Key insights on Canada’s impact assessments
At-a-Glace Report for the third quarter 2025-2026 Footnote 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.
- Since 2019, an average of nine major projects per year have entered the IAA system. Forty percent of those have completed the process, many within six months.
- Since June 2024, 12 of 17 projects entering the system received an early decision (majority in under 80 days).
- Since August 2019, the Government has made 22 impact assessment decisions (including early decisions), with an average duration of under 280 days.
Projects
The number of current federal assessments of major projects underway in Canada: 47
SectorFootnote 3 |
Number |
|---|---|
Mining |
24 |
TransportationFootnote 4 |
11 |
Oil and gas |
6 |
Other |
2 |
Power generationFootnote 5 |
4 |
| Phase or approach |
Number |
|---|---|
Planning Phase assessments |
17 |
Broad IAAC-led assessments (complex projects) |
19 |
Substituted to a provincial process |
7 |
Referred to Independent Review Panels (very complex projects) |
4 |
| Progress in assessments |
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 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
93 |
Projects in public planning phase |
16 |
11 |
12 |
63 |
Amended decisions with conditions after project changes or new developments occur |
2 |
2 |
4 |
35 |
Participation
| Participation and funding activities |
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 |
156 |
176 |
190 |
1501 |
Comments received from the public on all assessments |
286 |
633 |
332 |
15153 |
Stakeholder outreach and engagement activities led by IAAC |
110 |
94 |
109 |
1378 |
Funding we’ve allocated through grants and contributions to support public and Indigenous participation in assessments |
$1.3M |
$3.7M |
$1.3M |
$50M |
Funding we’ve allocated through contributions to support Indigenous capacity |
$412K |
$599K |
$2.2M |
$75.1M |
Decisions
| Requests for assessments (all types) |
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 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
No, an assessment should not be considered |
1 |
1 |
1 |
82 |
| Early Impact Assessment (IA) decisions (Planning Phase) |
Quarter 3 ending Decmember 31 |
Quarter 2 ending September 30 |
Quarter 1 ending June 30 |
Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Further assessment not required |
2 |
3 |
2 |
22 |
Broad IA required (complex project) |
1 |
2 |
2 |
25 |
| Impact Assessment decisions for complex projects |
Quarter 3 ending Decemember 31 |
Quarter 2 ending September 30 |
Quarter 1 ending June 30 |
Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Complete, with conditions to manage adverse federal effects |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Decisions to substitute |
Quarter 3 ending Decemember 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 |
4 |
| Environmental assessment decisions (CEAA 2012) |
Quarter 3 ending Decemember 31 |
Quarter 2 ending September 30 |
Quarter 1 ending June 30 |
Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Allowed to proceed (with conditions) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
19 |
Not allowed to proceed |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
Monitoring
| Inspections |
Quarter 3 ending Decemember 31 |
Quarter 2 ending September 30 |
Quarter 1 ending June 30 |
Total since August 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Inspections (on and offsite) |
18 |
21 |
7 |
346 |
To learn more about the projects we review, check out the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry.