The role of strategic environmental assessments for emerging marine renewable energy sectors the Nova Scotian example

Climate change, rising energy prices, and declining supplies of fossil fuels have changed how governments balance energy needs with environmental protection. Strategic Environmental Assessments in the Province of Nova Scotia are based on core principles that seek to lay the foundation for integrated decision-making in ways that contribute to broader governmental policy commitments. This process places a particular emphasis on early stakeholder consultation and engagement, regulatory streamlining, and future-oriented approaches to sustainability issues. In 2007, the Province of Nova Scotia commissioned the Offshore Energy Environmental Research Association (OEER) to carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) concentrated in the Bay of Fundy on Nova Scotia's west coast — an area known for its immense tidal energy potential. This assessment focused on offshore renewable energy development in the area and culminated in a report outlining strategic recommendations for action. Overall, this process provided the Nova Scotia Government with a path forward in developing and deploying its marine renewable energy industry. This case study outlines the steps of the Nova Scotian SEA process including the scope, timeline, purpose, responsibility, and main steps taken to assess the environmental, economic, and social issues associated with marine renewable energy development in Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy.