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Category: Press Release

  • Environmental Defence Expert Spokespeople Respond to the 2021 Speech from the Throne

    “The need for urgent action to address the climate crisis was front and centre in the 2021 Speech from the Throne. Now we need to see that same urgency in plans for implementation – concrete and swift measures to reduce carbon emissions, end plastic pollution and remove toxic chemicals from our daily lives.” – Tim Gray, Executive Director

    “While the Speech from the Throne made nods to both reconciliation and fighting the climate crisis, the government continues to support oil and gas projects which violate Indigenous rights, including the Coastal Gas Link pipeline, where the RCMP just arrested Wet’suwet’en land defenders to protect corporate interests, and the Trans Mountain pipeline. We’re also compelled to note the huge levels of public spending the government continues to provide to climate culprits, including for false solutions like carbon capture and fossil hydrogen.” – Julia Levin, Senior Climate and Energy Program Manager

    “It is disappointing that the Speech from the Throne made no mention of promises to end plastic pollution, to create and implement a strategy to address the harms caused by environmental racism or to protect people from toxic chemicals by bringing forward a strong bill to modernize the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.” – Karen Wirsig, Plastics Program Manager

    “It is worrisome that no mention of a just transition strategy or legislation were made in the Throne Speech. Despite talking about green jobs and clean communities, this government has given us no reassurance that it is setting up the right processes to deliver on these promises and truly leave no one behind. These processes must also ensure that polluters are held accountable for their harm to the land, water, climate and communities – including toxic tailing ponds from the oil sands.” – Aliénor Rougeot, Climate and Energy Program Manager

    “We heard the government state that it will move to cap and cut oil and gas sector emissions and accelerate our path to “100 per cent net zero electricity future” yet they continue to support Line 5, an unnecessary and dangerous pipeline which threatens the Great Lakes and should be shut down as soon as possible. And while we have seen some positive progress in recent months for outcomes for Indigenous communities facing boil water advisories, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure all drinking water advisories are ended and that Indigenous communities are properly resourced and given agency to lead this work” – Michelle Woodhouse, Water Program Manager

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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    For more information and to arrange an interview please contact: Barbara Hayes, Environmental Defence, bhayes@environmentaldefence.ca

     

    The post Environmental Defence Expert Spokespeople Respond to the 2021 Speech from the Throne appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Hamilton Saves its Farmland: Will Meet Housing Demand through Zoning Reform, Not Sprawl 

    ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, ENVIRONMENT HAMILTON, STOP SPRAWL HAMONT

    Decision will be a template for reconciling environmental protection with new “market based” planning rules 

    Hamilton, Ont. – Taking its cue from tens of thousands of residents, Hamilton’s City Council has committed to accommodate the next 30 years of urban growth through greyfield redevelopment, intensification along proposed mass transit lines, and zoning reform designed to add many thousands of new homes to existing low-rise residential neighbourhoods – and not through boundary expansion. Hamilton will preserve all of its contested countryside including the 3,300 acres of prime farmland targeted by developers this year.

    “Hamilton City Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019. The 13 – 3 council vote for ‘No Boundary Expansion’ demonstrates a solid commitment to taking serious action to build a Hamilton that is truly climate resilient and inclusive,” said Lynda Lukasik of Environment Hamilton. “There is plenty of work still to be done, but we know Hamiltonians are ready to make it happen!”                                     

    Hamilton’s decision will be a valuable template for other Greater Golden Horseshoe regions struggling to reconcile social equity and environmental protection with the province’s radical “market-based” planning policy changes. That is because, rather than defying provincial rules, or disregarding market demand projections, Council has directed staff to reform existing residential zoning to generate the same numbers and types of homes that would otherwise be produced through settlement area boundary expansion. It will be very difficult for the province to justify rejecting Hamilton’s decision, because it signalled approval for this housing mix in a letter earlier this year.

    “Hamilton’s decision has demolished the wall of developer-spawned misinformation that has already duped at least one Region into acquiescing to 30 more years of accelerated, car-dependent, farmland-chewing “greenfield” sprawl development,” said Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager, Environmental Defence. “Despite the Ontario government’s attempts to railroad municipalities into sprawl, Hamilton has shown all of the GTHA’s regional councils how they can legally transform their existing car-dependent neighborhoods into complete walkable communities, rather than sacrificing more farmland and natural heritage. Every other regional government should slam on the brakes and apply the precedent Hamilton has set.”

    “We are a grassroots group of concerned citizens that grew from two people eleven months ago to tens of thousands of engaged Hamiltonians. The City of Hamilton has now committed to building more vibrant neighbourhoods with efficient transit, safe active transportation, and a mix of housing types that are suitable for all stages of life and all income levels while saving 3,300 acres of prime Hamilton farmland,” said Nancy Hurst, Co-Founder of Stop Sprawl HamOnt. “Hamilton’s decision will have positive ripple effects across the Greater Golden Horseshoe and should embolden citizens who also are fighting to save their natural heritage from the big sprawl.”

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities

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    For more information and to arrange an interview, please contact:

    Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, abraude@environmentaldefence.ca,

    Nancy Hurst, Stop Sprawl HamOnt  info@ssho.ca

    Lynda Lukasik, Environment Hamilton Llukasik@environmenthamilton.org

    Don McLean, Hamilton 350 Donmurrraymclean@gamil.com

     

     

     

    The post Hamilton Saves its Farmland: Will Meet Housing Demand through Zoning Reform, Not Sprawl  appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Innocence Project Statement: Gov. Stitt Grants Clemency for Julius Jones

    We are enormously relieved for Mr. Jones and his family, who fought for decades to prove his innocence. We know all too well — from the 186 people who were exonerated from death row — that the fundamental flaws in the administration of the death penalty pose grave risks to the innocent. Gov. Stitt was right to accept the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation to commute Mr. Jones’ sentence and spare his life, although he went against the board’s recommended sentence of life with the possibility of parole and instead chose to commute his sentence to life without the possibility of parole.

    Although a commutation is a long way from an exoneration, this decision allows Mr. Jones, his family and supporters to breathe a sigh of relief. An irreversible injustice has been prevented. It is our hope that Mr. Jones may now get the true justice he deserves.

    The post Innocence Project Statement: Gov. Stitt Grants Clemency for Julius Jones appeared first on Innocence Project.

    This post was originally published on Innocence Project.

  • Environmental groups enter legal fight over regulation of plastics pollution

    ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, ECOJUSTICE, OCEANA CANADA

    Industry opposition to regulating plastics is out of step with science and public opinion

    OTTAWA | Unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Environmental groups are jumping into the legal fray to support the federal government as it fends off an industry-led lawsuit challenging its efforts to regulate plastic pollution.

    Ecojustice, acting on behalf of Oceana Canada and Environmental Defence, will make arguments defending the government’s efforts to combat the growing plastics crisis and introduce checks and balances to hold industry accountable.

    Plastics are harmful pollutants that burden our economy and threaten the health of our environment including our wildlife, rivers, lakes and oceans.

    In May 2021, Canada listed plastic manufactured items as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), consistent with previously announced plans for a ban on common harmful and unnecessary plastic items. The listing empowers the Ministers responsible to make regulations to prevent or control plastic pollution at every stage of the substance’s life cycle, from research and development to manufacturing, use, storage, transportation and final disposal or recycling.

    Despite overwhelming evidence of the environmental risks posed by plastics, the industry has aggressively lobbied against any restrictions. Opposition efforts include this lawsuit, which was launched by a coalition of the country’s largest plastics manufacturers.

    Bronwyn Roe, lawyer, Ecojustice said:

    “It is well within the federal government’s authority to regulate plastic at all stages of its lifecycle. By listing plastic manufactured items as a toxic substance under CEPA, the government took a vital, much-needed first step toward curbing plastic pollution and ensuring the plastics industry is effectively regulated and its harm mitigated. We’re headed to court to uphold this decision.

    Industry opposition to plastics regulation is out of step with science and public opinion. Big Plastic has shirked responsibility for too long – we must not allow those who profit from continued pollution to dictate Canada’s position on plastics regulation.”

    Karen Wirsig, Plastics Program Manager, Environmental Defence said:

    “It’s outrageous that Canada’s three biggest plastic producers, NOVA, Dow and Imperial Oil, are challenging the federal government’s ability to protect our environment, our health, and our safety. We’ll be there to provide a voice for the Canadian public, whom we know overwhelmingly support action on plastic. Regulations are our only way out of the plastic pollution crisis. That these companies would go so far as to sue the government over this proves beyond a doubt that they cannot be trusted to manage things responsibly. We’re ready to face them in court.”

    Ashley Wallis, Plastic Campaigner, Oceana Canada said:

    “According to the United Nations, plastic pollution is the second most ominous threat to the global environment after climate change. An environmental crisis of this magnitude requires systemic change and strong federal policy.

    Plastic pollution, much like climate pollution, doesn’t recognize municipal, provincial or national borders. We won’t end the growing global plastic disaster by relying on voluntary industry-led initiatives or fragmented local bans. The federal government must use its authority to regulate plastic production, use and disposal, nationally. The CEPA listing is the first step in Canada’s efforts to curb the fatal flow of plastic into our oceans, and one we’re pleased to support in court.”

    Background

    Plastic pollution has rapidly become one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues, as the ever-increasing production of disposable plastic products outstrips our ability to manage it.

    The plastics life cycle, from production to disposal, emits greenhouse gases and contributes significantly to global warming. In 2019, the global production and incineration of plastic released an estimated 850 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – equivalent to the emissions from 189 five-hundred-megawatt coal power plants.

    Not only is plastic one of the world’s biggest polluters, it’s also one of the longest-lasting – it takes more than 400 years for some plastics to break down. Canadians alone throw away more than 3 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, more than 90 per cent of which ends up in landfills, incinerators or the environment. Large debris and smaller microplastics pose a significant threat to terrestrial and marine ecosystems, wildlife and human health.

    Plastic pollution – and efforts to clean it up – comes with a high price tag. The plastic we throw away represents about $8 billion in lost revenue every year. It is estimated that the cost of cleaning up plastic pollution in the Great Lakes area (U.S. and Canada) alone is about $468 million per year.

    Ninety per cent of people across Canada support a ban on single-use plastics and two-thirds want the proposed ban expanded to include more harmful plastic products, according to a recent poll by Abacus Data commissioned by Oceana Canada.

