A construction worker looks on as work continues on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project at the company's Burnaby Terminal tank farm in Burnaby, B.C., on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. A new report analyzing projects submitted under Canada's environmental assessment legislation concludes the approvals process for major projects in this country continues to be slow and cumbersome. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
CALGARY – A new report says the approvals process for major projects in Canada continues to be slow and cumbersome under revamped environmental assessment legislation.
The federal Impact Assessment Act came into force three-and-a-half years ago, and was intended to speed up the application process for major infrastructure and resource projects.
But the report by the Canada West Foundation, a Calgary-based think-tank, says progress has been slow.
The report found almost all projects submitted under the legislation remain in phase one or two of the four-phase process.
Industry leaders have warned that Canada’s history of lengthy permitting timelines could slow the deployment of emissions-reducing technology like carbon capture and storage.
The Liberal government announced in its federal budget in March that it will unveil a plan aimed at speeding up the permitting process for major infrastructure projects before the end of the year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
