Policy and guidance
Impact assessments under IAA
Government of Canada's statement on the interim administration of the Impact Assessment Act pending legislative amendments
Learn how the Impact Assessment Act will be administered until it is amended to respect the Supreme Court of Canada's opinion.
Impact assessments under IAA
The following documents provide guidance on federal impact assessments under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA). For more information on the Impact Assessment Act, please consult the Legislation and Regulations page.
Overview
We have developed several resources to help explain the federal government's impact assessment process.
- Basics of impact assessments
- Impact assessment: Frequently asked questions
- Impact assessment process overview
- The impact assessment process: Timelines and outputs
- Public participation in impact assessment
- Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) in impact assessment
- Guidance for Interpreting Substantially Begun
- Making decisions on impact assessments
- Impact Assessment Act and CEAA 2012 comparison
- Terminology guide
- Glossary of terms
- Descriptions of the factors to be considered in an impact assessment
- Guidance on submitting required information for an excluded physical activity: Regulations Respecting Excluded Physical Activities (Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Exploratory Wells)
Practitioner's guide to impact assessments
The Practitioner's guide to federal impact assessments includes templates and detailed policy guidance, including guidance on the factors to consider, public participation and Indigenous participation and engagement.
Designating projects under the Impact Assessment Act
Designate projects that are not part of the Project List includes information on how, and in what circumstances, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change may designate a proposed project that is not on the Project List.
External technical reviews
External technical reviews includes information on how, and in what circumstances, the Agency or a Review Panel may wish to conduct an external technical review for a federal impact assessment.
Reference guides
Regional and strategic assessments
Regional and strategic assessments
The Impact Assessment Act allows for the conduct of regional and strategic assessments. These may happen in one of two ways. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change may establish a committee for one of these assessments or the Minister may authorize the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to conduct the assessment. Regional and strategic assessments are considered in federal impact assessments. They may have various other outcomes, depending on the specific regional or strategic assessment.
Regional assessments assess the positive and adverse effects of multiple existing and future physical activities in a specific geographic region, including cumulative effects.
Strategic assessments examine the Government of Canada's existing or proposed policies, plans, or programs relevant to impact assessment. Strategic assessments may also focus on issues relevant to impact assessment.
Information on potential, ongoing and completed regional and strategic assessments is available on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry.
The Agency has developed the following policy and guidance documents to support the conduct of regional and strategic assessments under the Impact Assessment Act. This page will be updated as further policy and guidance become available.
Environmental assessments under CEAA 2012
Environmental assessments under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012
The following documents provide guidance on federal environmental assessments commenced under the former Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012). They are retained for the completion of transitional environmental assessments commenced prior to the IAA. Some information contained in the documents may still be of interest to those undertaking impact assessments under the IAA, if they have not been replaced by an updated version in the above list. For more information on transitional environmental assessments, please consult the Legislation and Regulations page.
Overview
Operational policy statements
- Operational Policy Statement: Assessing cumulative environmental effects under CEAA 2012
- Addressing "purpose of" and "alternative means" under CEAA 2012
- Operational Policy Statement: Determining whether a designated project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects under CEAA 2012
- Information requests and timelines
Technical guidance
- Technical guidance for assessing cumulative environmental effects under CEAA 2012
- Technical guidance for determining whether a designated project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects under CEAA 2012
- Guide to preparing a description of a designated project under CEAA 2012
- Technical guidance for assessing physical and cultural heritage or any structure, site or thing that is of historical, archeological, paleontological or architectural significance under CEAA 2012
- Technical guidance for assessing the current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes under CEAA 2012
- Projects on federal lands: Making a determination under section 67 of CEAA 2012
Reference guides
- Cost recovery for environmental assessments by Review Panels under CEAA 2012
- Participant Funding Program – national program guidelines under CEAA 2012
- Participant Funding Program application forms under CEAA 2012
- Practitioners glossary for the environmental assessment of designated projects under CEAA 2012
- Public participation in environmental assessment under CEAA 2012
- Considering Aboriginal traditional knowledge in environmental assessments conducted under CEAA 2012
Strategic environmental assessments
Strategic environmental assessments
The following documents provide information on strategic environmental assessment. Strategic environmental assessment is a tool used by Government departments to systematically assess the potential environmental effects of proposed public policies, plans and programs.
- Strategic environmental assessment
- Cabinet directive on the environmental assessment of policy, plan and program proposals and guidelines
- Guidelines for the implementation of the Cabinet directive on the environmental assessment of policy, plan and program proposals
- Guidance on public statements for federal departments and agencies
Projects on Federal Lands and Outside Canada
Projects on Federal Lands and Outside Canada
The following links provide information on Projects on Federal Lands and Outside Canada under the Impact Assessment Act.
- Projects on Federal Lands and Outside Canada
- Projects on Federal Lands and Outside Canada: Guidance on Sections 81 to 91 of the Impact Assessment Act
For more information on the Impact Assessment Act, please consult the Legislation and Regulations page.
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