Ontario. Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (2014-2018)

• Ontario. Ministère de l'Environnement et de l'Action en matière de changement climatique

• Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change

• MOECC

• MEACC

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change was established in 2014 when the Ministry of the Environment was re-named the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. The new name, announced in a press release on June 24, 2014, was accompanied by an expanded emphasis on combatting and preparing for climate change.

The most notable changes from the beginnings of the ministry in 2014 until 2018 were the addition of the Climate Change Directorate and the Environmental Economics and Analytics Division

The Climate Change Directorate led the long-term strategy and action plan to reduce Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions and drive the transition to a resilient, low-carbon economy. The Environmental Economics and Analytics Division engaged in environmental economic analysis and advanced analytics to support evidence-based decision-making for environmental protection and climate.

The former Drinking Water Management Division was split and merged with other divisions, notably the Drinking Water and Environmental Compliance Division, which included local water offices as well as regional ministry offices formerly in the Operations Division. The Policy and Programs Division was formed out of the Environmental Programs Division and the Integrated Environmental Policy Division, but also included some offices that were once in the Drinking Water Management Division. The Environmental Assessment and Permissions Division included many of the offices formerly in Operations Division relating to assessment and permissions. Finally, the Environmental Sciences and Standards Division remained largely intact.

As of June, 2018, the following agencies reported to the ministry: the Advisory Council on Drinking Water Quality and Testing Standards, Ontario Clean Water Agency, Pesticides Advisory Committee, and Walkerton Clean Water Centre.

The ministry ceased to exist after a new government was formed by Premier Douglas Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party in 2018. The creation of the new Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks was announced on June 29, 2018 in a press release.

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change was the lead ministry responsible for restoring, protecting and enhancing the environment to ensure public health and environmental quality. This included measures to fight climate change and help protect Ontarians from its negative impacts. The ministry set policies, standards, rules and regulations to protect the environment and encourage conservation activities. Along with monitoring the environment and enforcing these rules, the ministry aimed to find innovative approaches to complement legislation and regulations for which it was responsible.

Ministry of the Environment Act, R.S.O., 1990.

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

government telephone directories, ministry website, Government of Ontario press releases (online).

Archivist(s):
Shimpo