Canada: Environmental Law

The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed challenges to the federal approval of Equinor Canada Ltd.’s Bay du Nord Development Project.

Dans une affaire sans précédent, un tribunal de la Caroline du Nord a rejeté une poursuite concernant le climat, intentée par la Ville de Carrboro contre une société de services publics, constatant que les justifications de la réclamation n’étaient pas « justiciables » (en d’autres mots, elles ne relevaient pas de la compétence des tribunaux).

In a case of first impression, a North Carolina court has dismissed a climate lawsuit brought by the town of Carrboro against a public utility company, finding that the matters raised in the claim were not justiciable or, in other words, inappropriate for determination by a court.

The Canadian federal government has launched a 30-day consultation on sweeping reforms to accelerate major project approvals, proposing a centralized one-year timeline and "one project, one review" approach. These legislative and regulatory changes aim to streamline infrastructure development while raising critical questions about Indigenous consultation, environmental oversight, and the balance between expedited approvals and meaningful public engagement.

On May 14, 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the long-awaited National Electricity Strategy (the Strategy) containing a bold goal to double Canada’s electricity grid capacity by 2050.

Canada and Alberta have jointly announced an Implementation Agreement that reinforces the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Regulation (TIER) framework as the cornerstone for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Québec's government has introduced a comprehensive draft regulation to modernize its hazardous materials management framework, marking the first major overhaul since the late 1990s. The reform introduces five key focus areas including enhanced traceability systems, new disposal charges, clearer rules for accidental releases, refined regulatory standards, and more stringent requirements for disposal sites. These changes aim to strengthen accountability across the hazardous materials management chain whi

On April 2, 2026, the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta formalized a co-operation agreement on environmental and impact assessments (the Canada-Alberta Co-operation Agreement)...

The British Columbia Court of Appeal recently confirmed that company executives can be personally liable for environmental infractions.