Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Under the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, all departments are required to conduct a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of a policy, plan or program proposal when the proposal is being submitted to an individual minister or to Cabinet for approval and its implementation may result in important environmental effects, either positive or negative. The Cabinet Directive also requires that departments prepare a public statement of environmental effects when a detailed assessment of environmental effects has been conducted through an SEA.

The SEA process is designed to encourage government departments and agencies to incorporate environmental considerations into the review process for policies, plans and programs. SEAs are meant to identify potential environmental impacts and consider the need for mitigation to reduce or eliminate adverse effects.

Finance Canada’s Sustainable Development Strategy provides further details on the department’s vision for long-term sustainable development, including progress made in implementing the Cabinet Directive.

The following link provides a list of the Strategic Environmental Assessments that have been conducted by the Department of Finance and a link to the public statement made in respect of each policy measure.

Finance Canada’s SEA Public Statements page