Dear minister,

Congratulations on your appointment as the minister of environment and climate change. You have found yourself right in the middle of passionate debates about how to balance the protection of Canada’s vast and diverse natural environment with the needs of an economy that depends heavily on resource development.

The prime minister has set an ambitious agenda for the new government and has outlined seven key priorities for his mandate. Your department has an important role to play in achieving these priorities, particularly “expediting nation-building projects,” “bringing down costs for Canadians,” and “spending less on government operations.”

Success will require reorienting Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) towards a more focused and outcome-based approach to protecting the environment while supporting economic growth...