ID: 1630
Presenting Author: Jeff Rempel
Session: 594 - Communicating Truths: EA Practitioner Professional Ethics and Roles
Status: pending
Practitioners must balance their time and resources to uncover ‘truths’ when conducting impact assessments that include biophysical, socio-economic, and Indigenous rights and interests.
Impact Assessment (IA) for major capital projects is not just a procedural step; it is a thorough process designed to uncover ‘truths’ about existing conditions, project-specific impacts, and cumulative effects. While IA traditionally focused on the biophysical environment, over time it has gradually expanded to incorporate socio-economic factors, cultural considerations, and the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples.
IA consultant practitioners in Canada often work for project proponents, which increasingly include Indigenous equity owners. This presents a substantial opportunity to advance economic empowerment, enhance decision-making, and improve the overall efficiency and relevance of the IA process. It allows for proactive approaches that emphasize partnership and shared prosperity, and allows for the integration of Indigenous knowledge throughout the project lifecycle.
The professional judgment and asserted ‘truths’ that underpin IA, particularly those related to the characterization of residual effects and the determination of significance, are based on the best available information at the time of assessment. IA also required thoughtful definition of spatial and temporal boundaries that reflect the full range of project interactions with valued components and Indigenous interests.
While project-level IA remains a critical tool, its effectiveness can be improved by adopting innovative methodologies such as the ecosystem approach, greater opportunities for Indigenous Led Assessment, and complementary processes like Regional and Strategic Assessment.
Regulatory Director with TWC, and president of IAIA-WNC. IA leadership as proponent and consultant in integrated biophysical, socio-economic, and Indigenous Interests assessment for major projects.