Today, the Honourable Chris Tibbs on behalf of the Honourable Andrea Barbour, Minister of the Department of Environment, Conservation, and Climate Change and the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, announced the Co-operation Agreement between Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada on Environmental and Impact Assessment. Minister Thompson attended the announcement in downtown St. John’s on behalf of the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, and Nature.
The world is changing rapidly. In response, the Government of Canada is focused on building a stronger, more independent, and more resilient economy by accelerating projects, in partnership with provinces and territories.
Moving forward, this agreement enables the provincial and the Federal Government to implement a “one project, one review” approach that provides a streamlined, flexible assessment process that minimizes duplication for projects in Newfoundland and Labrador that are subject to both federal and provincial assessments. This ensures both governments can adopt the most effective assessment process on a case-by-case basis.
The co-operation agreement provides a simplified and more predictable approach that upholds federal and provincial responsibilities for environmental protection. It also promotes coordinated communication, information sharing, and affirms the importance of consultation and collaboration with Indigenous Peoples throughout the assessment process.
Overall, it provides for a less duplicative, simplified and more predictable approach while ensuring that federal and provincial responsibilities to the environment and protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights are upheld.
The co-operation agreement between the Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador will help create the conditions to build infrastructure faster, just like those agreements with British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. The agreement will attract more investment in new infrastructure that will grow the economy, support workers and their families, and create high-paying careers from coast-to-coast.
Quotes
“The cooperation agreement aims to streamline project assessments. By eliminating duplication in environmental assessments and regulatory processes, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada will create efficiency, increase certainty for stakeholders and attract investment in our province. Together, we will continue to ensure environmental protections are upheld and development occurs in a sustainable manner for all of us.”
Honourable Andrea Barbour
Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Climate Change
“This agreement represents another milestone in efficient project reviews and shows our commitment to supporting responsible sustainable development that protect the environment, strengthen the economy, and uphold obligations to Indigenous Peoples.”
Honourable Julie Dabrusin
Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, and Nature, Government of Canada
“This agreement is an important step toward creating a more coordinated and efficient environmental assessment process in Newfoundland and Labrador. The ‘one project, one review’ approach is aimed at streamlining processes, reducing costs, increasing certainty for investors, and supporting economic growth. econext is pleased to see this collaborative approach, and the Provincial and Federal Governments’ commitment to modernizing the environmental assessment process.”
Laura Barron
CEO, econext
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Basics of co-operation in federal impact assessments
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