Osler’s Martin Ignasiak, partner, Regulatory, Environmental, Indigenous and Land, joins Pat in the aftermath of the Alberta Court of Appeal’s advisory opinion that the federal Impact Assessment Act poses an existential threat to the division of powers set out in the Canadian Constitution and is therefore unconstitutional. The pair discuss the history of environmental assessment laws in Canada, their impact on resource development projects, and where the debate is headed. They also explore why environmental regulation is such a tricky issue in Canada and how it all relates to discussions about tackling climate change.