    Read the full media backgrounder

    About:

    ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    ECOJUSTICE (ecojustice.ca): Ecojustice uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, public interest lawsuits and advocacy lead to precedent-setting court decisions and law and policy that deliver lasting solutions to Canada’s most urgent environmental problems. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax.

    OCEANA CANADA (oceana.ca): Oceana was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits and protect our future.

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    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Lauren Thomas, Communications Manager | Environmental Defence, lthomas@environmentaldefence.ca

    Zoryana Cherwick, Communications Specialist | Ecojustice, zcherwick@ecojustice.ca 

    Tammy Thorne, Communications Manager | Oceana Canada, tthorne@oceana.ca

     

    The post Environmental groups enter legal fight over regulation of plastics pollution appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Media Advisory: This Saturday, community groups will hold a Day Of Action to protest Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – On Saturday, November 13, 2021, concerned residents in communities near the proposed routes of two new highways poised to destroy farmlands and sections of the protected Greenbelt are holding a Day of Action to demand “Greenbelt NOT Asphalt.”

    If built, Highway 413 would run from the Highway 401/407 interchange in Halton to Highway 400 in Vaughan. The highway would pave over farms, forests, wetlands and 400 acres of the Greenbelt and cost Ontario taxpayers upwards of $6-10 billion. Highway 413 would also add over 17 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, at a time when cutting emissions is more urgent than ever.

    The Bradford Bypass would cost $1.5-2.2 billion and run between Highways 400 and 404 through the heart of the Greenbelt’s Holland Marsh Wetland in the headwaters of Lake Simcoe. The highway would pave over the habitat of several endangered species, increase greenhouse gas emissions, add more salt pollution to Lake Simcoe and contaminate private wells of homes along the route.

    WHAT: “Greenbelt NOT Asphalt” Day of Action, featuring demonstrations in four communities in the Greater Toronto Area

    WHEN: Saturday, November 13, 2021 – times vary by location

    WHERE:

    Downtown Bolton, Caledon: Sign wave at King and Queen streets intersection 1 p.m. Join the event or contact Dan O’Reilly for more information: danoreilly@sympatico.ca

    Holland Landing, Simcoe: Rally outside Minister Mulroney’s office Unit 8, 45 Grist Mill Road, Holland Landing ON L9N 1M7, 1-3 p.m. Contact: Margaret Prophet, Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition, margaret@simcoecountygreenbelt.ca

    King City: Wellesley Park near MPP Stephen Lecce’s office: 2330 King Road, King City L7B 1H8, meet at Keele St entrance at 3:30 p.m. Theme: Education 413. For more information contact Irene Ford: ireneford@rogers.com

    Mississauga: Rally at Celebration Square at 300 City Centre Drive from 1-3 p.m. followed by bike ride to MPP Kaleed Rasheed’s office: 1420 Burnhamthorpe Road East, Unit 315. Contact Rahul for more information: rahulmclimate@gmail.com

    QUOTES:

    “Highway 413 will cut the Town of Caledon in two, facilitating sprawling warehouse and housing developments. It will be Caledon’s version of the Berlin Wall — only a whole lot longer. Unlike the Berlin Wall, it will never be torn down once built.” – Dan O’Reilly, Caledon resident

    “The Bradford Bypass runs through one of the most sensitive and largest wetlands in the Greenbelt, near the shores of Lake Simcoe. There are alternatives to solving the gridlock, but putting our water, climate and the legacy of the Greenbelt at risk aren’t among them. Ontarians will be paying upwards of $49M per kilometre for this destructive highway. Our communities deserve better.”  – Margaret Prophet, Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition

    “Highway 413 is an ill-conceived solution for traffic congestion that is based on old and biased information, aimed to use desperately scarce taxpayer dollars to financially benefit a select group of landowners and special interest groups. Proceeding with Highway 413 will see the unnecessary destruction of some of the GTA’s most pristine and sensitive environmental lands when various experts have provided more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions for addressing current and future transportation needs. In a world of increasing climate and financial crisis we need our political leaders to have the courage to think and act differently.” – Irene Ford, Vaughan resident

    “Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass will perpetuate the mistakes of the past – Mississauga knows. Building highways as a “solution to congestion” has and always will be a reassuring lie, at best. The inconvenient truth is that highways are a heavy burden of cost, pollution, sprawl and more time spent in cars, not less. Our city is grappling with mistakes of the past, as highways and the sprawl that followed continue to take a toll. As we face our reality and work towards a more sustainable way to live, move, work and play, residents of Mississauga stand in solidarity with communities threatened directly and downstream from these highway proposals.” – Rahul Mehta, Mississauga resident, founder of Sustainable Mississauga

    “Communities along the proposed route for the 413 and Bradford Bypass are saying “no” to paving over their natural environments, Greenbelt, and productive farmland. Ontarians are saying no to creating more car-dependent communities and spending billions on these highways that will enrich a few wealthy developers at the expense of the rest of the province. These highways will not help with congestion, but they will cause irreversible damage to our environment and climate. We will stand with the local communities opposing these destructive projects to the end.” – Keith Brooks, Programs Director, Environmental Defence

    For more information about the Day of Action, please visit: https://environmentaldefence.ca/highways-day-of-action-nov-13/

    For background information about Highway 413, please visit: stopthe413.ca

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, abraude@environmentaldefence.ca

    Irene Ford, Stop The 413 Community Groups Member, ireneford@rogers.com

    Rahul Mehta, Sustainable Mississauga, rahulmclimate@gmail.com

    The post Media Advisory: This Saturday, community groups will hold a Day Of Action to protest Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement responding to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers press conference at COP26

    CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, ÉQUITERRE, FÉDÉRATION DES TRAVAILLEURS ET TRAVAILLEUSES DU QUÉBEC

    Glasgow – At a press conference at COP today, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) delivered a ludicrous message that belies science or logic – that climate action requires more Canadian oil and gas, even though Canadian oil is the second most carbon-intensive in the world. CAPP’s message flies against the International Energy Agency’s research, which found that limiting warming to 1.5°C requires significant cuts to all fossil fuel production, including both oil and gas. It also fails to address the fact that fossil fuel infrastructure projects have inflicted serious harm to local communities and violated the rights of Indigenous Peoples, who are on the front lines of the climate crisis.

    So far at COP, the oil and gas lobby has successfully kept fossil fuel phaseout at the periphery of the UN negotiations, even though many announcements and events have focused on fossil fuels as the root of the problem. We urge Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault and the Canadian government to support a focus on phasing out fossil fuels, and pushing for a fair transition for workers and communities to be included in the COP26 text.

    The Big Oil lobby from Canada and around the world is here in force at COP26, and is spinning the nonsensical notion that increased oil and gas production is the solution to climate change. This imposing presence stands in stark contrast to the limited access of Global South countries to this conference of the United Nations. As documented by Global Witness, if the oil and gas lobby were a country, it would have the biggest delegation at this COP.

    It is important to note that rather than opening a social dialogue with members of civil society, most importantly labour unions, to find a common path forward on a just transition for workers and communities, CAPP completely ignores the real issues around climate change, present and future. A recent petition by Canada’s Energy Citizens, a group organized and funded by CAPP, countering just transition did not mention workers once, making it clear that CAPP’s priority is oil and gas executives, not workers or communities who urgently need a pathway towards new jobs as the world shifts away from high-carbon fuels.

    In 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic, CAPP sent a secret memo asking the Canadian government to suspend the implementation of Indigenous rights, weaken environmental laws, eliminate the requirement for environmental monitoring, and suspend the lobby registry.

    Quote sheet:

    “The Canadian oil lobby has been the biggest barrier to climate action in Canada, by successfully delaying, weakening, or killing climate policies in Canada. And now CAPP absurdly argues that oil and gas production is the solution to climate change. Recent analysis shows that climate plans from major oil and gas companies in Canada are so weak and vague that these companies should not be considered trustworthy partners in the fight against climate change,” says Dale Marshall, National Climate Program Manager at Environmental Defence 

    “The science is crystal clear: ensuring a livable planet means phasing out fossil fuels. Tomorrow, Costa Rica and Denmark will set a new standard for climate leadership by launching an alliance that puts an end date on fossil production. Yet Canadian fossil lobbyists are once again trying to push out grotesque spin, positioning oil and gas as a solution to climate change. After a summer of devastating impacts across the world including in Canada, where a whole community burned down into flames, this needs to be called out for what it is: dangerous, irresponsible and clearly against the public interest,” says Caroline Brouillette, National policy manager at Climate Action Network – Réseau action climat Canada.

    “While a large proportion of countries, organizations and individuals are fighting to make a difference and keep the planet safe and habitable, the Canadian fossil fuel industry is fighting to maintain the status quo or to negotiate technological loopholes to continue producing oil and gas. It must not and never again dictate the agenda of climate negotiations,” adds Émile Boisseau-Bouvier, Climate Policy Analyst at Équiterre.

    “The presence of the oil lobby at this COP is unbelievably arrogant. It is insulting to see them trying to sell their oil as a solution to the climate crisis. Not only is it shameful, this presence is in complete opposition to the very objective of this COP, which is to prevent temperatures from rising by 1.5 degrees. At the FTQ, we would rather see them at the discussion table with workers to determine an exit plan for this industry and ensure a transition that is just for those who work in it,” says Denis Bolduc, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ).

    Contacts:

    Dale Marshall, National Climate Program Manager, Environmental Defence, dmarshall@environmentaldefence.ca

    Vicky Coo, Communications lead, Climate Action Network – Réseau action climat Canada, vickycoo@climateactionnetwork.ca

    Anthony Côté Leduc, Media Relations, Équiterre, acoteleduc@equiterre.org

    Rima Chaaban, Communications, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ) rchaaban@ftq.qc.ca

    The post Statement responding to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers press conference at COP26 appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement from Programs Director Keith Brooks on Ontario’s Fall Economic Statement

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – While the world is talking about “building back better” from the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario seems committed to building more highways and sprawling car-dependent communities, and creating a lot more pollution.

    The fall economic statement commits $ 2.6 billion for highways and bridges, and specifically mentions the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413, though the full costs of these projects have still not been made public. It looks as though the government is trying to downplay those costs. The Toronto Board of Trade estimates that the Bradford Bypass will cost $1.5 billion, and estimates for the cost of Highway 413 are between $6 and $10 billion.

    We still have no information as to whether these projects will be toll roads. It’s also widely known that these highways will reward sprawl developers and land speculators in the proximity of the routes.

