Better rules to protect Canada’s environment and grow the economy: Delivering certainty and investor confidence for companies

The Government of Canada has put in place better rules to protect our environment, fish and waterways, ensure public confidence in how decisions about resource development are made, encourage investment, and create new jobs and economic opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it.

With these better rules, companies will have more clarity about what is required of them, and project reviews will be more predictable and timely, encouraging investment in Canada’s natural resources sectors. Project reviews will benefit from early planning, where it will be clear what factors will be considered as part of the review, provide detailed and tailored guidelines on how to engage Indigenous peoples effectively, and identify potential issues with project proposals up-front. This will lead to more timely decisions.

Building a Better Impact Assessment System

•  Efficiency and consistency: a single agency, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, will lead Crown consultations, and all impact assessments for major projects, working closely with regulatory bodies
• New early planning and engagement to improve project design and provide certainty
• Greater coordination with provinces and territories to reduce red tape and duplication
• Greater transparency, predictability, and timeliness in decision-making
• Increased Indigenous participation
• Companies with assessments already underway will proceed following the previous system and will have the option to “opt-in” to the new system, but no project would have to go back to the starting line

A New Canadian Energy Regulator

• Modern and effective governance
• Greater transparency, predictability, and timeliness in decision-making
• Increased Indigenous participation
• More inclusive and earlier public engagement
• Strengthened safety and environmental protection
• Changes to governance and processes will contribute to responsible energy resource development

Protecting Canada's Navigable Waters

• Clearer rules about permit and notification requirements for projects affecting navigable waters
• An efficient regulatory system that enables timely decisions on project reviews
• A new online public registry to increase access to information and transparency