Red Tape Review: Natural Resources Canada’s Progress Report

Table of Contents

Context

Executive Summary

Theme 1: Modernizing the Regulatory System for Major Projects

Theme 2: Reducing Administrative Burden to Boost Business Productivity

Theme 3: Improving Regulatory Service Delivery

Theme 4: Accelerating Pathways to Market for Emerging Products and Sectors

Theme 5: Enhancing Cross-Border Trade and International Alignment

Next Steps

Conclusion

Context

At this pivotal moment for Canada’s economy and security, the country must move from debating whether to build to determining how to build. The focus is on better outcomes – less red tape, more certainty.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) develops policies, delivers programs, and advances science to strengthen the contribution of natural resource sectors to the economy and improve quality of life for Canadians. Its work spans energy, minerals, forestry, explosives safety, and emerging technologies. With science, data, and policy expertise, NRCan enables innovation while supporting responsible resource development.

NRCan works alongside other federal departments and portfolio agencies, including the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), contributing to a shared effort to advance projects while protecting Canadians, the environment, and respecting Indigenous rights. Each organization has a unique mandate, and together they support a robust and resilient natural resources system.

NRCan is modernizing its regulatory frameworks so proponents can spend their time building, rather than navigating overly complex processes. This includes implementing clearer rules, reducing administrative burden, and introducing new innovative approaches. It also means honouring obligations to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIP), NRCan will continue to consult with Indigenous Peoples to ensure federal laws and regulations are aligned with priorities of Indigenous Peoples.

These modernization efforts are reinforced by the government-wide Red Tape Review, launched by the President of the Treasury Board on July 9, 2025. Departments and agencies were tasked to examine their regulations and administration, and to publicly report within 60 days on immediate actions to cut red tape and share plans to meet targets for progress.

This report presents NRCan’s progress to date toward this whole-of-government effort and outlines the path ahead. The commitment is clear: Canada will no longer be defined by delay, but by delivery. NRCan will uphold strong protections while building an agile, predictable regulatory environment that attracts investment, accelerates major projects, and reinforces Canada’s economic security and sovereignty.

Executive Summary

NRCan is advancing a focused agenda to modernize its regulations and cut red tape—so Canada can approve projects faster, uphold world-class safety standards, and get more Canadian energy and resources to domestic and international markets. At the heart of NRCan’s efforts is advancing the Government of Canada’s goal of “One Project, One Review,” which aims to integrate project assessments across departments and jurisdictions to reduce duplication and accelerate approval timelines. The outcome: less duplication, greater predictability, and more timely, transparent decisions for businesses, communities, and investors.

NRCan is supporting efforts to streamline reviews for major projects by reducing administrative burden, updating outdated frameworks, and improving digital services. These efforts to remove red tape and make processes more efficient can help to catalyze private capital and build a stronger economy.

The Department’s regulatory modernization agenda focuses on:

  • faster major-project pathways that strengthen competitiveness and investor confidence;
  • reduced administrative burden through simplified compliance rules, harmonized standards that allow data to be reused, and enhanced digital tools for proponents;
  • better regulatory service delivery with clearer guidance and efficient online systems;
  • faster paths to market for emerging sectors and technologies; and
  • smarter international alignment through harmonized standards and trade facilitation.

Moving forward, NRCan will continue phased reforms with clear short-, medium-, and long-term targets. Working with the provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, industry, labour, other federal departments, and regulators, the Department will shift from process to outcomes in order to enable projects that secure a strong, sustainable, and sovereign Canadian economy. By fostering a regulatory environment that catalyzes investment and innovation, these efforts do more than reduce red tape—they help Canada build, deliver, and compete on the world stage.

While organized under distinct themes below, all efforts contribute to a stronger, more resilient natural resources economy. These efforts will help harness Canada’s competitive advantage in energy, forestry, mining, and technology, and support Team Canada—workers, Indigenous Peoples, industry, and governments—achieve sustainable prosperity, energy security, and global leadership.

Theme 1: Modernizing the Regulatory System for Major Projects

Getting major projects built in Canada is a priority. Federal departments and agencies have been reviewing policies and practices to accelerate decision-making and improve the timeliness of project assessments, permits, licences, and authorizations. Under the instruction of the Cabinet Directive on Regulatory and Permitting Efficiency and coordinated by the Clean Growth Office in the Privy Council Office, NRCan has been working with other federal departments to develop permitting plans, coordinate Crown consultations, and increase collaboration with proponents related to major projects.