    Ontarians should be asking why the government is so committed to these projects that it feels comfortable proceeding with bridge work for the Bradford Bypass before even updating the environmental assessment from 1997, and Highway 413, which is now undergoing a federal environmental assessment, because the federal government recognized that the provincial assessment was lacking.

    Contrary to the government’s claims, an independent panel of experts estimated that Highway 413 would save commuters a mere 30-60 seconds. Previous governments concluded that the costs of these highways – including hundreds of acres of the Greenbelt destroyed, endangered species habitat impacted, provincially significant wetlands in jeopardy – couldn’t be justified given the meagre benefits the highways would deliver. We hope that the current Ontario government comes around to see this perspective as well.

    We also want to note the government’s commitment to creating an affordable housing task force. The task force must include representatives from the planning community and environmental communities, and not be stacked with developers making the same old arguments about the need for more sprawl. There is more than enough room to accommodate growth and affordable housing in the areas currently slated for development. The task force can’t be a ploy to declare open season on the remaining whitebelt lands or “contested countryside”– the agricultural land and greenspace that sits between the current urban boundaries of the GTHA and the Greenbelt.

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    For more information and to arrange an interview please contact: Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, abraude@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement from Programs Director Keith Brooks on Ontario’s Fall Economic Statement appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Canada joins historic commitment to end international fossil fuel finance by end of 2022

    ABOVE GROUND, ASIAN’S PEOPLES MOVEMENT FOR DEBT AND DEVELOPMENT, CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK INTERNATIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, GREENPEACE CANADA,  INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, OIL CHANGE INTERNATIONAL

    At COP26 Canada, US, UK, and 21 other countries and institutions join together to end overseas oil, gas, and coal support next year

    Glasgow — Today at COP26, Canada, US, Mali, UK, and 20 other countries and institutions from both developed and developing countries launched a joint statement committing to end direct international public finance for unabated coal, oil and gas by the end of 2022 and prioritize clean energy finance. If honored, this commitment will likely unseat Canada as the worst-ranking in the G20 for international public financing to the fossil fuel sector. 

    After a wave of commitments to end international coal finance this year, this is the first international political commitment that also addresses public finance for oil and gas. If implemented effectively this initiative could directly shift more than CAD 18.6 billion (USD 15 billion) a year of preferential, government-backed support out of fossil fuels and into clean energy — and much more if initial signatories are successful in convincing their peers to join. 

    Almost all of Canada’s public finance for oil and gas comes from federal crown corporation Export Development Canada (EDC). Some of this is domestic support not clearly covered by today’s commitment though this finance is closely related and housed within many of the same programs at EDC. Due to a lack of transparency it is not fully possible to separate out this domestic and international support. This means while EDC’s overall fossil fuel support was CAD 13.6 billion a year 2018-2020, the amount that flowed internationally and therefore is fully covered by this commitment is somewhere between CAD 2 billion to 9 billion a year for 2018-2020. 

    The largest ‘recipient’ countries for Canada’s international oil and gas support 2018-2020 were the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Colombia respectively. Companies receiving finance include both Canadian companies involved in projects abroad as well as international companies doing business with Canadian entities — with Enbridge, Parex Resources, ConocoPhillips, and Australia Pacific LNG among the top recipients.

    Shifting public finance for energy out of all fossil fuels and into clean energy is an urgent task. The International Energy Agency says that to limit global warming to 1.5°C, 2021 needs to mark the end of investments in not just coal, but also new oil and gas supply. Yet, new research by Oil Change International and Friends of the Earth US shows that between 2018 and 2020, G20 governments and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) still spent at least $188 billion on fossil fuels. This was 2.5 times more than G20 support for renewable energy, which averaged $26 billion per year. Canada ranked far worse than the global average, providing 14.5 times more support for fossil fuels than renewable energy. Beyond climate impacts, EDC’s oil and gas activities at home and abroad have been linked to human rights abuses, from fracking in Colombia to the CoastalGasLink pipeline in British Columbia. 

    Canada’s commitment comes after over 100 organisations called on the federal government to end Export Development Canada’s financing of oil and gas, and fossil fuel subsidies became a key issue during last month’s federal election period. A recent Abacus Data poll also found 62% of Canadians want the Canadian government to establish a plan to stop taxpayer subsidies going to the oil and gas industry.

    The combination of big polluters and low-income countries signing the statement is a rarity, and challenges the assumption that developing country signatories want or need investments in fossil fuels to achieve their development objectives. Alongside fulfilling their stated goal of prioritizing support for renewable energy, campaigners remind signatories that the ability of this initiative to support a just and 1.5°C aligned global energy transition will also hinge on ending domestic fossil fuel finance and subsidies, avoiding loopholes allowing for a dash for gas, acting on global debt relief, increasing grant-based climate finance, and securing more peers to join the commitment.  

    Quotes:

    Julia Levin, Senior Climate and Energy Program Manager at Environmental Defence Canada

    “We applaud Canada for showing much-needed climate leadership today by joining countries promising to shift public finance away from fossil fuels before the end of 2022. As the worst provider of public finance in the G20, taking this important step is critical for Canada to meet its emissions target. Eliminating public financing for fossil fuels will free up billions of dollars to support climate solutions and set Canada up to thrive as the world moves beyond oil and gas.”

    Bronwen Tucker, Public Finance Campaign Manager at Oil Change International

    “This is one of the only Canadian climate commitments to ever concretely address the oil and gas sector. It means Canada will likely no longer be the largest international backer of fossil fuels, that we will face lower risk of economic shocks from our overexposure to this sunsetting industry and that this influential financial support can be redirected to just transition and renewable energy globally instead. Today’s announcement is a credit to the climate movement and Indigenous land defenders that have been pushing Trudeau to take real climate action since the day he took office. But the federal government should also hear loud and clear that they must keep their election promises and extend this commitment to Export Development Canada’s closely related domestic finance, end other domestic fossil fuel subsidies, and pass a Just Transition Act with robust support for impacted workers and communities.” 

    Eddy Pérez, International climate diplomacy manager || Directeur de la diplomatie climatique internationale, Climate Action Network – Réseau action climat Canada

    EN: “Canada remains the G20 country most heavily subsidizing the fossil fuel industry and thus the destruction of our planet. By announcing the phase-out of international fossil fuel finance by 2022, Canada recognizes the calls from young people, communities, and Indigenous peoples urgently asking for a people-led transition. Transparency matters, and we now urge the Canadian government to release implementation details of this critical policy.”  

    FR: « Le Canada demeure le pays du G20 qui finance le plus fortement l’industrie fossile et donc la destruction de la planète. En annonçant l’élimination du financement international des combustibles fossiles en 2022, le Canada reconnaît les appels des jeunes, des communautés et des peuples autochtones qui demandent une transition immédiate qui répond aux besoins des gens. La transparence pour la suite, c’est crucial. Nous demandons maintenant au gouvernement canadien de publier les détails de la mise en œuvre de cette annonce.»

    Karen Hamilton, director of the Canadian corporate accountability project Above Ground

    “We welcome the news that Canada has joined the UK and others in calling for an end to international fossil fuel finance. To make good on this commitment, the Government of Canada must instruct its export bank, Export Development Canada, to immediately end the billions in support it provides for overseas oil and gas operations each year. Canada should then exceed the commitment by ending all public finance for domestic fossil fuel operations.” 

    Tasneem Essop, Executive Director, Climate Action Network International

    “Shutting fossil fuels down is critical for tackling the climate crisis. This announcement is a step in the right direction but must be scaled up with more governments and public finance institutions committing to end finance for fossil fuels. This public money needs to be urgently redirected into a just energy transition that ensures clean universal energy access for communities in the global South and support for communities and coal, oil and gas workers without saddling countries with any further debt.” 

    Patrick Bonin, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Canada

    FR: «Bonne nouvelle, mais le Canada doit aussi s’engager à cesser de subventionner les combustibles fossiles en territoire canadien, sinon il continuera à alimenter la crise climatique alors que les communautés, particulièrement les plus vulnérables, sont déjà mise à mal par l’exploitation et l’extraction, en plus de subir l’augmentation des évènements extrêmes comme les feux de forêt, les inondations et les canicules meurtrières. Au lieu de continuer à financer les hydrocarbures le Canada devrait financer les solutions et aider les pays en développement, les communautés et les travailleurs.»

    EN: “Good news, but Canada must also end its support for fossil fuels at home, or else it will continue to exacerbate the climate crisis. Communities, especially the most vulnerable, that are already impacted by extraction are now facing natural disasters like forest fires, floods, and heatwaves as well. Instead of continuing to fund oil and gas Canada must fund climate solutions that support developing countries, communities, and workers.” 

    Richard Florizone, President and CEO, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

    “Today, Canada has taken a critical and historic step in joining other countries who are serious about shifting public finance away from fossil fuels. Canada has the opportunity to show leadership by rapidly scaling up public and private investment in the clean energy transition so that workers and communities here and around the globe can thrive in a low-carbon future. We applaud today’s commitment by the federal government, and encourage them to focus on both robust implementation and increased ambition.” 

    Lidy Nacpil, Asian’s Peoples Movement for Debt and Development

    “We have been calling for an end to public financing of fossil fuels for so long, governments should have responded earlier. The world has no more space or time left to accommodate the expansion of fossil fuel energy. Instead governments must act immediately and decisively for a swift and just transition to 100% renewable and democratic energy systems. There should be no exceptions, no reliance on unproven and unreliable carbon capture and storage technologies that hide the lack of ambition and justify some level of continued GHG emissions. Governments must also compel the private sector to stop funding new fossil fuel projects. We call on all countries, public financial institutions, and private financiers to commit and disclose concrete plans to end all support and financing, direct and indirect, for all fossil fuels — coal, gas and oil.  Anything less will not be enough to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.” 

