Department of Environment and Climate Change: About us

The Department of Environment and Climate Change supports a clean and healthy environment for the wellbeing and benefit of Nova Scotians. We lead government’s response to climate change and achieving net-zero by 2050. As a regulator, we help make sure the province has clear, modern laws in place to protect the environment, while supporting safe and responsible economic development.

We also lead work to transition Nova Scotia to a clean economy and we help make sure Nova Scotians have clean, safe drinking water and air, and protected natural areas to enjoy.

• delivering programs and services that empower Nova Scotians to make themselves, their communities, nature, economic sectors and jobs resilient to climate change
• supporting sustainable, safe and responsible natural resource development, especially in support of Nova Scotia’s transition to clean energy
• helping make life more affordable through programs that help people get off oil heat, make their homes and buildings energy efficient and move to clean transportation
• creating and managing protected areas and supporting the work of private land conservation organizations to protect more land and water
• protecting human health by regulating prepared food that’s served in restaurants, by community groups and at farmer’s markets
• developing, modernizing and enforcing easy to understand, streamlined laws and processes that protect our environment, while holding people and companies accountable if they don’t comply
• issuing environmental approvals, carrying out inspections and making sure people and companies are complying with environmental laws

The Department of Environment and Climate Change has about 300 staff across the province including engineers, geoscientists, biologists, hydrogeologists, ecologists, climate change specialists, policy analysts, environmental health officers, public health officers, environment officers, compliance officers, inspectors and communicators.

• helping build a strong economy and thriving communities throughout the province
• protecting the environment and human health through environmental assessment and operational approvals
• helping lead the transition to a clean economy
• continuing to help make the province resilient to climate change
• modernizing the province’s ambient air quality standards and air emission targets to help industry meet the standards and make sure the province has clean, healthy air
• supporting human health and wellbeing by protecting more land and water through protected areas designations and by continuing to fund the work of private land trust organizations