The Impact Assessment Act, 2019, Climate Change, and Political Priorities in Canada

The Impact Assessment Act, 2019 was presented as establishing stronger rules to protect the country’s environment and renewing public trust in the decision-making about resource development. The purpose of this study is to constructively assess the extent to which the Act can be used to support Canada’s climate change commitments. Through political analysis, this study finds that as a discretion-based tool, the Impact Assessment Act is designed to accommodate the longstanding economic vision of a Canada, with the attempts to accommodate environmental and social issues highly dependent on context and application. This research can contribute to understanding of the extent to which this tool aligns with Canada’s international commitment to addressing climate change, which can stimulate attention to whether this tool is appropriate in today’s context of growing environmental concern.