    Notes:

    • The joint statement will be launched at the UK pavilion at 10.30 GMT 4 November 2021. The launch event can be followed here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpq-q7dcyzAc8Mi99UXegwg.
    • The countries and the institutions that have signed the joint statement include: Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Albania, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Banco de Desenvolvimento de Minas Gerais (BDMG), The East African Development Bank (EADB), Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V. (FMO), Mali, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Moldova, Portugal, Slovenia, South Sudan, Switzerland, the European Investment Bank, The Gambia, The United Kingdom, The United States and Zambia.
    • The estimate of a direct USD 15 billion shift is based on annual average public finance for fossil fuels from the participating countries and institutions from 2016-2020. Data for AFD, Canada, EIB, the United Kingdom and the United States are from Oil Change International’s Shift the Subsidies Database. Data for Denmark, Finland and Sweden is taken directly from government reporting. No data was available for other donor signatories. 
    • “Past Last Call” is OCI and Friends of the Earth US’s latest briefing analyzing G20 public finance figures and trends. It was covered by Canadian Press here and shows that between 2018 and 2020 G20 governments and public finance institutions provided at least USD 188 billion in public finance for fossil fuels.
    • Further background on Export Development Canada’s climate commitments can be found here, and on their overall operations here.   
    • In September 2021, 200+ CSOs launched a statement calling on world leaders to end public finance for fossil fuels in 2021 and launch a joint commitment to do so at COP26. Meanwhile, in June 2021, 100+ Economists called on the G7 to put an end to not only coal finance, but also oil and gas finance in 2021.
    • A legal opinion by Professor Jorge E Viñuales from the University of Cambridge and Barrister Kate Cook of Matrix Chambers argues that governments and public finance institutions that continue to finance fossil fuel infrastructure are potentially at risk of climate litigation.
    • The joint statement unites some of the largest historic providers of public finance for fossil fuels — Canada, the United States, the UK and the European Investment Bank (EIB). However, other large fossil fuel financiers have yet to join them. Laggards include Japan (USD $10.9 bn/yr), Korea (USD $10.6 bn/yr), and China (USD $7.6 bn/yr), which are the largest providers of international public fossil fuel finance in the G20 and together account for 46% of G20 and MDB finance for fossil fuels. Italy (USD $2.8 bn/yr) and Spain (USD $1.9 bn/yr), some of the biggest EU fossil fuel financiers, are also missing.
    • A report released yesterday by Oil Change International and Environmental Defence Canada found that the climate plans of Canadian oil and gas producers rate even worse than most global majors.

    Contacts:

    Alex Ross, Senior Communications Coordinator, Environmental Defence aross@environmentaldefence.ca 

    Bronwen Tucker, Public Finance Campaign Co-Manager, bronwen@priceofoil.org

    In Glasgow / available early EU time: Laurie van der Burg, Public Finance Campaign Co-Manager, laurie@priceofoil.org

    Vicky Coo, Communications lead, Climate Action Network – Réseau action climat Canada, comms@climateactionnetwork.ca

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  • New Report: Climate Plans of Major Canadian Oil and Gas Producers Undercut Canada’s Commitment to 1.5ºC

    Contrary to climate science and the Paris Agreement, all eight assessed companies plan to increase fossil fuel production

    GLASGOW, SCOTLAND and OTTAWA, CANADA  | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People — The climate plans of major oil and gas companies operating in Canada rank among the worst worldwide and will accelerate the climate crisis rather than help Canada and the world limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (ºC), according to a new report launched today at the UN Climate Change Conference. 

    The assessment by Environmental Defence Canada and Oil Change International, titled Canada’s Big Oil Reality Check, assesses eight of Canada’s top oil and gas producers, including Imperial (ExxonMobil) and Shell. It finds they are all on track to increase their oil and gas production in Canada, rather than planning a fair transition away from fossil fuels that are fuelling the climate crisis.

    The climate plans of CNRL, Cenovus, Suncor, Imperial (ExxonMobil), Tourmaline, ARC Resources, Ovintiv, and Shell were put through a comprehensive 10-part assessment of their ambition, integrity, and transition planning. None of the eight oil and gas companies had produced plans that came even close to the bare minimum for alignment with the Paris Agreement’s objective of limiting warming to 1.5ºC. Only Suncor and Shell even consider the emissions from burning the oil and gas they produce — which represents over 80 percent of the companies’ total carbon pollution — and even those pledges were vague and inadequate. 

    “The expansion plans of these oil and gas companies would continue to undo climate action taking place in Canada on other sources of emissions,” said Dale Marshall, National Climate Program Manager at Environmental Defence. “Canada’s federal government must step in to manage the decline in fossil fuel production. The federal government has tools within its jurisdiction, including a robust climate test as part of the impact assessment process, an export ban for new oil and gas production, passing a Just Transition Act to support workers and communities, and rejecting all interprovincial pipelines, including TMX. The government’s proposed cap on emissions addresses at most 20-30 percent of the problem.”

    “The industry that has done the most to cause the climate crisis won’t solve it. Big oil and gas companies across Canada and the world will not manage their own decline,” said David Tong, Global Industry Campaign Manager at Oil Change International. “The reality is that to limit warming to 1.5ºC, we need a managed decline in oil and gas production.”

    This year, the International Energy Agency concluded that to be on track to net-zero emissions by 2050 and limit warming to 1.5ºC, companies should stop investing in new oil and gas projects, and governments should stop approving them.

    Meanwhile, as Dale Marshall noted, “The companies studied — four of which represent the Oil Sands Pathways to Net Zero coalition — all want to increase production, have no credible plans to achieve net-zero emissions, point to false solutions such as carbon capture and storage as the ‘anchor’ of their strategy, and expect governments to give them CAD 50 billion in subsidies to realize their expensive, unrealistic plans. This buildout of new oil, gas, and CCS projects would also come in direct conflict with Canada’s commitments to Indigenous rights. There is nothing in place in company plans or government policy to ensure Indigenous communities’ right to full free, prior, and informed consent is upheld.”

    David Tong continued, “Last year, our original Big Oil Reality Check found that not even one of the biggest international oil and gas companies came anywhere close to taking serious efforts to align their business with 1.5ºC. Now, this research shows that all eight major Canadian companies studied are amongst the worst worldwide, despite all their rhetoric about net zero.”

    Canada’s Big Oil Reality Check was produced in collaboration with Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-BC, Climate Action Network-Réseau action climate Canada, Climate Emergency Unit, Conservation Council of New Brunswick, David Suzuki Foundation, Équiterre, Greenpeace, Indigenous Climate Action, LeadNow, Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health, Stand.earth, West Coast Environmental Law, Wilderness Committee, and 350.org.

    The report is available at: https://environmentaldefence.ca/report/canada-big-oil-reality-check.

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE  (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    About OIL CHANGE INTERNATIONAL (priceofoil.org): Oil Change International is a research, communication, and advocacy organization focused on exposing the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitating the ongoing transition towards clean energy.

    -30-

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

    • Dale Marshall, Environmental Defence Canada, +1 613-868-9917, dmarshall@environmentaldefenc.ca (Glasgow)
    • Allen Braude, Environmental Defence Canada, media@environmentaldefence.ca (EDT)
    • David Tong, Oil Change International, +64 21-250-6375, david.tong@priceofoil.org (NZDT)
    • Kelly Trout, Oil Change International, +1 717-439-0346, kelly@priceofoil.org (EDT)

     

     

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  • National organizations call for an end to thermal coal exports during COP26

    CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIANS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, COUNCIL OF CANADIANS, ECOJUSTICE, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, KEEPERS OF THE WATER, LEADNOW, STAND.EARTH

    The groups are delivering petitions today, with a total of 32,220 signatures, asking that the federal government ban all coal exports by 2023.

    Ottawa | Unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – As world leaders  gather in Glasgow for COP26, the UN climate conference, organizations from across Canada are calling on the government to accelerate its promise to ban all thermal coal exports by 2023 instead of 2030.

    Today, these groups are delivering multiple petitions to the Prime Minister’s Office, with more than 30,000 signatories demanding immediate action to phase out thermal coal exports from and through Canada by 2023. (To view photos from the petition delivery, click here after 10am ET).

    The overarching aim for COP26 is to “keep 1.5 degrees alive.” Rapidly ending coal power — the single largest source of global temperature increase — is a critical step the world must take to achieve the 1.5-degree goal. 

    The petitions, collected and submitted by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, the Council of Canadians, Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, Keepers of the Water, LeadNow, and Stand.Earth, call for the federal government to commit to an accelerated coal export ban during the COP26 conference.

    “Canada wants to be a global climate leader but continues to mine and export thermal coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel,” said Julia Levin, Senior Climate and Energy Program Manager at Environmental Defence. “Coal causes serious health impacts to people and communities where it is mined, transported and burned, while its massive emissions are terrible for the planet. With world leaders gathered at COP26, we are calling on the Government of Canada to honour their commitment to a greener future by making coal a relic of the past.”

    During the election campaign, the government pledged to end the export of thermal coal. However, the timeline they set for themselves – 2030 – is not commensurate with the urgency of the climate crisis. 

    “As a co-founder of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, Canada cannot credibly ask other countries to move beyond coal while it continues to export thermal coal overseas,” Fraser Thomson, lawyer at Ecojustice said. “Banning thermal coal exports by 2023 would show that Canada is serious about helping the world power past coal.”

    While the federal government has committed to ending coal-fired power generation by 2030, Canada continues to facilitate the burning of coal overseas through its exports. Each year, the country exports 15-18 million tons of Canadian and American thermal coal. Once consumed, this amount can produce between 33-40 million tonnes of CO2e every year, the equivalent of approximately eight million passenger vehicles.

    “As an Indigenous-led organization, we reject false solutions and delay tactics in addressing the climate crisis,” said Jesse Cardinal, Executive Director of Keepers of the Water. “Canada’s posturing as an opponent to coal while it continues to export this fossil fuel elsewhere is one such tactic. All parts of Mother Earth are interconnected. Burning coal anywhere is a threat to the health of the whole planet.”

    Thermal coal is the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel, generating half of the world’s carbon emissions, accelerating the climate crisis, wreaking havoc on the environment, and causing at least 800,000 deaths every year.

    “We have recognized here at home that we should not subject communities to the health impacts from burning coal for electricity, which include asthma, cancer, brain damage, and premature death,” said Anjali Helferty, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. “If we claim to value the health and lives of people around the world, we cannot continue to export coal overseas.”

    “Canada must stop enabling emissions through its coal exports,” added Christina Kruszewski, the Prairies-NWT Regional Organizer at the Council of Canadians. “We’ve already seen unprecedented grassroots opposition to coal mining over the last year and a half, particularly in Alberta. We know all about the impacts of coal mining on Indigenous rights, communities, water, and the climate. Now is the time to move Canada beyond coal for good.”

    – 30 –

    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Thais Freitas
    Communications Specialist, Ecojustice
    tfreitas@ecojustice.ca

    Alex Ross
    Senior Communications Coordinator, Environmental Defence
    aross@environmentaldefence.ca   

    Donya Ziaee
    Communications Officer, The Council of Canadians
    media@canadians.org

    Pamela Daoust
    National Communications Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
    pamela@cape.ca

    ABOUT:

    The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is a physician-directed non-profit organization working to secure human health by protecting the planet. Since its founding in 1993, CAPE’s work has achieved substantial policy victories in collaboration with many partners in the environmental movement. From coast to coast to coast, the organization operates throughout the country with regional committees active in most provinces and all territories.

