 Environmental assessments are used in British Columbia and around the world to identify the impacts of proposed major projects. Knowing both positive and negative impacts is important to identify how effects can be mitigated and to ensure decision makers are informed when deciding if a project should go ahead. In BC, an environmental assessment certificate issued by provincial ministers is required before a project can obtain other permits. The Environmental Assessment Office, or EAO, leads the environmental assessment process and administers the Environmental Assessment Act. The EAO seeks to lead a world-class process that promotes sustainability and supports reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. In addition to provincial environmental assessments, a federal environmental assessment may also be required. These are administered by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and are known as Federal Impact Assessments. When a project requires both provincial and federal approval, the organizations work together to ensure the two processes work efficiently. Environmental assessments involve Indigenous nations, local, provincial, and federal government agencies, the public, and stakeholders. Types of projects that may require an environmental assessment include industrial, mining, electricity, petroleum and natural gas, water management, waste disposal, transportation, and tourist destination resorts. The Reviewable Projects Regulation sets out the thresholds for which projects require an environmental assessment. An environmental assessment examines potential effects of a project. This includes, but is not limited to, positive and negative effects on people and the environment, including environmental, social, economic, health, and cultural effects. Effects on Indigenous nations and their rights and adverse cumulative effects. Following extensive engagement, a substantially updated Environmental Assessment Act came into force in December 2019. The new act defines the purpose of the Environmental Assessment Office to promote sustainability by protecting the environment, fostering a sound economy and supporting the well-being of British Columbians in their communities, and to support reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in British Columbia, which includes implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The act also includes steps and requirements to ensure that all environmental assessments will meet the purposes of the office and follow a consistent, thorough, and transparent process. An early engagement phase provides an opportunity at the beginning of the process to gather input, to help shape project development, and identify interests and concerns that will need to be addressed in the environmental assessment. An early readiness decision follows early engagement to determine whether a project should proceed with an environmental assessment. Meaningful public engagement is important to keep the public informed and to help the EAO understand how a project could impact communities and what they value. The act includes four public comment periods and opportunities for the public to become involved in a community advisory committee if there is sufficient community interest. The EAO works collaboratively with Indigenous nations throughout the process and acknowledges Indigenous nations right to make a decision on consent for a project. If a nation makes a decision on a project, the ministers must consider it when they decide whether to grant a Provincial Environmental Assessment Certificate. The act provides opportunities for collaborative approaches to assessments in support of Indigenous and provincial decisions. Each assessment is customized to reflect the scale of the project based on the potential effects and identified issues within the timelines set by the act. The act includes requirements on what must be assessed and what must be considered by decision-makers in every assessment. The act establishes a fair, transparent and timely process to ensure that decisions are based on a robust assessment that reflects public interest and respects the decision-making of Indigenous nations. Environmental assessments are essential for understanding and mitigating potential effects of major projects. To learn more, visit gov.bc.ca.eao.