Table of Contents
- Transport Canada's National Environmental Management System
- Strategic Environmental Assessment
- Theme I - Addressing Climate Change and Air Quality
- Theme II - Maintaining Water Quality and Availability
- Theme III - Protecting Nature
- Theme IV - Shrinking the Environmental Footprint - Beginning with Government
- Other Initiatives that Support the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy
Strategic Environmental Assessment evaluates the environmental effects of a proposed policy, plan, or program and its alternatives, and informs decision-making through a careful analysis of environmental risks and opportunities.
The Guidelines for the Implementation of the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan, and Program Proposals clearly outline the Strategic Environmental Assessment process and reporting requirements. The guidelines were recently revised to include the following:
- A requirement for Strategic Environmental Assessment analysis to include impacts on the achievement of Federal Sustainable Development Strategy goals and targets; and,
- A requirement for departments to report on the results of Strategic Environmental Assessments.
Transport Canada therefore commits to:
- Updating its internal Strategic Environmental Assessment Policy Statement to incorporate new requirements;
- Updating guidance material (templates, manuals, training material) to ensure practitioners understand these new requirements;
- Revising its internal process to link Strategic Environmental Assessment results to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy goals and targets; and,
- Revising internal procedure for the preparation of public statements to address this new requirement.
Planned reporting activities and performance measures in the Report on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Report include:
- Number of proposals (Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board submissions, regulatory amendments) submitted by Transport Canada to Cabinet or Treasury Board and approved (#);
- Number of proposals for which the Strategic Environmental Assessment process was completed (Preliminary Scans or Detailed Strategic Environmental Assessment) (#);
- Transport Canada's overall Strategic Environmental Assessment compliance (%); and,
- Number of proposals for which a Detailed Strategic Environmental Assessment was completed and how it contributed towards Federal Sustainable Development Strategy goals and targets (to be developed).
For more information on Transport Canada's Strategic Environmental Assessments, please visit our website, and for more information on Strategic Environmental Assessments in general, please visit http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/.