On June 26, 2025, the Building Canada Act received Royal Assent, empowering the government to accelerate nation-building projects in consultation with Indigenous Peoples. NRCan will continue to work with Indigenous Peoples to implement the Building Canada Act in a way that respects Indigenous rights, protects Canada’s environmental integrity, and advances Indigenous economic priorities.

In the Speech from the Throne, the government committed to establishing a Major Projects Office to achieve project reviews and decisions within two years. The Government of Canada launched the Major Projects Office on August 29, 2025. NRCan will support the Office and the government’s goal of timely and responsible major project development by modernizing its own policies, practices, and regulations to streamline approvals, reduce duplication, and enhance coordination across departments and jurisdictions.

Advancing One-Project-One-Review for Major Energy and Infrastructure Projects

NRCan is working closely with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC), the Privy Council Office, Indigenous groups, and the provinces and territories to advance the government’s objective of “one project, one review”. Achieving a single assessment for all projects must be done in a manner that respects Indigenous rights, federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions, enhances permitting co-ordination, and eliminates duplication. In the short-term, NRCan is supporting IAAC to leverage existing tools such as cooperation agreements.

Over the medium-term, NRCan will leverage its deep knowledge of the energy and natural resources sector and its relationship with the provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and industry to explore the potential for legislative and regulatory reform that could streamline approvals and reduce duplication. NRCan will continue to work with its federal regulators (the CER, the CNSC, and the offshore boards) to improve coordination and ensure the Crown upholds its Duty to Consult Indigenous Peoples as part of regulatory assessments that are meaningful, sufficient, and support the early and ongoing participation of Indigenous groups.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Faster, more predictable project reviews: Collaboration with provinces and territories leads to aligned processes and shared standards for specific projects (e.g., test or demonstration projects). Modernization of the federal approvals and permitting process for major natural resources projects results in less regulatory duplication and shorter review timelines.
  • Stronger engagement with Indigenous groups: Working with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to advance a “one project, one review” standard will improve how energy and natural resources projects are assessed, ensuring project assessments incorporate Indigenous knowledge, and provide meaningful opportunities to hear and address impacts to rights. Meaningful engagement throughout the regulatory process will ensure that impacted Indigenous groups have a role in determining how natural resources are advanced.
  • Increased investor confidence: Clearer, more efficient, and more predictable regulatory pathways make Canada an attractive destination for major energy and infrastructure projects.
  • Reduced project delays: Coordinated regulatory processes, alignment across jurisdictions, and removal of duplicative requirements help projects move forward more quickly.

Accelerating Major Project Reviews Through Digital Innovation

NRCan is working closely with the IAAC, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to reduce administrative burden and shorten timelines in impact assessment reviews under the Impact Assessment Act, the Building Canada Act, and other federal legislation. NRCan research has shown that clear guidance about the information required for technical reviews can reduce the number of review cycles, saving time and money for both proponents and decision-makers. Additionally, as NRCan’s technical expertise is a key building block for DFO and ECCC regulatory decisions, the Department is committed to streamlining technical reviews among departments, without compromising scientific rigour.

The Open Science and Data Platform (OSDP), developed by NRCan and ECCC, is a single-window digital tool designed to share authoritative and location-based science and regulatory data. It connects users to thousands of curated datasets, maps, environmental monitoring data and indicators, peer-reviewed science articles, impact assessments, and regulatory records. For proponents, the OSDP can support early planning and help align project proposals with regulatory expectations. It also improves transparency, builds trust in the regulatory process, and enables more meaningful participation by Indigenous communities and the public.

NRCan will expand the OSDP over the next year by adding and integrating new content needed for advancing major projects of national interest, such as creating custom information collections for each project with map-based data, such as where projects are being reviewed for environmental impacts, impacts on Indigenous communities and their traditional territories, and important habitats for endangered species, and by providing access to the public registry of projects of national interest, making it easier to access and use. The Department will also work with the IAAC and other regulators to improve data interoperability across federal, provincial, and territorial open data ecosystems by harmonizing data and reporting standards, supporting cumulative effects analysis, and sharing regional and Indigenous-owned information, while respecting Indigenous data sovereignty principles.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Reduced administrative burden for proponents: Clearer guidance, better coordination, and single-window access to thousands of federal, provincial, and territorial records will streamline technical reviews, reduce duplicated effort, and save time and resources.
  • Enhanced regulatory efficiency: By centralizing data and making it easier to access and interpret, the OSDP facilitates faster, more efficient regulatory reviews.
  • Reduced uncertainty through evidence-based decisions: The OSDP consolidates authoritative data, including geospatial mapping tools, environmental monitoring, and curated content by region and topic (e.g., species at risk, cumulative effects in northern Ontario, or Atlantic offshore wind development). This enables industry and regulators to better assess potential environmental, social, and economic impacts, align projects with regulatory expectations, and make more informed, responsible planning decisions.
  • Increased efficiency and public trust: By providing public access to all data and science used in environmental impact assessments, the OSDP fosters meaningful engagement, transparency, and confidence among the public and Indigenous communities.

