Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

The document advocates for a 'whole-of-government' approach to climate change in Canada, defined as the use of governance structures (like cabinet committees) and processes (like mandate letters) to coordinate action across departmental silos. Through case studies of the UK, US, and British Columbia, it identifies that success depends on sustained executive leadership, adequate resources, and empowered personnel. It warns that such structures are fragile and can be easily dismantled by changes in government. For Canada, the brief recommends establishing a Prime Minister-chaired Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Net Zero, supported by a high-level coordinating Secretariat in the Privy Council or Prime Minister's Office.

• A whole-of-government approach to climate change is composed of governance structures, such as cabinet committees and task forces, and processes, including rules or mandates that direct policymaking across at least two departments.
• The success of whole-of-government climate initiatives is heavily dependent on sustained executive leadership to direct priorities and coordination, making these structures fragile and susceptible to being dismantled during government turnovers.
• In the United Kingdom, the government established the Climate Action Strategy Committee and the Climate Action Implementation Committee in 2020 to coordinate cross-cutting climate issues, though a lack of transparency and accountability makes their actual efficacy difficult to measure.
• British Columbia's experience demonstrates that the placement of coordinating bodies matters; the Climate Action Secretariat was most effective when located within the Premier’s Office, but lost influence after being moved to the Ministry of Environment.
• The United States under the Biden administration has implemented a whole-of-government approach via the National Climate Task Force and the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, integrating climate goals into economic recovery through the American Jobs Plan.
• Effective whole-of-government governance requires a balance between inter-departmental coordination and allowing individual departments to fulfill their specific mandates without being overburdened by additional mechanisms.
• External advisory bodies, such as the UK's Climate Change Committee and Canada's Net-Zero Advisory Body, enhance accountability by providing independent analysis and public reports that benchmark government progress.
• To strengthen its approach, the Canadian federal government should create a Prime Minister-chaired Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Net Zero and a high-level coordinating Secretariat in the Privy Council or Prime Minister’s Office.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2021). Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts. https://climateinstitute.ca/publications/greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts. 2021. https://climateinstitute.ca/publications/greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts |date=22 November 2021 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/publications/greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitute2021greater, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/publications/greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }