Strategic Environmental Assessment

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a tool used to incorporate environmental considerations into policy, planning or program proposals.  When used early in the development of a proposal, SEA contributes to informed decision-making.  It provides decision-makers with environmental impact information for modifying the design of policies, plans and programs so that the negative impacts can be minimized or eliminated and the positive impacts optimized.

The  Cabinet Directive on Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (the Cabinet Directive) outlines the obligations of departments and agencies to conduct SEAs.  The Cabinet Directive also dictates the use of the SEA process to ensure that policies, plans and programs are consistent with the government’s broad environmental objectives and sustainable development goals, as laid out in the  Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

Public Statements

The Cabinet Directive requires that departments and agencies prepare a public statement of environmental effects when an assessment of environmental effects has been conducted through a Detailed Analysis.  The public statement may be in the form of a separate report or incorporated into any other planned announcement. It is expected to outline the environmental implications of the proposal as determined by the SEA.

Health Canada’s public statements:

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