In 2016, the federal government launched a public review to modernize the National Energy Board (NEB), providing an important opportunity to strengthen the regulatory process and ensure that Canada continues to have a modern, efficient and effective regulator. The NEB Modernization process – conducted alongside reviews of the Fisheries Act, Navigation Protection Act and environmental assessment processes – gathered information and perspectives from environmental experts, lawyers, industry, Indigenous peoples and the public.
In West Coast's submissions to the NEB Modernization Panel, we outline a series of recommendations to help the NEB restore public trust in Canada's environmental laws and regulatory regime while playing a key role in the decarbonization of our energy structure. We urge the Panel to be visionary in modernizing the NEB. The scale of change required is significant; a reconstruction rather than a renovation.