    Since 1985, the Council of Canadians has brought people together through collective action and grassroots organizing to challenge corporate power and advocate for people, the planet, and our democracy. 

    Ecojustice uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, public interest lawsuits and advocacy lead to precedent-setting court decisions and law and policy that deliver lasting solutions to Canada’s most urgent environmental problems. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax.

    Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    Keepers of the Water is comprised of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples; environmental groups; concerned citizens; and communities working together for the protection of air, water and land – and thus, for all living things today and tomorrow in the Arctic Drainage Basin.

    Leadnow organizes campaigns that build and defend a just, sustainable, and equitable Canada. We help hundreds of thousands of people take action at the times and in the places that matter most by providing non-partisan opportunities for digital and real life democratic engagement. 

    Stand.earth (formerly ForestEthics) is an international nonprofit environmental organization working to create a world where respect for people and the environment comes first. Our campaigns challenge destructive corporate and governmental practices, demand accountability, and create solutions that support all of us — and the environment and climate upon which we depend. 

    The post National organizations call for an end to thermal coal exports during COP26 appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Environmental groups heading to court to protect endangered piping plover population at Ontario beach

    Case challenges habitat protection provision under province’s Endangered Species Act

    Toronto | Traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation –Environmental groups are headed to court to help uphold the Town of South Bruce Peninsula’s conviction for damaging piping plover habitat at Sauble Beach on the shores of Lake Huron.

    Ecojustice, acting on behalf of Environmental Defence and Ontario Nature, will argue for a scientifically accurate interpretation of the habitat protection provision in section 10 of the province’s Endangered Species Act (ESA), which makes it an offence to damage or destroy an endangered or threatened species’ habitat.

    This case marks the first time the Ontario Court of Appeal will consider the meaning of “damage” to habitat in the context of this offence. The Town is advocating for an interpretation that would seriously weaken the habitat protection provided by the ESA.

    In 2019, the Town of South Bruce Peninsula was convicted on two charges of damaging piping plover habitat, contrary to section 10(1) of the ESA.  The charges related to mechanical raking and grade work the Town performed at Sauble Beach in April and August of 2017.

    The convictions were upheld on appeal, and the Town is now bringing a further appeal to the Ontario Court of Appeal.

    Piping plovers are listed as endangered species under the ESA. The birds nest exclusively on dry, sandy or gravelly beaches with sparse vegetation. Habitat loss and degradation threaten the species’ survival and recovery – and beach raking has been identified as a threat to their habitat.

    Lindsay Beck, lawyer, Ecojustice said:

    “The Endangered Species Act plays a critical role in protecting endangered and threatened species and their habitats. A robust interpretation of the ESA is essential to protect and restore vulnerable species and their habitats and hold those who mistreat the environment to account.

    “It is vital we preserve the integrity of environmental laws like the ESA, especially as governments and industries have attempted to amend laws and weaken protections for vulnerable species and habitats in recent years.

    “It is also important to demonstrate that governments, individuals and industries cannot act with impunity. Equally important to the existence of these laws is enforcement, ensuring that those who violate the law face consequences.”

    Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence said:

    “The Town of South Bruce continues to waste its residents’ tax dollars in efforts to undermine the legal protections for the rarest of species in Ontario. This should outrage the people of the community who value the rich natural character of their area and its reputation as a destination for those who appreciate nature and wild places.”

    Caroline Schultz, executive director of Ontario Nature said:

    “There are only a handful of nesting sites for piping plovers in all of Ontario, including annual breeding on the shores of Sauble Beach. Beach conservation and tourism can co-exist. The reckless destruction of critical plover habitat is indefensible.”

    Background

    Piping plovers are a migratory shorebird designated as endangered under the ESA. After a nearly 30-year absence, they returned to Ontario in 2007, including to Sauble Beach. The town of South Bruce Peninsula undertakes annual beach maintenance at the site, including raking with heavy equipment, which can compromise the plover’s habitat.

    In 2019, the Town was convicted of damaging piping plover habitat, an offence under section 10 of the ESA. The conviction was upheld by the Ontario Court of Justice. The Justice of the Peace who heard the case found that the work undertaken by the Town had damaged plover habitat. He relied on the testimony of expert witnesses, who detailed the damage that had occurred to the beach, dunes and vegetation, which the experts explained would result in the loss of nesting, foraging, shelter and camouflage for the piping plover. The Town was ordered to pay $100,000 to Birds Canada to support piping plover recovery efforts.

    The Town then sought and was granted leave to appeal the convictions to the Ontario Court of Appeal. The Town’s appeal will be heard by the Ontario Court of Appeal on February 22, 2022.

    -30-

    Ecojustice uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, public interest lawsuits and advocacy lead to precedent-setting court decisions and law and policy that deliver lasting solutions to Canada’s most urgent environmental problems. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax.

    Ontario Nature protects wild species and wild spaces through conservation, education and public engagement. A charitable organization, Ontario Nature represents more than 30,000 members and supporters, and more than 155 member groups across Ontario.

    Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    For media inquiries please contact:

    Zoryana Cherwick, Communications Specialist | Ecojustice zcherwick@ecojustice.ca

    John Hassell, Director of Communications and Engagement | Ontario Nature johnh@ontarionature.org

    Allen Braude, Senior Communications Manager | Environmental Defence abraude@environmentaldefence.ca

     

     

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    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement from Dale Marshall, National Climate Program Manager, on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s speech at the U.N. climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland

    Glasgow, Scotland – Today Prime Minister Justin Trudeau identified the biggest climate challenge for Canada but failed to come up with the right solution. Focusing on emissions from oil and gas production but not production itself will allow oil and gas companies to keep putting forward false solutions, such as carbon capture and storage, fossil-based hydrogen, and far-off net zero plans, all while pumping out more and more atmosphere-destroying fossil fuels.

    Canada has the weakest 2030 emissions reduction target in the G7, gives the most public financing to oil and gas companies in the G20, and is second only to the U.S. in its ambitions to increase oil and gas production. We cannot go from climate laggard to even the middle of the pack without curtailing oil and gas production, starting now. Other countries are doing it, through the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), an international coalition of countries and states committed to transitioning away from oil and gas production.

    The Prime Minister also said Canada should take action to help vulnerable countries. Yesterday at COP26, the world’s most vulnerable countries put out a statement calling on countries like Canada to phase out fossil fuels, in line with the pathway laid out by the International Energy Agency: no new investments in, or approvals of, fossil fuel projects. Canada must heed this call.

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (www.environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

    In Canada: Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, abraude@environmentaldefence.ca

    In Scotland: Dale Marshall, Environmental Defence, dmarshall@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement from Dale Marshall, National Climate Program Manager, on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s speech at the U.N. climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Media Advisory/Interview Opportunity: Dale Marshall, National Climate Program Manager, Environmental Defence, is in Glasgow and available to comment today through November 13th on the U.N. climate summit

    Glasgow, Scotland – Environmental Defence is in Glasgow for the U.N. climate negotiations (COP26), the most important climate meeting since the Paris Agreement was signed six years ago. At COP26, countries will need to significantly raise their level of ambition on climate action in order to keep global warming below the danger threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

    In particular, Environmental Defence will be looking for much stronger action from Canada with respect to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing international climate financing to assist developing countries in adapting to climate impacts, and stopping the expansion of oil and gas production. The trading rules of the Paris Agreement (Article 6) will also be an important issue to be discussed and finalized.

    WHAT: Interview opportunities at the U.N. climate summit (COP26)

    WHEN: November 1st to 13th, 2021

    WHERE: Glasgow, Scotland

    WHO: Dale Marshall, National Climate Program Manager, Environmental Defence

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (www.environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

    In Canada: Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, abraude@environmentaldefence.ca

    In Scotland: Dale Marshall, Environmental Defence, dmarshall@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Media Advisory/Interview Opportunity: Dale Marshall, National Climate Program Manager, Environmental Defence, is in Glasgow and available to comment today through November 13th on the U.N. climate summit appeared first on Environmental Defence.

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  • Report: Heading into COP26, Canada is hiding more than 80 million tonnes of carbon emissions from logging

    Canada is underreporting total carbon dioxide emissions from the forestry sector by more than 80 million tonnes a year–the equivalent to the emissions of all buildings in Canada–according to a new report by Canadian and international environmental groups: Environmental Defence Canada, Nature Canada, Nature Québec, and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

    “Canada has adopted a biased approach to counting and reporting forest-sector carbon that is masking the large climate impacts of logging,” says Michael Polanyi of Nature Canada. “By giving the logging industry a free pass on its emissions, Canada is undermining the credibility of our climate plan and jeopardizing its leadership at COP.”

    The report, “Missing the Forest: How carbon loopholes for logging hinder Canada’s climate leadership,” documents several ways Canada is failing to accurately measure, report and regulate forest sector emissions, including:

    • Using an unbalanced, biased accounting approach that ignores emissions from wildfires but claims credit for the CO2 captured by older trees.
    • Failing to measure and report emissions related to logging roads and seismic lines.
    • Adopting an arbitrary and generous “reference level” baseline for the forest sector that gives Canada a free “accounting contribution” towards its 2030 emission reduction goals.
    • Exempting the logging industry’s emissions from carbon pricing regulations on other sectors

    “Canada is allowing the logging industry to liquidate its carbon-rich primary forests and sweeping the climate fallout under the rug. Through accounting artifice, it’s downplaying the global importance of these forests–and the devastating climate cost of failing to protect them,” says Jennifer Skene of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

    “The atmosphere does not distinguish between carbon emissions from industrial logging and fossil fuels,” says Dale Marshall of Environmental Defence Canada. “These loopholes for the logging industry are undermining the fight against climate change in Canada and internationally.”

    The authors argue that fixing the measurement and reporting gap is a prerequisite to Canada’s role as an international climate leader, and its ability to effectively advance nature-based climate solutions.

    “Canada’s forests are essential to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change and catastrophic species loss,” says Alice-Anne Simard, of Nature Québec. “The world is looking to Canada for leadership, but first we need to address the fundamental flaws in our approach to forest carbon.”

