Canadian business coalition urges regulatory overhaul

A coalition of business groups and Indigenous organizations are calling for an overhaul of federal regulations on new technology and infrastructure projects to speed up the process.

In an open letter titled “Canada’s future is unbuilt,” the 18-member coalition argued Canada’s process for reviewing and approving new projects is far too lengthy and is thus hurting the country’s chances of achieving its climate goals.

“With our current regulatory systems, Canada will not be able to approve, let alone build, the projects we need to achieve our targets,” the letter reads in part.

“Canada is not seen as a place that can get projects built—and that has a big cost. If we cannot improve the process, our country will likely lose out on important low or zero carbon initiatives, strategic investments, and tens of thousands of jobs across the country.”