Streamlining Access to Information Regarding Federal Mine Permitting Processes Through the Mine Permit Navigator

NRCan will soon make available the Mine Permit Navigator to help mining proponents navigate the federal permitting landscape. Currently, permitting information for mining projects is not centralized and requires extensive searches across multiple departments and individual pieces of legislation. This has made it difficult for proponents to identify which permits are needed and when.

Through the Streamlining to Improve Mine Permitting by Leveraging Expertise and Resources (SIMPLER) project, NRCan’s CanmetMINING team worked closely with regulators and industry stakeholders to design a digital tool that provides tailored, mining activity-based guidance. The team adopted a user-centric approach, conducting interviews, surveys, and usability testing to ensure the tool is clear, accessible, and aligned with real-world permitting scenarios. This tool is currently in the final stages of development and will be publicly available by the end of 2025.

NRCan continues to work with partners across jurisdictions to expand the tool’s scope and functionality. Planned enhancements include integrating provincial and territorial permitting requirements and Indigenous consultation obligations and investigating advanced features such as chat-based support, automated reminders, and single-window dashboards for proponents.

These improvements aim to improve transparency and support more predictable permitting outcomes, helping Canada’s mining sector advance projects more efficiently and responsibly.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Enhanced transparency: A centralized tool makes it easier to understand the process and what environmental, social, and economic safeguards are in place for mining projects, fostering trust in the regulatory system.
  • Reduced uncertainty and delays: Mining projects in Canada often face complex, multi-jurisdictional permitting requirements. This tool streamlines access to relevant federal acts and regulations, allowing proponents to navigate the process more efficiently. It clearly outlines the permits, approvals, and reporting required based on planned project activities and provides key contacts to move forward in the process. This simplifies complex regulatory steps, reduces back and forth between proponents and regulators, and helps companies receive information more quickly. By improving clarity and reducing delays, the tool improves service delivery, supports project development, and boosts investor confidence in Canada’s mining sector

Theme 2: Reducing Administrative Burden to Boost Business Productivity

NRCan is working to make Canada’s energy and natural resources regulations simpler, clearer, and more efficient, allowing businesses to focus on innovation and growth. By modernizing outdated requirements, consolidating overlapping rules, and introducing performance-based approaches, the Department is creating a regulatory environment that is easier to navigate and more predictable for industry.

These favourable conditions can create the condition for capital formation, particularly around new and expanding major energy and resource projects. New investment leads to increase in physical assets and stimulate production, income and jobs. This economic activity, in turn, can attract further investment.

Modernizing Offshore Oil and Gas Regulations to Increase Efficiency

The Frontier and Offshore Regulatory Renewal Initiative is overhauling Canada’s offshore and frontier oil and gas regulatory framework to improve efficiency while upholding the highest standards of safety and environmental protection.

Since 2005, federal and provincial governments have advanced reforms in several phases, beginning with the replacement of outdated drilling and production requirements in 2009. In 2016, new regulations were introduced on cost recovery, financial requirements, and administrative and monetary penalties to support implementation of the Energy Safety and Security Act. Most recently, in 2024, nine antiquated regulations were consolidated into one clear, modern “framework regulation” for the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada–Nova Scotia offshore areas.

The next phase will extend this modern framework to Canada’s remaining frontier and offshore areas, with draft regulations expected to be pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I in 2027. Indigenous groups, regulators, and industry stakeholders have been engaged throughout the process and will continue to play a central role in shaping reform.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Stronger safety and environmental protection: The updated rules will eliminate outdated requirements and introduce greater flexibility through performance-based standards that encourage innovation and the use of the best available technologies and methodologies.
  • Greater regulatory clarity: Replacing nine antiquated regulations with a single, modern framework makes rules easier to understand and apply, improving predictability for operators and investors.
  • Lower costs and less red tape: By reducing the need for regulatory deviation requests caused by outdated and inflexible regulations, the new approach will generate direct cost savings for both operators, who will spend less time preparing applications, and regulators, who will require fewer resources for enforcement, monitoring, and review.

