Mechanisms of environmental policy change in a federal system: The case of open federalism and the 2006–15 Harper government

Wellstead, Adam

doi:10.1080/13597566.2018.1441148

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…In contrast to the view that high‐level abstract and macro‐level policy goal change often lead to changes in the contents of other policy elements (Carstensen, 2011; Howlett et al, 2022), we observe meso‐ and micro‐driven incremental policy changes as possible precursors of more paradigmatic change in macro‐level policy goals in the case of solar equity policy in the United States: prior to the formal appearance of energy justice‐related policy goals, there had been several policy instruments used and calibrated at lower level to enhance solar equity. The results also correspond to the argument that policy change involving the wholesale replacement of new goals and instruments is rare as noted by Wellstead (2018) in his review of Canadian environmental policy. There are more likely to be incremental policy changes that allow policy design options to build upon historical “policy legacies” (Wellstead & Howlett, 2017, p. 536).…”

Section: Implications and Conclusionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Operationalizing social equity in public policy design: A comparative analysis of solar equity policies in the United States

Zhou

Gao

Wellstead

et al. 2023

Policy Studies Journal

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While it is widely recognized that energy injustices are prevalent in the clean energy transition process, there has been limited research attention on policy efforts aiming to mitigate these inequities. In this paper, we use solar equity policies as an empirical case study to understand how social equity considerations are conceptualized and operationalized in energy policy content. We build upon the policy design literature and code institutional statements of 54 solar equity policies adopted between 2001 and 2021 in the United States. In our comparative analysis, we focus on three levels of policy design elements that can be directly observed in written policy language: macro‐policy goal construction, meso‐policy instrument choices, and micro‐level policy settings and calibrations. We find that the policy goal of energy justice is multifaceted, with a great emphasis on solar energy accessibility and provision of economic benefits and security for disadvantaged communities. There is a dominant preference by policymakers to use redistributive policies and community solar programs to advance energy justice‐related goals. Solar equity policy instruments on‐the‐ground measures have also been calibrated to target specific disadvantaged populations in the energy system, which focus mostly on income‐based vulnerability.

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Section: Implications and Conclusionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Operationalizing social equity in public policy design: A comparative analysis of solar equity policies in the United States

Zhou

Gao

Wellstead

et al. 2023

Policy Studies Journal

Self Cite

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“…In 2011, the Government of Canada announced that it was considering major changes to the federal community pasture program (Arbuthnott and Schmutz 2013). These changes were in line with the Conservative government's principles of "open federalism" and devolution of power and responsibility to the provinces (Wellstead 2018). During the release of the federal budget in March 2012, the government gave official notice of the plan to withdraw the community pasture program over a 6-year period from 2013 to 2018 (Phillips 2015).…”

Section: History Of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Agencymentioning

confidence: 93%

Supporting native grasslands in Canada: Lessons learned and future management of the Prairie Pastures Conservation Area (PPCA) in Saskatchewan

Hisey

Heppner

Olive

2022

Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes

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Globally, grassland ecosystems are extremely endangered with few significant parcels remaining and are critical to conserving native species at risk. • The Prairie Pastures Conservation Area in southern Saskatchewan has some of the largest remaining blocks of native grasslands under Canadian federal control. • This area should be managed to enhance Indigenous collaboration, establish a conservation network, and increase public access to native grassland ecosystems.Temperate grasslands are the most endangered and least protected biome in the world. Few significant parcels remain and strategies for ongoing protection are critical for conservation efforts worldwide. In southwestern Saskatchewan, three contiguous blocks of native grassland, known as the Prairie Pastures Conservation Area, are federally managed by Environment and Climate Change Canada. Previously, the 800-km 2 space was managed by the Department of Agriculture as public rangeland in the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Agency (PFRA). We interviewed 11 individuals, including NGO representatives and pasture patrons, familiar with the PFRA at a native prairie/grassland conference to enhance our understanding of the importance of the agency and the lands in the province to them, as well as to Canada and globally. Themes that emerged included benefits of historic PFRA management, reservations about privatization of pasturelands, and worries about mismanagement. We take these themes and build them into our recommendations for what Environment and Climate Change Canada should do with the Prairie Pastures Conservation Area going forward: enhance Indigenous collaboration, establish a conservation network, and increase public use and awareness.

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“…The theoretical approach of this paper is to treat the question of single use plastics regulation as a question of federalism. The key contribution of this approach is to highlight the role of institutions as a mechanism of policy change (Wellstead, 2018 These implications are directly relevant to the food sector as one of the primary effected stakeholders.…”

Section: Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In part, what is taking place with the proposed plastics legislation is a shift away from the "open federalism" environmental policies of the previous, Conservative government (Wellstead, 2018). Problematically, in the case of plastics, there is considerable need for cost benefit analysis.…”

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canada’s Integrated Management Approach to Plastic Products: Defining the Problem and the Jurisdiction

Kitz

2021

DJIM

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Plastic waste is a global environmental problem. However, management solutions must be developed within local, institutional contexts. This paper considers the Government of Canada’s ‘proposed integrated management approach to plastic products’ both as a strategy for management and as an expression of federal jurisdiction. What is the policy problem to which they are responding, and how are they characterizing that problem in order to claim jurisdiction? Most importantly, what are the policy implications of this jurisdictional question?

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Mechanisms of environmental policy change in a federal system: The case of open federalism and the 2006–15 Harper government

Cited by 7 publications

References 55 publications

Operationalizing social equity in public policy design: A comparative analysis of solar equity policies in the United States

Operationalizing social equity in public policy design: A comparative analysis of solar equity policies in the United States

Supporting native grasslands in Canada: Lessons learned and future management of the Prairie Pastures Conservation Area (PPCA) in Saskatchewan

Canada’s Integrated Management Approach to Plastic Products: Defining the Problem and the Jurisdiction

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