Advocacy

Business Council of Alberta Offers Solutions to Reform Regulatory System

CALGARY, ALBERTA – March 30, 2026 – The Business Council of Alberta (BCA) today released From Barriers to Breakthroughs, the culmination of months of robust research and analysis to address the major issue deterring investment in Canada. The comprehensive roadmap provides clear recommendations to fix Canada’s major project approval process and regulatory system and restore the country’s ability to attract investment and grow the economy. Read the reports here.

BCA argues that without urgent reform, the federal government’s goal of unlocking $1 trillion in investment over the next five years will be out of reach.

“Canada isn’t losing investment; we’re regulating it away. Our regulatory and project approval system has become the single biggest barrier to attracting capital,” said Adam Legge, President of BCA. “The solutions are clear. We need faster and more certain timelines, removal of duplication, and predictable decision-making. If Canada is serious about growth and getting major projects built, the time to act is now.”

The report focuses on two priorities: reforming major project approvals through changes to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (CER Act) and modernizing Canada’s broader regulatory system so it supports growth rather than slows it.

“Capital is mobile, and right now investors are looking elsewhere,” said Alex Pourbaix, Board Chair, Cenovus Energy and incoming Board Chair for the Business Council of Alberta. “Companies require an investment environment that makes it simple for them to do business. Canada has everything it needs to compete. Countries are knocking on our door to get our products, but until we fix the regulatory system, we’re leaving investment, jobs, and growth on the table.”

Key recommendations on major project approvals include:

• Move political decision making about major projects to the front of the review process.
• Implement “one project, one review, one decision,” with provinces leading reviews for projects under their jurisdiction.
• Assign all pipeline reviews to the Canadian Energy Regulator to ensure a single expert decision-maker.
• Shorten pipeline review timelines to a maximum of 180 days for smaller projects and 250 days for larger ones.
• Limit all other federal project approval timelines to two years or less.

The report also recommends broader system-wide reforms to reduce the cumulative regulatory burden and improve how regulations are designed and implemented across government. These include:

• Reducing the overall regulatory burden by strengthening tools like the One-for-One rule, leveraging digital tools and AI to streamline compliance, and setting clear, measurable targets to lower costs over time.
• Improving the quality of new regulations through stronger cost-benefit analysis and more rigorous scrutiny before rules are introduced.
• Modernizing how regulations work by shifting toward risk-based, outcomes-focused approaches and regularly reviewing and updating outdated rules.
• Strengthening oversight of new regulations to ensure rules are necessary, effective, and do not add unnecessary burden.

“Our recommendations are about greater efficiency, not weaker accountability. We support Indigenous participation in projects and strong oversight to ensure environmental protection,” said Legge. “Our analysis shows that can go hand-in-hand with smart policy and regulations that encourage investment.”

BCA’s From Barriers to Breakthroughs is the result of more than a year of research, consultation, and analysis involving more than 150 economists, legal experts, policy specialists, and business leaders across multiple sectors of the Canadian economy. 

“Investment and prosperity will remain stalled under Canada’s current system,” said Legge. “If Canada wants to build again, it must act. This roadmap shows how to do that, and the immediate actions the federal government has the power to take now.”

Additional Quotes

“Capital goes where there is clarity, reliable timelines, and a decision framework that businesses can plan around,” said Colin Gruending, Executive Vice-President and President, Liquids Pipelines, Enbridge. “In Canada, project approvals are too often measured in years when they should be measured in months. Fixing that is essential if we want to build the infrastructure needed to support economic growth.”

“Canada has the resources, talent and ambition to lead—if our policy and regulatory system better aligns to the realities of global competition. While steps like Bill C‑5 and the creation of the Major Projects Office are encouraging, long and uncertain approval processes continue to deter investment, harming local job creation and economic prosperity. By acting now, Canada can restore investor confidence and re‑establish itself as a competitive destination for major infrastructure investment,” said Trevor Ebl, President Canadian Natural Gas Pipelines, TC Energy. 

“Having taken on a comprehensive review of federal legislation, the Business Council of Alberta has done important work, not only for Alberta’s energy industry, but for all major projects in Canada,” said Evan Bahry, Executive Director, Energy Connections Canada. “This detailed work is critically needed, and Energy Connections Canada was glad to be a supportive party helping inform the CER paper. Canada needs predictable, efficient and timely federal regulation and From Barriers to Breakthroughs provides a plan to achieve that goal.”

Key facts

• A recent survey by the Business Council of Canada shows 41% of Canadian CEOs identify the domestic regulatory burden as the most important factor influencing investment decisions.
• The World Bank Business Ready initiative ranks Canada’s regulatory framework 33rd out of roughly 100 countries. Canada ranks closer to China (34th) than to the United States (5th).
• Previous BCA analysis showed that in just over a decade, business investment per worker has declined by 11%, while it has increased by 45% in the United States. Today, Canadian firms invest roughly half as much per worker as their American counterparts.

• By 2021, the federal regulatory system contained more than 130,000 requirements—up 37% since 2006—despite multiple red-tape reduction efforts. A Statistics Canada study estimates that the 37% increase in regulations is associated with:
  • ~9% lower business investment growth,
  • 1.7 percentage point lower GDP growth and,
  • 1.3 percentage point lower employment growth in the business sector.
• According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business the average Canadian business spends approximately 735 hours per year on regulatory compliance, with about 35% of that time considered duplicative or unnecessary.

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About this project 

From Barriers to Breakthroughs is a series of reports from the Business Council of Alberta focused on practical, federal-level reform to help Canada reach its investment ambitions and economic potential. The recommendations draw on real-world investment experience, economic research, international comparisons, and lessons from past reform efforts in Canada and abroad.

Together, these reports set out concrete legislative, policy, and administrative changes to restore predictability, competitiveness, and long-term prosperity. The goal is to strengthen regulatory effectiveness, not weaken it, ensuring Canada can both uphold high standards and enable responsible economic growth.

About the Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta is dedicated to building a better Alberta within a more dynamic Canada. Composed of more than 130 chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of the province’s largest enterprises, Council members are proud to represent the majority of Alberta’s private sector investment, job creation, exports, and research and development. The Council is committed to working with leaders and stakeholders across Alberta and Canada in proposing bold and innovative public policy solutions and initiatives that will make life better for Albertans.