Streamlining of Regulations and Processes Under the Energy Efficiency Act

Since their inception in 1995, the Energy Efficiency Regulations have achieved billions in cost savings for everyday Canadians and businesses, generating cumulative savings of approximately $117 billion. The recent Amendment 18 to the Energy Efficiency Regulations, published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on April 9, 2025, which expands the list of regulated products and updates efficiency standards to better align with U.S. requirements, has proven particularly impactful, with its benefits outweighing the costs of the regulations by a factor of nine-to-one.

Building on this success, NRCan is pursuing several opportunities to further reduce red tape and streamline regulatory processes for energy efficiency. The modernization of the Compliance Regulatory Energy Efficiency Database is underway, designed to streamline the reporting process for approximately 3,400 regulated stakeholders. In parallel, NRCan is reducing the complexity of the regulations through actions like grouping similar products by function and automatically withdrawing outdated standards—measures that cut down on both the time required to understand the requirements and the administrative burden.

Looking ahead, NRCan will review up to 10 existing products for which technological advancements or market changes have occurred since their original analysis. This review will inform future amendments aimed at updating or removing obsolete requirements. At the same time, NRCan is exploring potential amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act itself, in order to improve timeliness, reduce red tape, and support innovation.

NRCan will continue to collaborate with the provinces and territories on federal and provincial energy efficiency regulations through the Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table and Standing Committee on Energy Efficiency Regulatory Working Group. This collaboration promotes alignment and harmonization of standards across jurisdictions, helping to reduce duplicative reporting and administrative burdens for manufacturers, importers, and distributors.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Lower costs for businesses: Clearer, more streamlined regulations reduce time spent on compliance and reporting, saving companies money and resources.
  • Simplified compliance: A modernized database makes reporting faster and more predictable for roughly 3,400 regulated stakeholders.
  • Faster removal of outdated rules: Automatic withdrawal of obsolete standards ensures businesses are not burdened with unnecessary requirements.
  • Greater alignment across jurisdictions: Collaboration with provinces and territories reduces duplication and creates a clearer, more consistent path to compliance across Canada.

Reducing Administrative Burden with Designated Officer Regulations under the Canadian Energy Regulator Act

NRCan is working with the CER to explore ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Regulator. NRCan is responsible for developing some of the regulations under the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, including the Designated Officer Regulations. NRCan will work on a new approach to these regulations that will authorize qualified CER staff (i.e., Designated Officers) to exercise technical or administrative powers, duties, and functions in order to expedite routine tasks and decisions and free the Commissioners to focus on complex issues. If approved and implemented, the Designated Officer Regulations would reduce the administrative load on the Commissioners and shorten review and approval timelines across the project life cycle.

The CER has also produced its own Red Tape Review Progress Report, with nine proposals aimed at streamlining its regulatory framework and decision-making processes, all of which are in progress or have been recently completed. These initiatives aim to improve the regulator’s responsiveness and efficiency, which serves Canadians and supports economic growth.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Enhanced efficiency and reduced administrative burden: The Designated Officer Regulations would streamline operations by delegating repetitive and high-volume tasks; reducing administrative load on the Commissioners and shortening review and approval timelines across the project life cycle.
  • Greater certainty and responsiveness: By increasing predictability for industry proponents through the proposed regulations, the CER will be better positioned to ensure safety, security, and environmental protection throughout project development.
  • Accelerated project approvals: The Designated Officer Regulations would support faster project approvals and a consistent regulatory framework, enabling timely construction of projects without compromising health, safety, or environmental standards.

Theme 3: Improving Regulatory Service Delivery

NRCan is modernizing regulatory services to be faster, clearer, and more user-friendly so businesses can spend more time building and innovating while Canadians remain safe and protected. By simplifying licensing, reporting, and compliance processes, and introducing digital tools, the Department is improving service delivery and transparency for stakeholders.

Modernizing the Federal Explosives Regime to Reduce Regulatory Burden

Explosives are vital to a wide range of industries within Canada and can be a key enabler of major projects within the mining, quarrying, forestry, oil and gas, and construction sectors. NRCan’s Explosives Program regulates the safety and security of explosives and their restricted components (precursor chemicals) by administrating the Explosives Act and Explosives Regulations, 2013.

