The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada’s 2024–25 Departmental plan at a glance

A departmental plan describes a department’s priorities, plans and associated costs for the upcoming three fiscal years.

• Vision, mission, raison d’être and operating context
• Minister’s mandate letter

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In August 2019, the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) came into force giving the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (the Agency) the mandate to lead federal environmental and impact assessments. On October 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada issued an opinion on the constitutionality of the IAA, which provides new guidance on the IAA. In a joint statement from the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Justice, the Government of Canada accepted this opinion, and committed to following the guidance and collaborating with provinces and Indigenous groups to ensure an impact assessment process that works for all Canadians. The Government of Canada, with the support of the Agency, is undertaking immediate steps to make the legislative changes required to respect the Court’s opinion. In the interim, on October 26, 2023, the Government of Canada released Interim Guidance on the IAA to ensure projects currently in the assessment process have an orderly and clear path forward.

Until the amendments to the IAA come into force, the Agency will deliver the plans described below in accordance with the Statement on the Interim Administration of the Impact Assessment Act Pending Legislative Amendments.

Key priorities

In 2024–25, the Agency will:

• Support the Minister in responding to the recent opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada, by developing legislative amendments that will enable the Agency to conduct thorough, timely, and high-quality assessments within federal jurisdiction. Until these amendments are in place, the Agency will continue to advance assessments collaboratively, in accordance with the Government of Canada’s Interim Guidance on the Impact Assessment Act.
• Support the Ministerial Working Group on Regulatory Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects, which was established to address the Budget 2023 commitment to improve the efficiency of the impact assessment process and permitting processes for major projects – including through consideration of improved regulatory coordination (federally and with provinces); and, through clarified and reduced timelines.
• Promote positive effects and minimize adverse federal effects of designated projects by delivering high-quality federal environmental and impact assessments that include effective mitigation measures.
• Efficiently deliver the federal assessment regime, in accordance with the Government of Canada’s Interim Guidance on the Impact Assessment Act, and the amended IAA upon coming into force. This includes implementing policies and guidance, collaborating with federal authorities, provincial/territorial governments, Indigenous partners, and international partners. This will be aligned with the Government of Canada’s plan to improve overall regulatory system efficiency emerging from the Budget 2023 commitment.
• Maximize Indigenous leadership in impact assessments, including the assessment of impacts on Indigenous rights and interests, by cultivating meaningful partnerships and collaborative processes and providing capacity supports.
• Enable meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples, the public, and stakeholders by enhancing opportunities and mechanisms for capacity building and participation in all phases of the federal assessment process.
• Improve the management of the potential effects of a project’s activity by developing a broader understanding of cumulative effects through the conduct of regional assessments, and strategic assessments of federal policies, plans, programs, or issues related to impact assessment.
• Strengthen internal capacity and professional support for delivering Agency priorities and initiatives by improving and simplifying existing internal processes.

Refocusing Government Spending

In Budget 2023, the government committed to reducing spending by $14.1 billion over the next five years, starting in 2023–24, and by $4.1 billion annually after that.

As part of meeting this commitment, the Agency is planning the following spending reductions.

• 2024–25: $2,527,000
• 2025–26: $3,359,000
• 2026–27 and after: $4,499,000

Total reductions in 2024–25 reflect $2,327,000 in operating funds and $200,000 in grants and contributions funds.

The Agency will achieve these reductions by doing the following:

• conducting its annual operational planning exercise that is based on reductions on both travel and professional services; and
• reviewing this strategy annually based on organizational priorities.

With these reductions to professional services, in particular, in 2024–25, the Agency will continue to seek efficiencies to work smarter and ensure staff are equipped with the appropriate tools.

The figures in this departmental plan reflect these reductions.

Highlights

A Departmental Results Framework consists of an organization’s core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve, and the performance indicators that measure progress toward these results.

Impact Assessment

Departmental results:

• Designated projects that proceed foster sustainability;
• Stakeholders and Indigenous groups meaningfully participate in the assessment process;
• Scientific and evidence-based information, and Indigenous Knowledge on key health, social, economic, and environmental effects are available to inform project assessment processes, including impact assessment reports, decisions, and conditions; and
• Impact assessment processes respect the rights and culture of Indigenous Peoples and Canada’s commitment to partner with them.

Planned spending: $106,644,374

Planned human resources: 589

The Agency is a federal body that reports to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Under the IAA, the Agency is the lead federal organization responsible for conducting and administering environmental and impact assessments. The Agency is also the Crown Consultation Coordinator for Indigenous consultations on designated projects.

An assessment (environmental or impact) is a planning and decision-making tool intended to assist project design, facilitate Indigenous, public, and stakeholder participation, and ensure that appropriate measures are identified and implemented to mitigate adverse federal effects of designated projects.

In response to the recent opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada, in 2024–25, the Agency will support the Government of Canada in developing legislative amendments that will enable the Agency to continue to deliver its core responsibility of Impact Assessment and undertake activities to support the achievement of its departmental results. In accordance with the Government of Canada’s Statement on the Interim Administration of the Impact Assessment Act Pending Legislative Amendments, the Agency remains ready to work collaboratively with proponents to continue to advance ongoing impact assessments of projects already in progress.

These assessments include scientific and evidence-based information, as well as Indigenous Knowledge, to provide decision-makers with the best possible advice about the potential adverse federal effects of major projects and possible mitigation measures. Relevant information related to these assessments is published on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (the Registry), which promotes transparency, accessibility, and accountability in assessment processes.

To reinforce the Government’s “one project, one assessment” objective, the Agency will continue to pursue collaborative relationships with provinces and territories to determine the best approach for formalizing cooperation agreements. It will also continue to coordinate with federal authorities to ensure the best available scientific evidence informs assessments and will continue to meet its international commitments and obligations by collaborating with international jurisdictions and partners.

Further, the Agency will continue to build the capacity of Indigenous Peoples to participate meaningfully in assessment processes, including empowering Indigenous Peoples to lead assessments. This includes collaborating with Indigenous Peoples to develop guidance, policies, and regulations, including a regulatory and policy framework for co-administration agreements related to the conduct of assessments. These efforts will help ensure the assessment process respects Indigenous rights and culture, and will include seeking the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples for decisions that impact Indigenous rights and interests, as well as recognizing Indigenous rights, self-determination, and self-governance.

More information about Impact Assessment can be found in the full departmental plan.