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• Pollinator conservation is a topic of public concern. This study analyses public comments on policy to determine stance, sources, and main concerns. • We found the greatest concerns were for bees and pollination, but that the diversity of bees their role in pollination was not well understood. • Regulation of neonics and other actions to protect pollinators have broad which creates a rare opportunity for conservation policy and action. • We found very strong support for neonicotinoid regulation, with less than 5% opposed to the proposed policy. • We conclude to be effective support will need to be translated into evidence-based policy that addresses the threats at-risk pollinators face. Pollinator conservation is a major focus of current conservation attention and public policy. However, an understanding of the social dimensions of pollinator conservation is urgently needed for effective action. In 2014, Ontario became the first jurisdiction in North America to propose to regulate neonicotinoid pesticides, and the proposal included a draft Pollinator Health Action Plan with additional measures to protect pollinator species. We analyzed the 972 comments submitted on the proposal by individual citizens, determining each commenter's stance, source of information (if applicable), and main concerns. We found very strong support for neonicotinoid regulation, with less than 5% opposed. We also found that the greatest concerns were for bees and pollination services, but that the diversity of pollinating species and the relative contributions of various taxa to pollination was not well understood. Government regulation of neonicotinoid pesticides and other actions to protect pollinator health clearly have the broad support and great interest of the general public, which creates a rare opportunity for conservation policy and action. We conclude that, in order to be effective, broad support will need to be translated into nuanced, evidence-based policy that is focussed on native species and addresses the many threats at-risk pollinators face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the definition of success in First Nations drinking water service as voiced by the First Nations technical community of practice. The research explores success stories to identify success themes and factors to formulate a workable definition for policy-makers. Researchers interviewed sixteen technical practitioners in Ontario using a semi-structured approach. Data analysis revealed a definition of success that extends beyond the technical boundary to include professional growth, employment, local action and a facilitating policy environment. This comprehensive definition provides a basis for policy and program considerations to increase First Nations buy-in and foster a constructive environment for drinking water improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widely held view is that effective action on climate change requires commitment by national governments to international agreements. Developed nations like Canada and Australia continue to fall short in their commitments to emissions reduction targets established under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Australia refused to ratify its Kyoto commitments until 2008 and Canada withdrew its commitment in 2011. Subnational governments in both countries have been active in developing policy responses to climate change yet remain largely excluded as serious policy partners in national mitigation and adaptation initiatives. This paper utilizes Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework to consider why subnational governments address climate change and the main factors shaping their policy choices. The experiences of the Australian state of Victoria and the Canadian province of Ontario provide examples through which to explore the factors contributing to climate policy opportunities and constraints faced by subnational governments in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of green infrastructure in the built environment delivers a nature-based solution to address the impacts of climate change. This study presents a qualitative evidence synthesis that evaluates policy instruments which enable the use and implementation of green infrastructure, using Ontario, Canada as a case study. Unpacking the elements of the policy landscape that govern green infrastructure through environmental regulatory impact analysis can inform effective implementation of this nature-based solution and support decision-making in public policy. This environmental regulatory impact analysis is based on a systematic review of existing policy instruments, contextual framing in a continuum of coercion, and identification of alignment with relevant UN SDGs. Enabling widespread usage of green infrastructure in the built environment could be a viable strategy to build back better, localize the UN SDGs, and address multiple climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the use of litigation by political actors to contest unwanted environmental policy options on the basis of NIMBY claims. It analyzes the discursive frames employed by policy actors to explain how one community in Northern Ontario could reject a facility to receive Toronto's waste while another in Michigan could not. The article employs a case study approach to trace the process of judicial and tribunal decisions about these two potential landfill sites. The research found that the judicial policy frames can serve as a determinative of outcomes of siting decisions in subsequent institutional settings and that such precedents could be overcome only when opponents reframed the issues to align with the interests of all parties. The article concludes that the specific characteristics of each institutional setting in which policy disputes take place are an important factor to explaining policy change or stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]