Key insights on Canada’s impact assessments
At-a-Glance Report for the fourth quarter 2025-2026Footnote 1
Canada wants good projects that bring jobs and other benefits today and sustain our resources for tomorrow. Canada’s Impact Assessment Act (IAA) delivers assessments that are timely, efficient and focused on what matters. It does this by conducting assessments that support economic growth while protecting the environment, Indigenous Rights and other issues that matter most to Canadians.
In fact, Bloomberg New Energy Finance says: "Canada has one of the most credible impact assessment frameworks in the world."Footnote 2
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Did you know?
- The IAA applies to only the most complex projects – those with potential for significant adverse effects in areas of federal responsibility.
- Over the last year, 18 final decisions have been issued, with average review timelines of seven months (excluding time suspensions or abeyances by proponents), supporting $28.7 billion in new investment in responsible development across Canada.
- Since March 2025, a total of 24 major project plans have entered the IAA system. That is triple the historic annual average.
Projects
The number of current federal assessments of major projects underway in Canada: 43
| SectorFootnote 3 | Number |
|---|---|
Mining |
24 |
TransportationFootnote 4 |
6 |
Oil and gas |
4 |
Power generationFootnote 5 |
7 |
Other |
2 |
| Phase or approach | Number |
|---|---|
Planning Phase assessments |
14 |
Broad IAAC-led assessments (complex projects) |
19 |
Substituted to a provincial process |
6 |
Referred to Independent Review Panels (very complex projects) |
4 |
| Progress in assessments | Quarter 4 ending March 31 | Quarter 3 ending December 31 | Quarter 2 ending September 30 | Quarter 1 ending June 30 | Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New requests for assessments Footnote 6 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
94 |
Projects in public planning phase |
14 |
16 |
11 |
12 |
70 |
Amended decisions with conditions after project changes or new developments occur |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
35 |
Participation
| Participation and funding activities | Quarter 4 ending March 31 | Quarter 3 ending December 31 | Quarter 2 ending September 30 | Quarter 1 ending June 30 | Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New registrants to the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry’s project notification system |
346 |
156 |
176 |
190 |
1847 |
Comments received from the public on all assessments |
2073 |
286 |
633 |
332 |
17226 |
Stakeholder outreach and engagement activities led by IAAC |
89 |
110 |
94 |
109 |
1467 |
Funding we’ve allocated through grants and contributions to support public and Indigenous participation in assessments |
$4M |
$1.3M |
$3.7 M |
$1.3M |
$54M |
Funding we’ve allocated through contributions to support Indigenous capacity |
$0 |
$421K |
$599K |
$2.2M |
$75.1M |
Decisions
| Requests for assessments (all types) | Quarter 4 ending March 31 | Quarter 3 ending December 31 | Quarter 2 ending September 30 | Quarter 1 ending June 30 | Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes, an assessment should be considered |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
No, an assessment should not be considered |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
84 |
| Early Impact Assessment (IA) decisions in 180-day Planning Phase | Quarter 4 ending March 31 | Quarter 3 ending December 31 | Quarter 2 ending September 30 | Quarter 1 ending June 30 | Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Further assessment not required |
8 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
30 |
Broad IA required (complex project) |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
25 |
| Impact Assessment decisions for complex projects | Quarter 4 ending March 31 | Quarter 3 ending December 31 | Quarter 2 ending September 30 | Quarter 1 ending June 30 | Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Complete, with conditions to manage adverse federal effects |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| Decisions to substitute | Quarter 4 ending March 31 | Quarter 3 ending December 31 | Quarter 2 ending September 30 | Quarter 1 ending June 30 | Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Note: Currently, British Columbia is the only province with a cooperation agreement which facilitates substitution. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
| Environmental assessment decisions (CEAA 2012) | Quarter 4 ending March 31 | Quarter 3 ending December 31 | Quarter 2 ending September 30 | Quarter 1 ending June 30 | Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allowed to proceed (with conditions) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
Not allowed to proceed |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
Monitoring
| Inspections | Quarter 4 ending March 31 | Quarter 3 ending December 31 | Quarter 2 ending September 30 | Quarter 1 ending June 30 | Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Inspections (on and offsite) |
18 |
18 |
21 |
7 |
364 |
Looking for more information about any of our projects? Check out the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry at for detailed information.