Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in Environmental Assessment: General Guidance for Practitioners

Prepared by
The Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Assessment

November 2003

Disclaimer

This guidance document was developed by a federal-provincial-territorial committee chaired and supported by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency). The document provides general guidance for use, in whole or in part, at the discretion of jurisdictions. It is suggested that users of this guidance document consult with the appropriate decision-making authority for which the environmental assessment (EA) is undertaken.

The Committee

This guidance document is the collaborative product of The Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Assessment (the Committee). The Agency has chaired the committee and acted as a secretariat. The Committee consisted of the following representatives: Garry Alexander – British Columbia; Jon Bowen and Ian Church – Yukon; Steve Burgess – Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency; Bill Calder – Alberta; Bas Cleary – Newfoundland and Labrador; Christopher Daly – Nova Scotia; Anne Dufresne – Climate Change Secretariat; Alan Ehrlich – Northwest Territories; Melissa Glen and Peter Sharp – Natural Resources Canada; Morrie Paul – Environment Canada; Peter Sherhols – Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency; Larry Strachan – Manitoba; and May Lyn Trudelle – Ontario. The Committee was supported in the development of this document by Rick George – Alberta; Daphne Stancil – British Columbia; Dave Broadhurst and Serge Nadon – Environment Canada; Stephanie El-Batrik, Rachel Samson, Al Scobie Vachon and Regina Wright – Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency; and Cathy Wilkinson – Global Change Strategies International Inc. The Committee also wishes to thank the other jurisdictions, numerous stakeholders and members of the Canadian public who provided comments on the guidance document throughout its development.

To Obtain Copies of this Guidance Document

To obtain copies of this guidance document, please visit the Agency Web site (www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca); or contact: Policy Analysis, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, 22nd Floor, Place Bell, 160 Elgin Street, Ottawa ON K1A 0H3, Fax (613) 957-0916; or contact your provincial or territorial decision-making authority for environmental assessments.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• 1.0 Context
• 2.0 Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in Environmental Assesment
• 3.0 Conclusion
• Glossary of Terms
• Annex A: Proposed Worksheets for Potential Use by EA Practitioners
• Annex B: Sources of Information for Practitioners
• Annex C: Case Studies of Canadian Approaches