Sustainable development’s most common definition is "a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs", from the United Nations study which first brought this issue to the world’s attention more than twenty years ago (Our Common Future, The World Commission on Environment and Development - Brundtland Commission, 1987). It is an approach to growth that considers the impacts of policies, programs and operations on economic prosperity, environmental quality and social well-being.

Industry Canada's legislative responsibility for sustainable development is defined in its founding act, the Department of Industry Act, 1995, which mandates the Minister of Industry to "strengthen the national economy and promote sustainable development." While Industry Canada is, first and foremost, an economic department, it recognizes the interconnectedness of the economic, social and environmental policy dimensions. As such, it supports further integration of sustainable development principles into departmental policies, programs and operations as a way to foster improved efficiency, decreased costs, improved environmental performance, enhanced competitiveness of Canadian industry, and increased awareness and uptake by Canadian consumers.

Industry Canada’s current activities towards sustainable development are presented in its 2011-12 departmental sustainable development strategy (DSDS), which was developed under the framework of the Federal Sustainable Development Act, passed by Parliament in 2008. This Act requires the government to develop a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) every three years. The FSDS sets out federal sustainable development goals and targets, as well as implementation strategies for meeting each target. It aims to make environmental decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament.

Section 11 of the Federal Sustainable Development Act further requires that departments or agencies named in the schedule of the Financial Administration Act prepare a sustainable development strategy that complies with and contributes to the FSDS, appropriate to the department or agency's mandate. Industry Canada’s 2011-12 DSDS fulfills this requirement

In addition to the 2011-12 DSDS, this site presents Industry Canada’s past sustainable development strategies (from 1997 to 2009), information on SD-related initiatives, results from SD research, and relevant links.