Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's (ISED) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) website provides a user-friendly means to understand and complete our department's SEAs. The SEA responds to the 2010 Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals.

The Cabinet Directive requires that:

  • SEAs be applied to all departmental policies, programs and plans submitted to the Minister or Cabinet;
  • SEAs should also be completed on any other important activity or strategy which has important environmental effects or is of concern to the public, and on which Ministerial approval is sought; and,
  • The Department prepares public statements when preliminary scans (as appropriate) or detailed SEAs are completed.

By conducting Strategic Environmental Assessments, the department will be better positioned to optimize the positive environmental effects of our policies, programs and plans and to anticipate and avoid negative environmental effects.

This website allows you:

  • to view ISED's SEA policy;
  • to download the user‐friendly questionnaire which provides guidance to prepare an SEA; and
  • to link to other websites related to SEAs.