Policy and guidance

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

• Cost Recovery Guide for Impact Assessments by Review Panels Under the Impact Assessment

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.

• Policy Framework on Strategic Assessment under the Impact Assessment Act
• Fact sheet: Strategic Assessment under the Impact Assessment Act
• Operational guide: Requesting a regional or strategic assessment under the Impact Assessment Act

Environmental assessments under former legislations

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 Impact Assessment Act (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.

Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012

Overview

• Basics of environmental assessment

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

Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 1992

All documents related to environmental assessments under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 1992 (CEAA 1992) are retained for the completion of transitional environmental assessments commenced prior to CEAA 2012. Some information contained in the documents may still be of interest to those undertaking environmental assessments under CEAA 2012.

Procedural guides

• Cumulative effects assessment practitioner’s guide (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Addressing cumulative environmental effects (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Incorporating climate change considerations in environmental assessment: General guidance for practitioners (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Determining whether a project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Assessing environmental effects on physical and cultural heritage resources (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)

Operational policy statements

• Adaptive management measures under CEAA 1992 (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Addressing cumulative environmental effects under CEAA 1992 (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Addressing "need for", "purpose of" "alternatives to" and "alternative means" under CEAA 1992 (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Follow-up programs under CEAA 1992 (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)

Public participation

• Public participation guide (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Ministerial guideline on assessing the need for and level of public participation in screenings under CEAA 1992 (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)

Other

• Canadian Environmental Assessment Act: an overview (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Former Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)
• Glossary (preserved version by Library and Archives Canada)

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

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.