Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy

The document examines how regulations and standards can be used to foster a green economy by either mandating transitions or removing regulatory barriers. It highlights Vancouver's "Green Tape Review" as a successful example of removing obstacles to green technologies, such as green roofs and urban agriculture, through zoning bylaw amendments. The text suggests that a similar proactive review in Manitoba could identify and remove sustainability barriers with minimal opposition compared to imposing higher mandatory standards.

• Regulations and standards serve to formalize policy shifts by either reducing barriers to transition or mandating transition, with the advantage of being integrated into a legal framework that includes penalties for non-compliance.
• Vancouver implemented a "Green Tape Review" to identify and address regulatory obstacles to green technologies, resulting in zoning bylaw amendments that provided height relaxations for solar or wind power and green roof access, as well as wall thickness exemptions for increased insulation and yard relaxations for external shading devices.
• The success of Vancouver's "green tape" review was attributed to the fact that it removed existing regulatory barriers rather than imposing new requirements, which minimized opposition and allowed for quicker implementation compared to changes in building codes.
• In Manitoba, "green tape" has received little media attention and was not a focus of the City of Winnipeg's Red Tape Commission, suggesting that a proactive review could help remove sustainability barriers before they become problematic.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2013). Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/policy-tools-transition-green-economy-regulations-standards.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy. 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/policy-tools-transition-green-economy-regulations-standards.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy |date=September 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/policy-tools-transition-green-economy-regulations-standards.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2013policy, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Policy Tools That Support Transition Into a Green Economy}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/policy-tools-transition-green-economy-regulations-standards.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }