2025 NWT Environmental Audit
About the 2025 Audit
The 2025 NWT Environmental Audit (the Audit) looked at the effectiveness of the NWT regulatory system, the quality of environmental information used to make decisions, and processes related to monitoring cumulative impacts. When examining the environmental information used to make decisions, this Audit focused on barren-ground caribou as directed by a steering committee of Indigenous, territorial and federal government representatives.
Most aspects of the Audit cover all NWT regions, including both the Mackenzie Valley and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR). However, since the ISR is governed by different environmental legislation, its regulatory system was not examined.
About the Auditor
The audit was conducted by ERM, an independent consultant with experience in the NWT, contracted by the GNWT. A steering committee of Indigenous, territorial and federal government representatives provided guidance and direction to the Auditor.
As directed by legislation, the Auditor examined the following:
- the availability and use of barren-ground caribou trend information used to make decisions;
- the effectiveness of methods used to monitor cumulative environmental impacts;
- the effectiveness of the regulatory regime created under the MVRMA to protect the environment from significant impacts; and
- actions taken in response to recommendations in past audits.
The Auditor collected information through:
- an extensive document review;
- surveys and interviews with participants in NWT regulatory processes; and
- an online public survey.
2025 Audit Findings
The 2025 NWT Environmental Audit found the environmental regulatory system in the Northwest Territories has continued to improve since the last Audit in 2020. No new significant issues were identified, and there was progress in several areas identified in the previous Audit.
The availability and use of barren-ground caribou trend information:
- There is good coverage of data/information, including Traditional Knowledge information.
- Trends are available for most metrics of interest.
- Gaps existing in information to be able to evaluate the causes of the trends detected.
The effectiveness of cumulative impact monitoring:
- There have been several advancements since the previous Audit, such as the release of the Cumulative Impact Monitoring Framework.
- Gaps remain due to resources and capacity constraints and cumulative impact monitoring information is needed in areas with high development potential and to address development specific challenges.
The effectiveness of the regulatory regime in the Mackenzie Valley:
- There have been continued positive changes since the last Audit.
- Some gaps and issues persist, such as unsettled land claims, participation in the co-management system, community well-being, and approval processes.
To address needed improvements, the Auditor made 25 new recommendations to governments and co-management boards and carried forward 19 recommendations from the 2015 and 2020 Audits.
GNWT Actions in Response to Audit Recommendations
The GNWT has committed to addressing the recommendations of the Audit and continuing to improve our environmental management in the NWT.
Key actions the GNWT is taking include:
- Providing plain language summaries and links to GNWT-led research on barren-ground caribou on its website.
- Running a directed funding call entitled Road Development Impacts: Understanding and Mitigating Cumulative Impacts from Road Development.
- Working with the Land and Water Boards to identify information and tools to address cumulative impacts in pre-screening decisions.
- Identifying a list of indicators to be used when monitoring community well-being.
- Work with Land and Water Boards and the federal government to create a communication material that explains the securities process in an accessible way.