In complementing the legislative changes that are proposed in the budget implementation act and looking to this conservation plan, imagine an outcome where we could redirect some of those funds away from details permitting and look at positive environmental results, in effect creating an environmental legacy for the project. It would have a direct link to the pipeline under consideration but contribute to environmental objectives in the area through which that project passes. CEPA believes that this is an important conversation to have. It could change the relationship away from an adversarial confrontation to one of mutual objectives.
We must make this point clearly and directly. In this conservation-focused scenario pipeline companies would continue to build and operate pipelines in an environmentally sound way, using standards and mitigation measures that have been proven in the past and continually improved. We would continue to assess and deploy new technologies to advance both safety and environmental performance.
At the same time, the primary regulator, in our case the National Energy Board, for large national projects would have and continue to build a sound understanding of best management practices. So the conservation focus would rely on those practices and really focus on outcomes and results on the ground.
In essence, then, we have to recognize that any development, even the construction of a hospital or a school, will have some environmental impact. The approach we have described here is based on the concept of conservation offsets as one vehicle just to enable the possibility that in a broader scheme where you have construction, rehabilitation, and protection of ecosystems you would at the same time recognize that there are sometimes unavoidable residual impacts that can be addressed on a broader scale. There are many studies and examples of this, and we believe that it complements very well what's under way.
One specific example I would point to is a project that was completed just a few years ago. The Kinder Morgan Canada pipeline was expanded through Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park. To achieve this the company did extensive multi-stakeholder engagement in advance of final design and realized that we needed to take a net benefits approach. The Trans Mountain Legacy Fund was put in place, which recognized that the major challenges in that region were not in fact about the pipeline at all, but were about ecological connectivity between railways and roads, etc. So a legacy fund was put together to allow that to be established because the pipeline project took the broader view.
I'll just quickly run through a couple of other observations.
So what is the purpose? Clearly the purpose would be to define clear principles, goals, and priorities at a national scale that could be adapted and adopted at the provincial, territorial, and local levels. It should enable effective integration of rules and goals.
The goal itself should be one of sustainable development. This integration is key, so that you have goals of protecting species at risk as well as enabling watershed protection. You need a path to bring these forward, and this plan can do that.
The guiding principles are really all about this linkage and focusing on outcomes and results. For new developments the national conservation plan should be focused on the principle of a conservation agreement, so that project proponents can look ahead and understand their overall fit into that landscape.
Some of the factors would obviously be looking at how to optimize outcomes. These agreements should not be viewed as a penalty for development but should in fact recognize that when development proceeds it needs to be done in the best possible way, and this gives a path to do so.
Let me close by simply saying that this is an important way to move forward. We are very supportive of how to integrate the three pillars of sustainable development, look for potential tangible outcomes, build our economic future, and create jobs and social outcomes for today through responsible development.
Thank you.