 people including: Parliamentarians and their staff; employees of the Administration of the Senate, the House of Commons, and the Library of Parliament; and the general public. This partnership has been formed in order to strengthen the Environmental Management System (EMS) and encourage each organization within this partnership to continue to improve its environmental performance.

Click here to view the Memorandum of Understanding