Should Federal and Provincial Governments Share Environmental Reviews for Major Projects?

Official title: “One Project, One Review”: Comments Invited on the Co-operation Approach for Working with Provinces

Closed Policy & Studies Environment & Climate Natural Resources
The federal government wants to stop duplicating environmental reviews. Right now, major projects like mines and pipelines often need separate federal and provincial assessments. The proposal? One joint review that satisfies both levels of government. This could speed up approvals—but critics worry it might weaken environmental protections.

Why This Matters

Ever wonder why big infrastructure projects take so long to approve? Part of the reason is duplicate reviews. If you care about getting clean energy projects built faster—or worry that shortcuts might harm the environment—this affects you. Indigenous communities have particular stakes, since their rights must be protected in any streamlined process.

What Could Change

The federal government could sign cooperation agreements with every province. Major projects would go through a single assessment process instead of two. This could cut approval timelines significantly. New agreements would spell out how each government meets its environmental and Indigenous rights obligations within one review.

Key Issues

  • How should federal and provincial governments share responsibility in joint assessments?
  • What should be included in cooperation agreements with provinces?
  • How can streamlined reviews still protect the environment and Indigenous rights?

How to Participate

  1. Visit the Let's Talk Impact Assessment webpage to review the cooperation approach paper and submit your comments.
  2. For questions, contact intergovernmentalaffairs-affairesintergouvernementales@iaac-aeic.gc.ca.