Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues that the Canadian federal government should adopt a whole-of-government approach to climate change to improve performance through cross-departmental collaboration and integrated policy-making.

• A whole-of-government approach to climate change allows governments to mainstream climate change into policy-making processes, leverage departmental expertise, reduce policy redundancies, and create synergies for more effective governance. This is necessary because climate change is a complex, cross-jurisdictional issue requiring societal transformation and policies that function across sectors, communities, and regional borders.
• Effective climate policy in Canada requires the active involvement and coordinated approach of various departments, including Finance, Infrastructure, Transport, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Agriculture and Agri-Food, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Employment and Social Development.
• Based on a survey of eight countries and in-depth analysis of the United Kingdom, the United States, and British Columbia, the report identifies five requirements for a cohesive whole-of-government climate initiative: sustained executive leadership, adequate funding with a clear mandate and capacity for change, empowered personnel within the structures, alignment of participating departmental mandates, and public reporting and transparency regarding research and deliberations.

APA

Kuehl,, J. M. (2021). Greater Than the Sum of its Parts. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/whole-government-approach-climate-change

Chicago

Kuehl,, Janetta McKenzie,Jonas. Greater Than the Sum of its Parts. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/publications/whole-government-approach-climate-change.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kuehl, |first1=Janetta McKenzie,Jonas |title=Greater Than the Sum of its Parts |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=20 December 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/whole-government-approach-climate-change |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kuehl2021greater, author = {Kuehl,, Janetta McKenzie,Jonas}, title = {{Greater Than the Sum of its Parts}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/whole-government-approach-climate-change}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }