OTTAWA,
ON, June 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the
Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Labour and Seniors, and
Chair of the Ministerial Working Group on Regulatory Efficiency for
Clean Growth Projects, announced the release of Building
Canada's Clean Future, an
action plan to modernize federal assessment and permitting
processes and get projects, that help us fight climate change,
create and support jobs, and grow our economy, built faster.
To advance work to secure investment and grow the economy in
every region of Canada, the
Ministerial Working Group on Regulatory Efficiency for Clean Growth
Projects worked throughout its mandate to develop an action plan to
drive clean growth project decisions to happen more quickly. This
included seeking input and recommendations on how our assessment
and permitting processes can operate more efficiently and
predictably. The Working Group heard clearly that actions must
be guided by transparency, coordination, clarity and predictability
and that these processes must continue to protect Canadians and
their environment. We also must ensure that Indigenous Peoples are
actively involved from the very beginning, so they can reap the
full benefits of clean growth projects.
Above all, the Working Group prioritized solutions for how the
federal government can drive timely decisions and faster
accomplishments, without cutting corners. As such, the Action Plan
proposes concrete steps to make current processes more efficient by
clarifying and reducing timelines, mitigating inefficiencies,
reducing duplication, and improving engagement. Key actions guiding
the Plan include:
- Assessment and permitting targets of 5 years for federally
designated projects, 2 years or less for non-federally designated
projects, and 3 years for nuclear projects.
- Establishing a Crown Consultation Coordinator to ensure
meaningful Crown consultation with Indigenous Peoples on the
issuance of federal authorizations.
- Establishing a Federal Permitting Coordinator on clean growth
projects within the Privy Council Office's Clean Growth Office and
issuing a Cabinet Directive that clearly outlines roles and
responsibilities for all relevant federal departments.
- Using Natural Resources Canada's Regional Energy and Resource
Tables, which are currently stood up with 11 out of 13
jurisdictions, to test permitting efficiencies and find better ways
to coordinate with provinces and territories.
- Amending the Impact Assessment Act.
- Standing up a new Federal Permitting Dashboard that will
provide a public snapshot of the status of clean growth projects
which require federal assessment and permitting decisions, to
improve predictability and transparency from start to finish.
As the world reduces emissions and decarbonizes industry, there
will continue to be growing demand for Canadian resources and
innovation. To meet that demand and seize the economic
opportunities it provides, Canada
needs significant and sustained private sector investment in clean
growth projects. By making sure assessment and permitting processes
are more efficient and timelier, the Government of Canada is stepping up to ensure we secure
investments, attract and accelerate clean growth projects, and
build the projects that position us for success now and for
generations to come.
Quotes
"We need to build big things in this country. And we can,
because we've got the resources, we've got the people, and we've
got the wherewithal. This is our plan to give industry, investors
and workers the certainty and confidence they need to build."
— The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Labour and
Seniors, and Chair of the Ministerial Working Group on Regulatory
Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects
"Today's Action Plan recognizes that Indigenous equity
participation in major clean growth projects is critical to
Indigenous economic reconciliation. This Action Plan will
prioritize Indigenous People's rights, help foster stronger
relationships with Indigenous partners, and support capacity within
Indigenous communities. By working hand-in-hand with Indigenous,
Inuit and Métis Peoples and incorporating their traditional
knowledge, we can create clean growth projects that will protect
our environment and help build a fair economy for everyone."
— The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous
Services
"As clean energy demand continues to grow worldwide, so does
demand to build good projects in Canada. We are positioned to be a global
leader in the net-zero economy of the future, and the release of
the Action Plan ensures we meet that moment by cutting red tape and
building good projects that will create jobs and opportunities
across Canada today and into the
future."
— The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy
and Natural Resources
Quick Facts
- Budget 2023 committed to improving the efficiency of assessment
and permitting processes for clean growth projects, with the goal
of heightening investor confidence and advancing the net-zero
economy. As regulatory processes for major projects implicate many
federal government departments, the Ministerial Working Group on
Regulatory Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects was formed in 2023
to lead this work.
- Budget 2024 announced new measures for regulatory efficiency,
including an additional $9 million
over three years to the Privy Council Office's Clean Growth Office
to oversee federal coordination of major clean growth projects,
including implementation of the Action Plan on Regulatory
Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects.
- The items from the action plan will be implemented by various
departments, as outlined in the action plan. The PCO Clean Growth
Office will act as a central node to coordinate implementation
efforts.
- Measures outlined in the plan will reduce duplication, improve
predictability and transparency, and increase the efficiency of our
regulatory system for clean growth projects.
- Ministerial Working Group Members:
- The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Labour and
Seniors (Chair)
- The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of
Crown–Indigenous Relations
- The Honourable of François-Philippe
Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
- The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Finance
- The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment
and Climate Change
- The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous
Services
- The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic
Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada
Opportunities Agency
- The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries,
Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
- The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources
Stay Connected
- Clean Growth — Getting Major Projects Done
- Budget 2024: Fairness for every generation
SOURCE Office of the Minister of Labour and Seniors