Recommendations on Terms of Reference for Strategic Assessment of Thermal Coal Mining

In July 2020, the federal government released draft terms of reference for a strategic assessment of thermal coal mining – the first strategic assessment conducted under Canada’s new Impact Assessment Act. Done right, a strategic assessment could help halt the mining and export of this carbon-intensive product. However, the terms of reference describe a process that falls far short of the mark.

In this submission, we recommend a world-leading strategic assessment process that will not only help Canada reduce global carbon emissions, but also set the stage for successful future assessments.