Nunavut’s devolution, scheduled for 1 April 2027, will shift land, water and resource management – including mineral claims and tenure on Crown lands – from Ottawa to Iqaluit, in a territory where mining contributed C$1.45 billion, or 35% of GDP, in 2025. Major operations such as Agnico Eagle’s Meadowbank-Amaruq and Meliadine, B2Gold’s Goose and Baffinland’s Mary River currently sit wholly or partly on Inuit Owned Lands, so royalty flows will not materially change until new Crown land mines are developed. Territorial officials are drafting “mirror” legislation to replicate federal permitting so approvals for projects and exploration programmes continue without interruption on day one.

The House of Lords has advanced a proposed Nature’s Rights Bill that would recognise ecosystems and species as legal subjects, a move set to reshape planning, EIA and consent processes for major infrastructure. Treating rivers, wetlands and habitats as rights-bearing entities could require project promoters to evidence not only mitigation and biodiversity net gain, but also non‑degradation of an ecosystem’s “rights” over the asset life. Contractors and designers may face tighter constraints on route selection, earthworks, drainage and in‑river works, and more litigation risk from environmental NGOs acting as legal guardians.

Welsh Government ministers have begun formal negotiations with Westminster to secure a larger, ringfenced share of GB rail capital funding and a pathway to full devolution of rail powers. Deputy minister for transport Lee Waters is seeking control over infrastructure and operations on the Wales & Borders network, including long‑term funding decisions currently made by the Department for Transport and HM Treasury. For civil engineers, any settlement could reshape priorities for renewals, electrification and resilience upgrades across key Welsh corridors such as the South Wales Main Line and Valley Lines.