An environmental policy framework for the City of Nanaimo
Subject
Abstract
This research paper proposes an environmental policy framework that can be used by the City of Nanaimo and other BC municipalities to evaluate the comprehensiveness of their environmental policies, plans and programs. The environmental policy framework was developed based on a review of standardized ‘best practice’ environmental frameworks and refined by comparing them against the environmental policies, plans and programs of four case study communities: Saanich, Campbell River, Whistler and Kelowna. The environmental policy framework was used to evaluate the comprehensiveness of the environmental policies, plans and programs of the City of Nanaimo. Further, the extent to which Nanaimo has implemented or is implementing the action items within the framework was compared to that of the four case study communities. A gap analysis identified what the City of Nanaimo could do to better protect and enhance the environment. The City of Nanaimo may find the environmental policy framework and the results of the gap analysis useful to develop or strengthen policies, plans or programs. Other BC municipalities may use the environmental policy framework to evaluate their environmental performance.