Ministry of Environment — Continued

Strategic Context

Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

The ministry's vision is a clean, healthy and naturally diverse environment that enriches people's lives, now and in the future.

Mission

The ministry provides leadership and support to British Columbians to help them limit the adverse effects of their individual and collective activities on the environment, while fostering economic development and providing outdoor opportunities.

Values

The ministry plays a leadership role in sustainable environmental management using scientific and economic information in decision-making processes and in promoting safe, healthy communities. Fulfillment of this role depends on a skilled workforce operating in an innovative and accountable culture, an integrated approach to service delivery and an emphasis on shared stewardship.

• We respect our staff and create a healthy workplace that sets and communicates clear expectations, and supports a culture of staff development, recognition, reward and opportunity.
• We ensure that professional accountability and discipline characterize our behaviour.
• We focus on achieving high environmental standards through a culture of continuous adaptation to change.
• We strive to consistently meet agreed-upon client requirements and deliver our services in a transparent, fair and timely manner.
• We are committed to continuous improvement in the environmental management of the province.

Principles

• A sustainable environment is central for providing economic and social opportunities for all British Columbians and is our legacy for future generations.
• A sustainable environment is a naturally diverse environment.
• All sectors of society are responsible for ensuring a sustainable environment — government, business, industry and citizenry.
• Citizens have the right to safe, healthy communities.

Our values and principles guide us in the attainment of our goals and are reflected in our objectives, and we have developed performance measures to gauge our success in meeting them.

Planning Context and Key Strategic Issues

The ministry operates within the context of government priorities and trends in the environment, economy and society. A regular review of the ministry's progress in meeting priorities laid out in the Government Strategic Plan and of any external and internal factors that shape the context of the organization is performed. From this, the ministry has the opportunity to refine its strategic direction and business methods to align with changing needs.

Ministry Organization

The government's Five Great Goals will guide the ministry's actions and directions over the next three years of the Service Plan. These new strategic directions and the government's reorganization have resulted in two new ministry responsibility and priority areas: Water Stewardship and Oceans. The Minister of Environment is also responsible for the Environmental Assessment Office.

Activities are underway to fully integrate all new responsibility areas into the planning, management and reporting operations of the ministry (e.g., Sustainable Communities, Conservation Data Centre, ecosystem information, water licensing, water use planning, water utility regulation, dam safety and marine coastal planning). This work will be a major focus of the ministry over the coming months and will be further defined in the 2006/07–2008/09 Service Plan.

Environmental Trends

Rapid population and urban growth in the province stresses the natural environment and can have a significant impact on air, land and water quality. The Ministry of Environment has responded to this issue by continuing to work on the following: the implementation of source water protection under the Action Plan for Safe Drinking Water in B.C.; the completion of phases 2 and 3 of the Ground Water Protection Regulation; and province-wide and airshed-specific air quality issues. In addition, the ministry has also increased funding for invasive weed control, and for habitat and wildlife protection and restoration projects.

The rise in global temperatures and its impacts on climate are concerns for British Columbia. Over the last century, average temperatures have changed, causing shifts in ecosystems. Warmer temperatures throughout the province have supported the rapid spread of the mountain pine beetle. The province has also experienced an increase in recent extreme weather events such as forest fires, droughts and floods. In response, the ministry is funding the B.C. Climate Exchange program, which connects people with education and training programs, resources and tools to address climate change. The ministry has also released an action plan for climate change — Weather, Climate and the Future: B.C.'s Plan. The plan builds on the significant strides already made in clean energy, infrastructure and forestry.

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of severe and unpredictable natural or biological events that have an impact on ecosystems, human health, and local, national as well as international economies. Last year, an outbreak of the Avian Flu affected the poultry industry in the Lower Mainland. Also, there is the increasing possibility of the West Nile virus making an appearance in British Columbia.

These factors influence how the ministry operates. The ministry focuses on and responds to issues that pose a high risk to the environment and encourages agencies and stakeholders to incorporate environmental technology and clean energy into their operations. At the same time, the ministry continues to pursue environmental excellence by promoting stewardship and shared responsibility for all British Columbians.

Economic Trends

The Ministry of Environment acknowledges that British Columbia's economy is based on the direct use of natural resources and on environment-related activities that depend on a high-quality, diverse environment. In turn, a healthy environment supports a healthy economy and a healthy economy supports the ministry's ability to deliver on its environmental goals. In 2004, the province's economy grew by 3.9% — leading all Canadian provinces, up from 2.5% in 2003. This growth has allowed the government to invest additional resources toward British Columbia's natural environment.

Other issues, locally, nationally and internationally, that have an impact on the province's economy and on how the ministry carries out its business include: the softwood lumber dispute with the United States; the rapid spread of the mountain pine beetle in the province's forests; and the continuance of war and terrorism globally.

To deal with these and other important economic issues, the ministry takes into consideration environmental and economic impacts while developing and implementing policy, and continues to integrate science into decision-making.

Societal Trends

Local, national and international interest in British Columbia's environment and environmental practices continues to be strong. Non-government environmental groups are highly informed and active; the people of the province are highly informed and active. Society can express its satisfaction or dissatisfaction with government programs and policies through consumer actions and involvement in special interest groups.

With this in mind, the ministry is cognizant about working with communities, addressing public interests and increasing public accessibility to environmental information. The ministry is also maintaining the province's standing in environmental excellence by ensuring exceptional air and water quality, and enhancing the fish, wildlife and park resources that are valued by residents of and visitors to the province.

In addition, the ministry has been given responsibility for a cross-government Sustainable Communities Initiative. Over the next six months of the Service Plan, the ministry will be working to establish parameters and structures for this new responsibility. Currently, there are a variety of leading-edge community sustainability efforts throughout all levels of government, the private sector, non-government organizations and universities.