Ecojustice is going to the Supreme Court of Canada to uphold and defend an important environmental law that protects people across Canada, and the air, water, and land we all depend on.
Under Canadian law, protecting our environment is the shared responsibility of both federal and provincial governments. Canadians of all political stripes must work together to safeguard that environment.
In 2019, the Alberta government launched a legal challenge against the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) and its regulations. Ecojustice intervened in this challenge; however, in May 2022 the Alberta Court of Appeal found in favour of the Alberta government.
This decision is now being appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada and will be heard on March 21 – March 22, 2023.
When this legislation was passing through federal parliament as Bill C-69, Canadians from across the country came together to help shape a law that balances -industry, environmental and Indigenous interests.
It is a good law that improves upon the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, legislation by:
- Bringing important issues to light early in the planning phase, which heads off delays and litigation;
- Clearly defining the criteria for whether a project’s effects in federal jurisdiction are in the public interest by addressing sustainability, environmental obligations, cumulative effects, mitigation, and effects on Indigenous rights; and
- Providing greater transparency on important environmental decisions, with no more decision-making behind closed doors for reasons that are not disclosed.