    Additional Resources:
    Read the report: Missing the Forest: How carbon loopholes for logging hinder Canada’s climate leadership

    For information contact:

    Scott Mullenix | Nature Canada | smullenix@naturecanda.ca

    Margie Kelly | NRDC | mkelly@nrdc.org

    Barbara Hayes | Environmental Defence | bhayes@environmentaldefence.ca

    Alice-Anne Simard | Nature Québec | alice-anne.simard@naturequebec.org

     

     

     

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  • After Two Years and At a Cost Of $3.5 Million, Alberta Inquiry Finds Environmental Groups Did Nothing Wrong But Care About Climate Change

    DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION, DOGWOOD, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, ÉQUITERRE, STAND.EARTH, WEST COAST ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, WILDERNESS COMMITTEE

    Commissioner Allan’s Final Report Proves the Inquiry Was a Pointless, But Dangerous Political Stunt, Say Targeted Groups

    Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver – After over two years and at a cost of $3.5 million, the final report from the “Public Inquiry into Anti-Alberta Energy Campaigns,” commissioned by the Alberta government, found environmental groups did nothing wrong, but simply care about climate change. The report found the word “anti-Albertan” in its own title to be neither constructive nor helpful. The organizations, individuals and foundations targeted by the Inquiry say the long, arduous and one-sided process was unconstitutional and should never be repeated in a democratic country like Canada.

    “The Inquiry, War Room and legislation criminalizing protest are an alarming abuse of the power of government in an attempt to intimidate and silence civil society organizations,” said Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, one of around forty organizations targeted. “Although the report shows no evidence of wrongdoing by environmental groups, the Alberta government publicly refuses to accept the report’s findings.”

    The Inquiry was an abuse of power. Groups targeted by the Inquiry were never interviewed and were denied basic procedural protections such as:

    • Public hearings,
    • Publicly accessible transcripts of testimony sworn under oath so groups know who accused them and what they were accused of,
    • Timely disclosure of all the evidence and witnesses,
    • Inadequate time to respond to accusations in report.

    “This ill-conceived inquiry has not only been a colossal waste of time – these petrostate tactics threaten democracy and hold Alberta back from the important work that’s needed to transition to a cleaner economy,” said Eugene Kung of West Coast Environmental Law. “Working towards legal solutions to protect the environment, upholding Indigenous rights and ensuring communities have a voice in environmental decisions is not ‘anti-Alberta’. It’s about ensuring healthy communities and a livable future.”

    The latest IPPC report (August 2021) found that the production of oil, coal and gas was the primary cause of the climate crisis. Just last week, the International Energy Agency released a global energy forecast that projected oil demand to fall in every scenario it considered and repeated its position that there is no more room in a climate safe planet for new oil and gas supply. Quebec also announced this week that it would be stopping all fossil fuel expansion in the province. Despite these repeated warnings and developments, Premier Kenney invested $1.1 billion (US) in the now cancelled Keystone pipeline.

    “The Alberta Inquiry is an embarrassment to Canada – a country that stands for free speech and democratic rights,” said Tzeporah Berman, Stand.Earth. “To release this report after our summer of wildfires and heat deaths and just weeks before the global climate summit shows how tone deaf and stuck in the past as Kenney’s government is. This whole inquiry has been a massive waste of taxpayer’s money and a dangerous gong show that diverted resources and attention from building solutions and plans to diversify and fight climate change.”

    Federal agencies in Canada or the U.S. have not found any significant contraventions amongst the charities Kenney has targeted, despite over a dozen audits over the last few years. And, while Canadian environmental groups receive some international assistance, it is nowhere close to the inflated figure The Inquiry claims and is dwarfed by the amount of international funds that flow into the oil and gas industry. The Inquiry demonstrated its bias earlier this year, by paying $100,000 to consultants for a series of reports that deny climate change and promote conspiracy theories.

    -30-

    For more information, please contact or visit:

    Allen Braude, Senior Communications Manager, Environmental Defence, abraude@environmentaldefence.ca

    Brendan Glauser, David Suzuki Foundation, bglauser@davidsuzuki.org,

    Anthony Côté Leduc, media relations, Équiterre, acoteleduc@equiterre.org

    Tzeporah Berman, International Program Director, Stand.earth, tzeporah@stand.earth

    Eugene Kung, Staff Lawyer, West Coast Environmental Law, ekung@wcel.org

    Paul Champ, human rights lawyer, 613-816-2441

    The post After Two Years and At a Cost Of $3.5 Million, Alberta Inquiry Finds Environmental Groups Did Nothing Wrong But Care About Climate Change appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement from Julia Levin, Senior Climate and Energy Program Manager, on the 2021 UN Production Gap Report on Fossil Fuel Production and Climate Change

    Ottawa, Ont. – In Canada, and across the world, we need to rapidly wind down production of fossil fuels in order to limit catastrophic levels of warming, save millions of lives, and end harm to frontline communities. Yet this year’s Production Gap report finds that Canada and other countries are still planning to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels than would be consistent with our global climate commitments.

    Yesterday the Premier of Quebec announced a provincial ban on all fossil fuel extraction. Yet elsewhere in Canada, including in Ottawa, elected leaders are still not willing to admit what achieving zero emissions really means: that we must transition off of fossil fuels. Canada needs to move forward with capping emissions from fossil fuel production and winding the sector down, rather than getting distracted by false solutions, like carbon capture, which will prolong our dependence on fossils.

    Canada is a wealthy and innovative nation, with a lot of clean sector expertise. We have the means and the capacity to start implementing a just and equitable managed wind-down of fossil fuels that ensures no workers or communities are left behind. As Canada prepares for COP26, it’s time to show true leadership by taking immediate steps to address Canada’s production gap.

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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    For more information and to arrange an interview please contact:

    Barbara Hayes, bhayes@environmentaldefence.ca, 613-255-5724

     

    The post Statement from Julia Levin, Senior Climate and Energy Program Manager, on the 2021 UN Production Gap Report on Fossil Fuel Production and Climate Change appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • New Government Information Shows Alberta’s Tailings Ponds Increased in 2020 Despite Decrease in Oil Sands Production

    ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE and KEEPERS OF THE WATER

    Toxic waste holding ponds now contain 1.36 billion cubic metres of fluids and cover a surface 1.7 times the size of Vancouver

    Edmonton, AB— The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) quietly released a report on its web site last week showing that oil sands tailing ponds grew another 90 million cubic meters in 2020, despite a drop in oil production. The same report shows operators reached neither their own projections nor regulatory standards for decreased volumes of fluids in the ponds. This is despite numerous assurances from industry, and repeated promises from the government of Alberta, that these ponds full of toxic waste from industry operations will be cleaned up.

    “Contrary to what the oil industry and governments have been promising, Alberta’s tailings ponds are getting bigger, imposing graver risk to the land, water and downstream communities,” said Alienor Rougeot, Climate and Energy Program Manager at Environmental Defence.  “It’s now clear that we can’t rely on the oil industry or Alberta to clean up its mess – the Federal government must finally step in and regulate what has become one of the most toxic sites in North America.”

    Alberta’s tailings contain dangerous levels of mercury, arsenic, cyanide, benzene and naphthenic acids, which are entirely unique to the oil sands. Since 1996, First Nations and Métis communities have been asking for an independent study of the effects of these leaks on their health and on the wellbeing of their ecosystems, as they experience high rates of rare cancers. This report shows that oil companies like Suncor, Syncrude and Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) stopped monitoring their tailings ponds during COVID.

    “The oil industry keeps getting away with doing nothing about its toxic tailings while my people are the sacrifice,” said Jean L’Hommecourt, co-chair of the Board of Keepers of the Water and a Denesuline woman living in Fort McKay. She added, “We can smell the toxins in the air, they’re in our water and have been for years, but no one in government cares. It’s a crime against the law of nature, against humanity.”

    Instead of stepping in to ensure stringent provincial regulations are finally developed and enforced, the federal government is now giving into oil industry pressure by developing regulations that allow oil companies to dump toxic tailings into the Athabasca River. There is no independent scientific proof that this process is safe, and the plan faces widespread opposition by Indigenous groups and environmental organizations.

    The report comes after the one year anniversary of a factual record issued by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, an international body created under NAFTA, provided evidence that Alberta’s tailings are leaking dangerous substances into groundwater, and are operating in violation of Canada’s Fisheries Act.

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    For more information and to arrange an interview please contact:

    Barbara Hayes, Environmental Defence, bhayes@environmentaldefence.ca

    Jesse Cardinal, Keepers of the Water, nipiy3@gmail.com

    The post New Government Information Shows Alberta’s Tailings Ponds Increased in 2020 Despite Decrease in Oil Sands Production appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Murder Charges Against Philip Barnett Dismissed, Ending 13-Year Fight for Justice

    (Oct. 5, 2021 — Huntington, West Virginia) Today, Special Prosecutor Thomas Plymale dismissed all charges against Philip Barnett, who spent 10 years in prison for a crime DNA testing proved he did not commit. Charges were also dropped against his co-defendants Nathan Barnett, Philip’s brother, and Justin Black. A fourth defendant, Brian Dement, accepted a sentence modification of time served. All four men were convicted of the 2002 murder of a young woman in Cabell County, W.Va.

    “Today is a great day for the Barnett family; Philip and Nathan’s names are finally cleared. The DNA results from the crime scene evidence, which excluded Philip and Nathan and matched a convicted sex offender, prove what the Barnetts have always known: They are innocent and had nothing to do with this murder, ” said Adnan Sultan, Staff Attorney with the Innocence Project. 

    In August 2018, Philip Barnett was released on bail while his habeas petition based on new exculpatory DNA evidence was pending. Nathan Barnett had been previously released in 2015, and Mr. Black was released on parole in 2018. Mr. Dement is expected to be released from prison today.

    “I couldn’t be happier to be able to put this behind me — for my brother and for our family,” said Philip Barnett. “You never think that this can happen to you until it does. We have missed out on so many things and we have had this hanging over us, but not anymore. Today, we are truly free.”

    A Cold Case

    In 2002, Deanna Crawford’s body was discovered in an isolated region of Cabell County, W.Va. Ms. Crawford had been strangled, beaten, and likely raped. The case went cold for five years, until police arrested Brian Dement on an unrelated charge. Mr. Dement, who had a substance use disorder at the time, was interrogated for eight hours. Police said he gave three conflicting statements implicating himself, Philip and Nathan Barnett, and the brothers’ friend Justin Black. All four men were convicted of Ms. Crawford’s murder in 2008, even though no physical evidence connected any of them to the crime and Mr. Dement’s “confessions” did not comport with the facts of the crime scene.

