Saturday Morning at the Law School
To comply with the Alberta health requirements for social distancing to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus we are offering our presentations online via the Zoom platform. The Canadian Institute of Resources Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary invites you to the following free, online workshop:
The New Federal Impact Assessment Act and Alberta Energy Projects
Implementation of the new Impact Assessment Act is now underway, changing the process for federal assessment of energy projects. While the reformed regime resembles its predecessor in many ways, it also includes many changes, including new requirements with respect to climate change, the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples, sustainability, and economic considerations. Despite much criticism of the Impact Assessment Act in public and political realms, including during the law reform process that led to Bill C-69, implications for energy projects remain not well understood. It has been unclear, for example, the extent to which the changed federal process will actually affect whether a project is approved or not. This session will provide an overview of the new federal regime and what it may mean in practical terms for energy projects, with an emphasis on the Alberta context.
This workshop will conclude with a Q and A session for registered participants.
David Wright will be the presenter:
David Wright is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law where he is a member of the Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Research group. Prior to his faculty appointment, David held positions with Canada’s Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Gwich’in Tribal Council, the United Nations Development Programme, the law firm of Stewart McKelvey, and the Marine and Environmental Law Institute at Dalhousie University. He holds an MA and JD from Dalhousie University and an LLM from Stanford University. David’s research focuses on natural resources and environmental law with a particular emphasis on climate change, impact assessment and the rights of Indigenous peoples.
The Alberta Law Foundation sponsors this event