The governments of Canada and British Columbia have signed a bilateral agreement to cooperate on project reviews under Canada’s new Impact Assessment Act and British Columbia’s new Environmental Assessment Act.
The Canada-British Columbia impact assessment cooperation agreement sets out how the two jurisdictions will work together on impact assessments that require approvals from both levels of government, using substituted and coordinated assessments and joint review panels.
This, the governments say in a joint statement, will ensure a more predictable and timely process, increased efficiency and certainty.
“By making the Impact Assessment Act law, the government of Canada has delivered on an important promise to Canadians – to put in place better rules and restore public trust in how decisions about resource development and other major projects are made. With the guiding principle of ‘one project, one assessment,’ the new impact assessment system will make sure good projects are built in a sustainable way,” says federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna.
British Columbia Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman adds that the agreement supports British Columbia's revitalised environmental assessment process.
“It affirms our commitment to working with our federal counterparts, while retaining our independent decision-making authorities, as we conduct environmental assessments that are efficient, transparent, robust, instil public confidence, respect the rights and knowledge of Indigenous peoples and protect the environment, while offering clear pathways to sustainable project approvals."
The agreement includes a commitment that Canada and British Columbia will work together to coordinate cooperation and collaboration with Indigenous peoples through impact assessments.