Environmental Guidance & Policy

Environmental policies in the public sector guide decision-makers in the development of programs, projects and initiatives.

In B.C. strategic environmental policies provide a coherent framework for future direction on sustainable governance, and determine how conflicting goals and priorities should be balanced.

Components

Components of environmental strategic policy:

• Policy analysis and development
• Innovative business approach development
• Decision-making tools and advice
• Project management
• Multi-jurisdictional, transboundary and intergovernmental engagement

The development of management approaches for public issues related to environmental protection and environmental stewardship helps to ensure that requirements of central government agencies are met, while integrating perspectives from stakeholder consultations and from across government.

Legislative Cycles

Managing the annual legislative cycle includes:

• Coordination of the annual legislative summary
• Identification and recommendation of legislative priorities
• Expert advice on the development of requests for legislation and drafting instructions
• Working with government agencies and legal advisors to prepare draft legislation
• Support for the facilitation of progress of bills through the Legislature
• Management of the B.C. Government’s deregulation initiatives
• Coordination of Ministry Orders in Council

Policy Development

Though the general process to transform policy into law is universal throughout the B.C. Government, environmental policy development may face unique challenges due to the complexity of issues faced and the number of stakeholders involved.

The essential steps of policy development are:

1. Defining the policy problem
2. Setting objectives
3. Developing policy options
4. Identifying the likely consequences of each option
5. Deciding on a policy