096////NATIONAL 96 NATIONALROUND ROUNDTABLE TABLEON ONTHE THEENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAND ANDTHE THEECONOMY ECONOMY
“low-carbon, green growth” plan in a 2008 national address commemorating South Korea’s independence.126 No matter the impetus, successful implementation requires political commitment from all orders of government, commitment and follow-through on the part of central agencies, and in a federation such as Canada, a coordinated federal-provincial approach. The NRT has articulated an initial vision that will require further refinement based on broad consultation.
Federal and provincial governments need to increase the effectiveness of coordination within and across departments as well as between levels of government. While facilitated when leadership clearly promotes a low-carbon transition, effective coordination requires improved communication within and across relevant government departments to better align objectives and efforts and achieve results. Departmental accountability mechanisms also greatly facilitate coordination. Improved communications across governments leads to streamlined responsibilities and greater policy coherence.
Improving interdepartmental dialogue to tackle the crosscutting issue of low-carbon growth requires both organizational specialization and the adoption of a holistic approach. For example, the United Kingdom created the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in 2008 to address tensions arising from the sometimes conflicting policy mandates of climate change and energy departments and to balance environmental and economic objectives. To develop the LCGP, DECC adopted the model used for other issue areas: create a core group of 10–12 people to lead and coordinate strategy development and consult across government to gain diverse policy and technical input. This approach builds buy-in from all departments involved. In the U.K.’s case, the legally binding commitment to meet emission reduction targets across government and related carbon budgeting exercises has helped ensure policy coherence.127 British Columbia’s Climate Action Secretariat (CAS) provides an example of a successful Canadian approach. The CAS “drives change to achieve B.C.’s GHG emission reduction targets by coordinating climate action activities across government and with stakeholders”.128 While housed in the Ministry of Environment, the CAS works across the provincial government to support integration of climate change considerations into planning and operations, from both mitigation and adaptation perspectives.129 Whether by using existing mechanisms, reorganizing, and/or developing new mechanisms, integration across both federal and provincial governments will be necessary to achieve a successful low-carbon transition in Canada.
Increased inter-governmental coordination is also required to maximize low-carbon outcomes and minimize policy and program overlap. Given the diversity of interests, resources, and opportunities across Canada’s provinces, regional representation in any discussion of a national low-carbon strategy is critical. Furthermore, stimulating low-carbon growth will require action at all levels of government on a diversity of files. Minimizing jurisdictional fragmentation and increasing alignment of policies will increase efficiency and improve overall cost-effectiveness. Where expertise is more concentrated within a given level of government, greater coordination would also provide the opportunity for more effective delegation to the party best equipped to address the issue. Intragovernmental coordination is an important related issue. Climate