In 2021, NRCan’s Explosives Program launched a comprehensive review of the Explosives Regulations to ensure they continued to meet their safety and security intent, but also to modernize them to remove regulatory inefficiency and barriers to economic growth. To address the findings of the review, and following extensive consultations with stakeholders, NRCan has come forward with two sets of regulatory changes. The first package of regulatory amendments came into force in May 2024. It removed unnecessary annual reporting by industry and recognized tests by like-minded countries to authorize new explosives products. It also recognized equivalent security screening by other competent authorities and reflected modern industry practices.

NRCan is working on the second package of regulatory amendments, with the aim of coming into force in 2026, which would simplify the certificate, licensing, and fee regimes and clarify requirements for the manufacturing and storage of explosives.

Building on the regulatory modernization momentum, NRCan also continues to update stakeholder guidance on compliance. The Department is also developing a new online system to improve efficiency in the application process for licences, permits, and certificates, as well as authorizations.

Looking to the future, NRCan will continue to explore ways to improve its program delivery while safeguarding Canadians. Ongoing continuous improvement in the form of legislative and regulatory change; clear and consistent policy and guidance; and new digital tools will make it less complicated for stakeholders to follow the rules that keep Canadians safe and secure.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Reduced administrative and regulatory burden: Streamlined reporting; simplified licensing and certificate requirements; and recognition of equivalent authorizations from other competent authorities save time and reduce costs for stakeholders.
  • Faster approvals and improved service: Updates to guidance and the new online portal make it easier to navigate applications, speeding up permit, licence, and certificate processing.
  • Clearer rules and guidance: Modernized regulations and user-friendly materials improve stakeholder understanding of obligations, reducing unnecessary compliance effort.
  • Ongoing program modernization: Continuous updates ensure the explosives regime stays current and effective, maintaining high safety and security standards for Canadians while supporting innovation and growth.

Theme 4: Accelerating Pathways to Market for Emerging Products and Sectors

To drive growth and innovation and strengthen Canada’s position as a global energy and natural resources superpower, NRCan is accelerating regulatory pathways that bring new technologies and energy products to market.

Developing Offshore Renewable Energy Regulations

Canada’s vast coastline has the potential to generate significant amounts of offshore renewable energy, particularly in the form of offshore wind, representing a major new economic opportunity. Developing this industry could strengthen Canada’s energy security, expand its global energy reach, and create lasting economic opportunities for coastal and Indigenous communities, while delivering reliable and sustainable power for generations to come.

Canada is taking important steps to establish the enabling conditions for the industry to develop. Legislation is in place and NRCan—in partnership with the governments of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, the CER, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator, and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator—is developing detailed environmental and safety regulations for each of Canada’s offshore areas through the Offshore Renewable Energy Regulatory Initiative.

The Canada Offshore Renewable Energy Regulations came into force in December 2024. The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Renewable Energy Regulations, and Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Renewable Energy Regulations are expected to be pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, this Fall for public comment.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Economic, energy, and community benefits: Clear and predictable regulatory pathways support timely project development. This helps coastal and Indigenous communities and industry realize the economic and energy potential of Canada’s offshore resources while ensuring projects advance in a manner that respects Indigenous rights.
  • Reduced regulatory burden: The regulations are designed to provide clear, predictable requirements for project developers, while minimizing unnecessary administrative complexity.
  • Flexible, innovation-friendly approach: A combination of performance-based and prescriptive requirements allows operators to adopt new technologies, scientific methods, and best practices that improve safety, security, and environmental protection.
  • Proactive risk management: The regulations emphasize robust safety management systems and planning. They require operators to anticipate, mitigate, and, where possible, eliminate potential hazards to people, communities, and the environment.
  • Cost efficiency and adaptability: By allowing flexibility and incorporating innovation, the regulations help reduce costs for industry while remaining capable of adapting as the sector evolves.

Theme 5: Enhancing Cross-Border Trade and International Alignment

NRCan is helping Canadian businesses compete and succeed in global markets by reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, aligning domestic requirements with international standards, and making key compliance processes faster, simpler, and more predictable. These efforts strengthen Canada’s reputation as a reliable and competitive trading partner, while ensuring transparency, accountability, and responsible resource management.

Modernizing the Kimberley Process Certification Program

Canada participates in the global Kimberley Process (KP) Certification Program, which helps prevent conflict diamonds from entering the global market. Implemented in Canada through the Export and Import of Rough Diamonds Act and its associated regulations, the program provides a certification framework aligned with international standards. To support responsible sourcing and facilitate international trade, Canada offers this certification process at no cost to companies. To export rough diamonds from Canada, clients must apply for a KP Certificate from NRCan.

