The Government of Canada has revised the Guidelines for implementing the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (Cabinet Directive). This exercise was informed by the recent public consultation process conducted for the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.
The Cabinet Directive provides the basis for strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and requires government departments and agencies to incorporate environmental considerations into the development process of policies, plans and programs. It is separate from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act that governs environmental assessments for projects where the government has a decision-making role.
By improving how strategic environmental assessments are conducted, the government will be able to enhance decision making in support of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. This, in turn, ultimately contributes to better public policy outcomes for Canadians.
The Guidelines, as well as a backgrounder on this initiative and general information on environmental assessments, can be found at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca .
For more information, please contact:
Dean Stinson O'Gorman
Acting Director, Policy Analysis
613-957-0065
