Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an important tool for identifying projects’ environmental effects and ways to minimize their harms and maximize the benefits. Required under treaties like the Convention on Biological Diversity and practiced by over 100 countries worldwide, environmental impact assessment is critical for ensuring long-term sustainability.

But environmental impact assessment in Canada is under attack. The federal assessment regime is the weakest it has ever been in its 50-year history. It applies to fewer projects and considers fewer effects than ever before. Only a small fraction of major projects go through a federal assessment – just a handful per year – and both BC and the federal government have aggressive “fast tracking” agendas that allow them to exempt projects from assessments.  

At West Coast, we believe environmental impact assessment law and policy are fundamental legal tools to ensure proper planning and decision-making when it comes to environmental, community and democratic health

That’s why we work tirelessly to help strengthen assessment law and policy in BC and Canada.

We also provide legal support and strategic advice to BC First Nations working on EA issues, and offer support to individuals and community groups participating in EA processes through our Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund (EDRF).