    Tammy Barnett, Philip and Nathan’s mother, has been a relentless advocate for her sons. She told the Innocence Project, “Today my children are finally free. We, as a family, are free. The past 14 years have been the most trying and heartbreaking of our lives. Both of my sons had so much stolen from them — from us. No parent should have to endure such a nightmare — no person should have to experience this horror of wrongful conviction. Today, we begin to heal and move forward together.”

    The DNA Testing

    In May 2018, the Barnetts’ and Mr. Black’s defense attorneys received results of DNA comparisons conducted by the West Virginia State Crime Laboratory that revealed a single DNA profile on a cigarette butt found at the crime scene. The profile matched DNA obtained from semen on the victim’s pants. According to the CODIS federal DNA database, the profile also belonged to a man who lived in Huntington, W.Va., at the time and who had been convicted of sexually assaulting a minor. The DNA excluded all four of the men originally convicted of the crime.

    The following month, in June 2018, attorneys filed a joint supplemental motion presenting the results of the newly discovered DNA comparison. 

    Since 1989, there have been 375 DNA exonerations in the United States and 165 actual assailants have been identified. Those perpetrators were ultimately convicted of 154 additional violent crimes. 

    The Guilty Plea Problem

    After Philip and Nathan Barnett were convicted of murder in 2008, they appealed the decision. In 2010, the West Virginia Supreme Court reversed their convictions, based on the fact that they were not afforded a fair trial, and ordered a new trial. The Barnetts both ultimately accepted a Kennedy plea to avoid the prospect of a second trial for a crime they didn’t commit. A Kennedy plea — West Virginia’s equivalent of an Alford plea — allows the defendant to maintain their innocence and receive a lesser sentence, while acknowledging that the State has enough evidence for a conviction. Although the Barnetts knew they were innocent, the reality of another trial and potential for a more severe sentence felt too risky.  

    The current plea bargain system in America focuses on securing convictions, often with little regard for whether someone is truly guilty or innocent. When faced with a plea deal that assures a substantially reduced sentence or even freedom, many innocent people accept guilty pleas rather than gamble with the possibility of decades in prison or, worse, a death sentence. Of the nation’s 375 DNA-based exonerations, 44 people have pleaded guilty to serious crimes they did not commit. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, 591 of the 2,849 known exonerees (whose innocence was proven by DNA or other means) pleaded guilty. 

    Philip Barnett is represented by Adnan Sultan and Tara Thompson of the Innocence Project and Rich Weston of Weston Robertson; Nathan Barnett is represented by Melissa Giggenbach and Devon Unger of the West Virginia Innocence Project, and Jason Goad of McClure Goad, PLLC; Mr. Black is represented by Josh Tepfer and Gayle Horn of the Exoneration Project and Lonnie Simmons of DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC; and Mr. Dement is represented by Greg Swygert of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Center on Wrongful Convictions and Abe Saad of Glazer Saad Anderson L.C.

    The post Murder Charges Against Philip Barnett Dismissed, Ending 13-Year Fight for Justice appeared first on Innocence Project.

    This post was originally published on Innocence Project.

  • Statement from Michelle Woodhouse, Water Program Manager, on Canada’s move to invoke 1977 Pipeline Treaty 

    Statement from Michelle Woodhouse, Water Program Manager, on Canada’s move to invoke 1977 Pipeline Treaty 

    Treaty to be used to argue that Line 5 must stay open, despite the fact that the pipeline poses an unacceptable threat to the Great Lakes

    Toronto, Ont. – We are dismayed by Canada’s decision to invoke the 1977 Pipeline Treaty and intervene in the hearing between Michigan and Enbridge. Line 5 is located in the worst possible place for an oil spill into the Great Lakes according to experts at the University of Michigan. The pipeline should be closed. We can meet our energy needs another way. 

    Canada has not done its research when it comes to the pipeline’s actual importance to Ontario and Quebec. There has been no assessment of possible alternatives to Line 5 nor of the impacts to jobs if Line 5 closes. Yet Canada seems to be accepting Enbridge’s claims about this dangerous pipeline unequivocally, while downplaying the risks posed to the Great Lakes and to climate. We know alternatives exist — an independent analysis shows the existing pipeline system has capacity to meet most of the region’s energy needs without Line 5.

    It isn’t just Governor Whitmer who has ordered Line 5’s closure. All Michigan Tribes and the Anishinabek Nation of Ontario have also called for it to be shut down. Line 5 threatens the way of life for Indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes region, including harvesting and fishing rights and the cultural and spiritual importance of this area to the Anishinabek people. This pipeline is also a threat to all those who depend on the nearby lands and waters that would be impacted by a spill. After all, water is life — we cannot drink oil.

    For more information on Line 5 please see our backgrounder.

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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    For more information and to arrange an interview please contact: Lauren Thomas, lthomas@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement from Michelle Woodhouse, Water Program Manager, on Canada’s move to invoke 1977 Pipeline Treaty  appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Beneficiaries warn Canada’s largest pensions of legal duty to manage climate-related financial risks

    Letters to 10 biggest pension funds request transparency and a plan to meet legal obligations regarding climate risk management

    Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal – Letters were delivered today to the boards and executive of Canada’s 10 largest pension fund managers requesting information on how the funds are meeting their legal fiduciary obligations to beneficiaries in the face of a worsening global climate crisis. These pension funds together have nearly $2 trillion in assets under management (AUM).

    Each letter is signed by beneficiaries of the respective funds. Signatories include working and retired healthcare professionals, teachers, scientists, elected officials, young Canadians, university professors, and public servants and their union representatives, such as the president of CUPE Ontario and the president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

    The letters were drafted in collaboration with Shift: Action for Pension Wealth & Planet Health, Environmental Defence, and environmental law charity Ecojustice, and include a new legal backgrounder explaining the fiduciary duty fund managers have to act decisively to address the climate crisis in the best long-term interest of their beneficiaries. Letters also include a list of questions for the funds to answer about their approach to managing climate-related risks.

    “I won’t be able to collect CPP until well after 2050. The climate crisis is worsening, and I just don’t know if my pension is prepared for what’s coming,” says Chloe Tse, a student at the University of Toronto and contributor to the Canada Pension Plan. “The CPP doesn’t fully disclose our holdings, it’s still investing billions of dollars in fossil fuels, and it doesn’t seem to have a credible climate plan. I need to know if my pension is prepared for the economic and financial disruption the climate crisis will bring in my lifetime.”

    Pension fund administrators and managers have a well-established legal duty to ensure the fund is invested in the best long-term interest of fund beneficiaries. In spite of clear advice from legal experts requiring administrators and managers to actively manage climate risks, many funds continue to behave as if fiduciary duty somehow prevents them from changing their investment strategies. Many of Canada’s largest pension funds inadequately disclose their investments and climate risks, and continue to offer only weak or incomplete strategies to address those risks.

    “Pension funds must assess and act decisively to limit their exposure to climate risks or else potentially face legal consequences,” says Andhra Azevedo, Ecojustice lawyer. “Pension fund beneficiaries are asking their pension funds to be transparent about their policies and actions to date so beneficiaries can determine if their fund is meeting these requirements.”

    The climate crisis is an established threat to the future value of Canadian pension fund investments. Companies face growing and unprecedented financial risks from the physical impacts of a warming world, and the necessary but challenging transition away from fossil fuels to carbon-free energy. Some companies may also carry substantial reputational, regulatory and legal risks after years of significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, blocking climate policy and misleading the public about the harm caused by their products. Beyond the risks to individual funds, collective failure to rapidly stabilize global temperature increases is expected to undermine the growth of the global economy and threaten the stability of the entire global financial system. The global economy is expected to face unacceptable levels of instability and risk if humanity fails to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

    “Without significant action to manage climate risks and align investments with climate safety immediately, I worry that pension funds will be unable to pay the full pensions of thousands of dedicated municipal workers when they retire,” says Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario, which represents over 125,000 members of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS).

    Canada’s pension regulator, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) has also warned that directors and administrators of federally regulated pension plans may be exposed to liability risk for failing to fulfill their legal/fiduciary duties with respect to the climate crisis.

    The beneficiary letters say that meeting these obligations requires funds not only to defensively manage climate risks, but also to proactively align their investment strategies with a pathway to achieving broader climate safety, in order to protect the best interests of their beneficiaries.

    Legal action has been undertaken successfully in Commonwealth countries to force action from pension funds. A 25-year-old Australian pension beneficiary brought a legal challenge in 2018 against his superannuation managers for failing to adequately disclose and manage climate risk (McVeigh v. Retail Employees Superannuation Trust). The superannuation agreed to a settlement agreement requiring implementation of a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050, as well as climate risk disclosure and portfolio transparency measures.

    Beneficiaries have asked their pension funds to respond with detailed, credible answers to climate-related questions by December 31, 2021. The funds that have received letters are:

    • Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) – $123.4 billion AUM
    • British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) – $199.6 billion AUM
    • Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) – $390 billion AUM
    • Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) – $519.6 billion AUM
    • Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) – $104 billion AUM
    • Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) – $73.3 billion AUM
    • Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) – $114 billion AUM
    • OPSEU Pension Trust (OPTrust) – $23 billion AUM
    • Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) – $227.7 billion AUM
    • Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) – $204.5 billion AUM

    Pension funds are facing increasing pressure to create and implement investment strategies aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The COP26 climate talks begin on October 31 and institutions, companies and countries around the world are being called upon to step up with meaningful commitments on climate action.

    A pdf copy of the letters, appendices and legal backgrounder can be found here.

    Additional quotes from pension fund beneficiaries and letter signatories:

    “As an expert in the political economy of climate and energy policy, I am seriously concerned about my pension fund manager’s overexposure to the fossil fuel industry in general, and the Alberta oil and gas sector in particular. From its stake in the high-risk proposed Coastal GasLink pipeline to its massive holdings in tar sands producers, AIMCo is deeply invested in companies that face financial risks due to their incompatibility with Paris-aligned climate targets and failure to respect Indigenous rights to self-determination. I’ve seen nothing that suggests AIMCo has a handle on these massive problems.”

    -Laurie Adkin
    Professor, Faculty of Arts – Political Science Department, University of Alberta
    Member of the Universities Academic Pension Plan, a client of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo)

    “As a former municipal councillor, I saw how the economic, social and health impacts of the climate crisis harmed B.C. communities first-hand. Yet the manager of my Municipal Pension Plan won’t even disclose how much it has invested in the primary cause of the crisis– fossil fuels. I’ve worked my entire life to prepare our communities for the growing risks of climate change, and I expect the same from my pension manager.”