Over the past year, NRCan has modernized the KP certificate application process. In 2024, NRCan launched a new online certificate application portal which replaced outdated tools and manual processes with a secure, user-friendly platform. The NRCan KP Portal allows exporters to apply for certificates online, track the status of their application in real time, and communicate directly with NRCan staff. This enables faster movement of goods with streamlined procedures.

NRCan engaged closely with exporters during development and offered training and detailed user guides during the transition period. Built on modern software, the portal is now easier to maintain and better equipped to meet long-term needs.

NRCan will continue to monitor the domestic diamond industry to keep certification requirements relevant and aligned with industry demand. The Department will also continue to participate at the global level to advance traceability and digitization standards over the longer term.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Faster, simpler access to international markets: The new NRCan KP Portal allows exporters to apply for certificates, track applications in real time, and communicate directly with NRCan staff, reducing delays and streamlining procedures.
  • Improved service and transparency: Centralized digital access enhances clarity, responsiveness, and predictability for industry while maintaining alignment with international standards.
  • Reduced administrative burden: Modernized processes eliminate manual steps and improve efficiency for both exporters and NRCan, saving time and resources.
  • Global competitiveness: The portal supports G7 certification for Canadian diamonds exported to the European Union (EU), removing the need to route all EU-bound diamonds through Belgium.

Improving Compliance with the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act

Canada's Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA) came into force in 2015 as part of its G7 commitment to increase transparency and combat corruption in the extractive sector by requiring oil, gas, and mining companies to publicly report payments made to governments worldwide. Since its inception, ESTMA has resulted in the disclosure of over $1 trillion in payments across 134 countries. However, industry feedback highlighted that compliance was often complex and burdensome. Companies faced challenges, such as unclear reporting requirements and duplicative communications, and NRCan lacked tools to verify compliance effectively.

To reduce the compliance burden, NRCan previously introduced improvements such as clearer guidance documents, acceptance of substituted reports from other jurisdictions, and a targeted compliance monitoring system.

Looking ahead, NRCan will launch a dedicated and user-friendly online ESTMA reporting portal that enables oil, gas, and mining companies to submit their reports and track their status in real-time, as well as verify company and contact information and report web links. NRCan will also implement a customer relationship management platform by 2026 to help the Department manage communications with stakeholders, centralize key operational data, further streamline reporting, and improve internal processes. In the medium-term, NRCan will review and expand ESTMA guidance materials to ensure they reflect stakeholder and expert input, improve clarity of reporting requirements, align with current industry practices, and support more consistent and efficient compliance across the sector.

How Canadians and Industry Benefit

  • Clearer reporting requirements: Updated guidance and recognition of substituted reports ensure companies understand obligations and reduce complexity.
  • Reduced duplication and administrative burden: Targeted compliance monitoring and streamlined communication save time and resources for both companies and NRCan.
  • Faster, more efficient support: Enhanced outreach and responsive services help companies meet reporting requirements with confidence.
  • Maintained transparency and integrity: ESTMA data remains accurate, accessible, and reliable, supporting global accountability and Canada’s reputation as a transparent and responsible trading partner.

Next Steps

NRCan will focus on how regulatory modernization is implemented and sustained over time. The Department will:

  • Track and report on progress to the Minister to ensure accountability and transparency.
  • Engage the provinces, territories, Indigenous groups, industry, labour, and other stakeholders to refine measures and find new opportunities.
  • Assess where legislative reform may be required.
  • Continue testing innovative regulatory approaches that improve efficiency, client service, and alignment across jurisdictions.

The Red Tape Review is not a one-time exercise but part of a longer-term effort to strengthen Canada’s regulatory system, and the Department will continue to seek feedback and new ideas to further reduce red tape. By treating modernization as a cycle of delivery, feedback, and adjustment, NRCan will ensure Canada’s regulatory system keeps pace with change and allows us to build the strongest economy in the G7.

Conclusion

NRCan is in cutting red tape while upholding the highest standards of safety, environmental protection, and respect for Indigenous rights and interests. Across regulations, legislation, programs, and services, the Department is taking decisive action to modernize frameworks, reduce delays, and give businesses, investors, and Canadians greater certainty.

The initiatives in this report highlight NRCan’s commitment to responsible development, innovation, and securing Canada’s energy and natural resources future. From faster digital services to streamlined approvals and stronger coordination across government, the focus is clear: delivery, not delay.

By strengthening Canada’s regulatory system, NRCan is helping to unlock and attract investment, get projects built, and ensure Canada’s economy remains strong, sovereign, and competitive for generations to come.

 
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