Our Strategic Plan

Our Mission

Regulating infrastructure to ensure safe and efficient delivery of energy to Canada and the world, protecting the environment, recognizing and respecting the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada, and providing timely and relevant energy information and analysis.

Our Vision

An energy regulator with an exemplary workforce that has the confidence of Canadians; is dedicated to ensuring safety and environmental sustainability; builds strong relationships with First Nations, the Métis, and the Inuit; and enhances Canada’s global competitiveness.

Our Strategic Plan [PDF 45 kb]

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) has a clear path forward – with a bold Vision and priorities that focus the future direction of our organization.

Our Strategic Plan has three parts:

  • Our Mission is what we do every day under the CER Act, with safety remaining at the core of our mandate.
  • Our Vision is aspirational and sets a clear path for where we are headed.
  • Our four interconnected Strategic Priorities reflect areas of cross-organizational focus and improvement to help us better deliver on our Mission and reach our Vision. These priorities are: Trust and Confidence, Reconciliation, Competitiveness and Data and Digital Innovation.

Strategic Plan

Our Strategic Plan is a road map of what Canadians can expect from us in the years ahead. Our priorities are the shared lens that focus our work.

This evolution of the CER is grounded by our new legislation, the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, and our new governance structure with defined accountabilities for the Board of Directors, CEO, Commission, and Indigenous Advisory Committee.

Advancing our Strategic Priorities
to meet our Mission and further our Vision

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Trust and Confidence

Fostering trust and confidence of Canadians in the CER through robust communications, transparency, collaboration and inclusive engagement; building respectful relationships with the Indigenous peoples of Canada; and fostering an engaged and empowered workforce.

We will do this by
  • Continually improving the CER’s performance so Canadians are confident that pipelines are built and operated safely and efficiently, the environment is protected, Indigenous rights are recognized and respected, and timely and relevant energy information and analysis is provided.
  • Enhancing engagement with Canadians and increasing collaboration with governments, industry, Indigenous peoples, and stakeholders so Canadians trust our regulatory framework, decision-making processes and oversight practices and see them as being fair, transparent, timely, accessible and inclusive.
  • Improving the way we communicate, both externally and internally, so Canadians are aware of the CER’s mandate, the CER is recognized as expert, open, inclusive and fair, and staff have the information they need to do their jobs.
  • Fostering an engaged, inclusive, and empowered workforce to ensure people at the CER share their knowledge and experience openly and transparently, and that the CER’s workforce is representative of the diversity of the Canadian population to capitalize on broader perspectives and expertise to improve how we work as a regulator.
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Reconciliation

Transforming the way we work with the Indigenous peoples of Canada, with a commitment to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, by enhancing their involvement in how we discharge our mandate recognizing their unique cultures, knowledge and histories; building renewed relationships based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership; improving the cultural competency of the CER and its staff; and driving meaningful change in the CER’s requirements and expectations of regulated industry.

We will do this by
  • Enhancing Indigenous involvement in how the CER discharges its mandate recognizing their unique cultures, knowledge and histories, and driving meaningful change of expectations of regulated industry to build an energy regulatory system that respects the rights of Indigenous peoples consistent with our commitment to implement the UN Declaration, honour the Nation-to-Nation treaties and agreements that Canada has entered into, and meaningfully involve Indigenous peoples in the lifecycle oversight of regulated Industry.
  • Building renewed relationships with our Indigenous partners that allow for mechanisms to exist that inform, engage and enable co-developed approaches to Reconciliation.
  • Improving the Indigenous cultural competency of the organization to support the implementation of Call to Action #57 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and enable meaningful engagement and implementation of the UN Declaration.
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Competitiveness

Enhancing Canada’s global competitiveness by improving transparency, predictability and efficiency throughout the regulatory lifecycle, while driving innovation that contributes to the transition to a low carbon economy.

We will do this by
  • Enhancing transparency, predictability and efficiency of CER processes to build a regulatory system that enables decisions to be made in a predictable and timely manner.
  • Promoting and developing new approaches to regulation with broader input on innovative solutions for an energy regulatory system that provides certainty to investors and stakeholders, drives innovation and enables the carrying out of sound projects and operations. 
  • Researching the future Canadian energy landscape to identify innovations to help prepare the regulator, regulated industry and Canada in the transition to a new low carbon economy, including taking proactive steps to determine the CER’s role and actions as a regulator.
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Data and Digital Innovation

Creating a data and digital innovation culture and systems that enable the effective delivery of the CER’s mandate; allow for improved public access, use and analysis of accurate data and energy information for meaningful participation and informed decision-making; and enhance opportunities for digital engagement.

We will do this by
  • Delivering skills trainings and tools to increase data competencies and use to create a culture driven by data and digital innovation to best deliver on the CER’s mandate.
  • Building the data foundation to enable analytics, decision-making and public participation, and expanding our use of data, both in how we do our work and in providing Canadians with energy information.
  • Establishing integrated data and information systems for the CER and external parties to improve access to reliable data and energy information, allowing for more informed decision-making, better process transparency and efficiency, increased digital engagement and more meaningful public participation in our processes. 

What you can expect

We know delivering on our Strategic Plan will take time and our progress will be seen in our actions in the years ahead. How we align our work to advance each of these priorities, deliver on our Mission and reach our Vision will be done in collaboration with all those we work closely with. We will continue to engage with Indigenous peoples, regulated industry and stakeholders as we action our plan.

As we advance our plan, we will openly share our progress with Canadians – demonstrating what we are doing, what more needs to be done and how we will get there. 

All Company Letter regarding the release of the Canada Energy Regulator’s Strategic Plan

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