Policy and Guidance
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) has several resources to help you understand the federal government’s environmental assessment process. These policies and guides help explain environmental assessments:
- Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012
- Under the Former Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
- Under the Cabinet Directive for Strategic Environmental Assessment
You can also get more information about environmental assessment by:
- Becoming familiar with Basics of Environmental Assessment
- Participating in Training Opportunities
- Contacting the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
The Agency also developed guidance and information on projects on federal lands and outside Canada under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012.
Public Comment Opportunities
We are asking users of our policy and guidance material to send us feedback on this online information through the user feedback webpage.
Your comments and suggestions will help us improve this material.
In addition, targeted public comment opportunities are offered on specific documents. These opportunities are listed below as they become available.
Current Opportunities
- None at this time
Past Opportunities
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012
The documents listed below provide guidance on federal environmental assessments under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012).
Former Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
All documents related to environmental assessments under the former Act (2010) are kept 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may still be of interest to those undertaking environmental assessments under CEAA 2012, provided that they have not been replaced by an updated version in the previous table.
| Operational Policy Statements |
|---|
| Adaptive Management Measures under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act |
| Addressing Cumulative Environmental Effects under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act [for environmental assessments under CEAA 2012 see updated guidance] |
| Addressing "Need for", "Purpose of" "Alternatives to" and "Alternative Means" under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act [for environmental assessments under CEAA 2012 see updated guidance] |
| Follow-up Programs under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act |
| Other |
|---|
| Canadian Environmental Assessment Act: An Overview |
| A Guide on Biodiversity and Environmental Assessment |
| Glossary [for environmental assessments under CEAA 2012 see updated guidance] |
| Considering Aboriginal traditional knowledge in environmental assessments conducted under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act -- Interim Principles [for environmental assessments under CEAA 2012 see updated guidance] |
Strategic Environmental Assessment
The Cabinet Directive represents the official policy on strategic environmental assessment of the Government of Canada. As such, all Government of Canada departments and agencies that are developing policy, plan and program proposals are obligated to implement the Cabinet Directive consistent with the guidelines for implementing the Cabinet Directive.
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