Ontario's Environmental Leaders Program

Ontario’s Context

Leadership agreements are a leading-edge tool in environmental management. Focusing on beyond-compliance and rewarding environmental leaders is one of the innovative approaches currently being tested by the Ministry of the Environment. The Environmental Leaders Program and other innovative approaches are being developed to supplement traditional models of environmental protection. Through expanding the Ministry’s toolkit to include innovative approaches such as the Environmental Leaders Program, the Ministry aims to develop a comprehensive, flexible, and integrated range of tools to apply to today’s environmental challenges.

Innovation within the Ministry of the Environment is part of a broader trend in the Ontario Public Service, which is currently exploring ways to become innovative service providers. The Ministry of the Environment has been working with a multi-stakeholder group to develop and undertake a number of initiatives, including the Environmental Leaders Program, to promote continuous improvement and to develop a more comprehensive and flexible set of tools and incentives.