    -Andrea Reimer
    Adjunct Professor of Practice, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia
    Former Councillor, City of Vancouver
    Member of the B.C. Municipal Pension Plan, a client of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI)

    “The climate crisis is a health crisis. Healthcare workers are trying to do our part to protect the health of our communities. Unfortunately, by neglecting to disclose the entirety of its holdings in oil, gas, coal and pipelines, HOOPP doesn’t appear to be doing its part. Our pension savings are seemingly working against our future health and well-being, contradicting the purpose of the pension, which is to protect our retirement.”

    -Michael Kurz, P.Eng
    Member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan

    “As the province’s Environmental Commissioner, I held Ontario to account for years on the progress and shortcomings of its plans, policies and investments to mitigate a worsening climate crisis. Yet when it comes to my retirement savings, IMCO has given me very little indication that it understands the risks of climate change to both my pension and the planet. IMCO has disclosed almost nothing abouts its investments in fossil fuels, and its board chair is the Director of an oil and gas drilling contractor. This is unacceptable in 2021.”

    -Dianne Saxe
    Environmental Lawyer, Saxe Facts
    Former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario
    Member of Ontario’s Public Service Pension Plan, managed by the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO)

    “As a climate action group, Clean Air Partnership wants a pension fund that understands the challenges we face, as well as the tools and policies we need, to mitigate and adapt to the climate emergency. Last year, OPTrust financed the construction of a gas plant and declared it to be climate action. That doesn’t coincide with what the science says we need to move investments away from fossil fuels and towards low and zero carbon actions. Investing in gas plants is not climate action. I want and need to see increased transparency and a credible climate plan from my pension fund to protect both my retirement savings and a safe climate future.”

    -Gaby Kalapos
    Executive Director, Clean Air Partnership
    Member of OPTrust Select

    “As an Ontario teacher, I work hard to prepare young people for the challenges of the future. In a world ravaged by the climate crisis, that cannot mean only teaching, mentoring and coaching. It also means doing my part to ensure that students will graduate into a world with a livable climate. It’s unacceptable to me that my pension contributions are used to finance companies and infrastructure that directly undermine the future of the young people I teach.

    -Teri Burgess
    Grade 8 teacher, Marathon, Ontario
    Member of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

    “Hundreds of thousands of working and retired federal employees are counting on PSP Investments to protect their retirement savings from the financial risks of climate change and invest in a safe climate future for them and their families. But I’ve seen little evidence that PSP is aligning our pension portfolio to address the worsening climate emergency. No Paris-aligned targets, no timelines, no net-zero plan, and billions invested in fossil fuel companies and infrastructure.

    -Chris Aylward
    National President, Public Service Alliance of Canada

    For interview requests:

    Adam Scott, Director, Shift Action for Pension Wealth & Planet Health, adamscott@shiftaction.ca  416-347-3858

    Sean O’Shea, Communications Specialist, Ecojustice soshea@ecojustice.ca

    Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health is a charitable initiative that works to protect pensions and the climate by bringing together beneficiaries and their pension funds to engage on the climate crisis. Shift is a project of MakeWay Canada.

    Ecojustice uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, public interest lawsuits and advocacy lead to precedent-setting court decisions and law and policy that deliver lasting solutions to Canada’s most urgent environmental problems. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax.

    Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    The post Beneficiaries warn Canada’s largest pensions of legal duty to manage climate-related financial risks appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on the Canadian Federal Election Results from Tim Gray, Executive Director

    Canadians respond to the climate emergency by voting for climate action and environmental protection

    Toronto, Ont. – While no party won a majority mandate yesterday, the environment did, thanks to the millions of Canadians who cast ballots for parties that put forward strong policies to confront the climate emergency and advance environmental protection.

    At a time where multiple crises are converging globally, this was a crucial election for Canadians. As the polls show, a majority of Canadians know there is no time to waste. Our communities can’t afford any more delays. The federal parties must now put aside their differences and work together to do what is needed to tackle the environmental crisis we face.

    If all of the ambitious climate proposals from all of the parties were implemented, Canada would be well on its way to doing its fair share to avoid catastrophic levels of global warming.

    There are now environmental champions in every party – it should be easier to take bold action on climate change and environmental protection. Canada has a history of achievements under minority governments, including the adoption of healthcare and universal pension plans. Tackling the climate and ecological crises should become part of that list.

    We call on the new government to work quickly to implement the important promises that were made during the election campaign, including:

    • Bringing a swift end to fossil fuel subsidies and supports, including public finance provided through crown corporations such as Export Development Canada
    • Ending the export of Canadian and American thermal coal through our ports
    • Establishing a cap on carbon emissions from the oil and gas sector that ensures no expansions to the sector, and aligns with a plan to wind down production of oil and gas over the next two decades
    • Ensuring Canada’s transition to a decarbonized economy includes/is based upon a just transition for workers and communities, starting with immediately resuming the consultation process on just transition launched in August 2021
    • Immediately implementing the promised bans on single-use plastics, establish a requirement that new plastic products contain a significant amount of recycled material, and invest in reuse of packaging
    • Enforcing the right of Canadians to repair devices and appliances instead of throwing them away
    • Prioritizing freshwater by working with all stakeholders to modernize the 50-year-old Canada Water Act to reflect the challenging realities that freshwater faces across Canada including issues such as climate change, upholding Indigenous water rights, and reducing nutrients, toxics, and plastic pollution
    • Bringing forward a strong bill to modernize the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to better protect Canadians from toxic chemicals and move forward with regulations that require transparent labelling of consumer products.
    • Upholding the promise to invest $1 billion over 10 years into Canada’s big freshwater lakes and river systems and deliberate with experts on if this amount should be increased.
    • Developing a strategy to address environmental justice by examining the link between race, socio-economic status, and exposure to environmental risk.
    • We further urge the government and parliament to refuse false solutions to climate and pollution crises, such as carbon capture and storage, and “advanced” or “chemical” recycling.

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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    For more information and to arrange an interview please contact:

    Barbara Hayes, bhayes@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on the Canadian Federal Election Results from Tim Gray, Executive Director appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Environmental groups celebrate protection of Lower Duffins Creek Wetland

    The Lower Duffins Creek Wetlands in Pickering provides an important home to wildlife including migratory birds. Photo by Philip Jessup

    ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, ECOJUSTICE, ONTARIO NATURE

    Developer withdraws permit application for Provincially Significant Wetland 

    Toronto, ON – In the wake of ongoing opposition including Indigenous and youth-led activism, Pickering Developments has withdrawn its previously-approved permit application to pave over the Provincially Significant Wetlands at Lower Duffins Creek. As a result, the wetlands are now safe from the lingering threat of development. 

    The permit was initially approved by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority under duress based on a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO).  

    Development plans were met with widespread community opposition including a road blockade and a youth-led shoe strike at Pickering City Hall. In tandem with the community’s efforts, Ecojustice on behalf of Environmental Defence and Ontario Nature launched a judicial review to challenge the MZO for failure to comply with critical wetland protection policies.  

    In March 2021, these environmental groups, supported by the Williams Treaties First Nations, filed an urgent stay motion on the immediate destruction of the wetland complex. This resulted in a legally-enforceable undertaking by the developer not to carry out destructive activity on the site until the MZO was reviewed in court.  

    The Ontario government used every available tactic to undermine the litigation and the protection of the Duffins Creek Wetland including tabling both Bill 229 and Bill 257 to expand the Minister’s Zoning Order powers retroactively and force conservation authority approvals. 

    However, the community prevailed. The Ontario government revoked the MZO on July 21, 2021, the permit was withdrawn and the lawsuit was subsequently discontinued. 

    Laura Bowman, Ecojustice lawyer said: 

    “Thanks to the dedication of environmental activists who launched the legal proceeding, the local community, the Williams Treaties First Nations, and media that covered the story, Duffins Creek Wetland is protected. This is an example of what can be achieved when the public comes together to hold their government accountable. 

    “Although this is a significant victory for Duffins Creek Wetland, we are still concerned about the Ontario government’s increasing use of MZOs to push through development projects without proper environmental scrutiny or protection.  Wetlands and species habitat around Ontario remain highly vulnerable. 

    “MZOs are meant to be extraordinary measures for provincial ministers. Historically, they were reserved for exceptional circumstances and rarely used. But in 2020 alone, the Ontario government issued more than 30 MZOs to fast-track routine development applications.  The Ontario government continues to expand the Minister’s MZO powers and to circumvent crucial public and First Nations consultation” 

    Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager with Environmental Defence, said: 

    “Approving a warehouse on this vital wetland was ill-considered and dangerous, but it was not uniquely reckless.  It typifies the government’s new approach to land use planning in general.” 

    “From MZOs to the Conservation Authorities Act and the Golden Horseshoe’s Growth Plan, Ontario’s entire apparatus for controlling sprawl has been coopted to accelerate it and enrich well-connected land speculators.  The s entire land use planning regime deserves the same scrutiny and criticism that citizens succeeded in bringing to Lower Duffins Creek.” 

     Anne Bell, Ontario Nature’s director of conservation and education, said:  

    “Thankfully, the voice of the community has prevailed. Yet if the government had chosen to respect its own policies to protect provincially significant wetlands from the get-go this costly fight could have been avoided.”   

    “Going forward, we need to remember that MZOs deprive us of the opportunity to participate in critical land use decisions that may affect drinking water, farmland and green spaces in our communities. Generally, they’re a get-rich-quick pathway for developers and bad news for the rest of us.” 

    Ecojustice uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment. Its strategic, public interest lawsuits and advocacy lead to precedent-setting court decisions and law and policy that deliver lasting solutions to Canada’s most urgent environmental problems. As Canada’s largest environmental law charity, Ecojustice operates offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax. 

    Ontario Nature protects wild species and wild spaces through conservation, education and public engagement. A charitable organization, Ontario Nature represents more than 30,000 members and supporters, and 155 member groups across Ontario.  

    Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities. 

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    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Zoryana Cherwick, Communications Specialist, Ecojustice,  zcherwick@ecojustice.ca 

    John Hassell, Director of Communications and Engagement, Ontario Nature,  johnh@ontarionature.org 

    Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, abraude@environmentaldefence.ca 

    The post Environmental groups celebrate protection of Lower Duffins Creek Wetland appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement on Metro’s commitment to phasing out toxic BPA and BPS on receipts to better protect customers and workers

    BREAST CANCER ACTION QUEBEC, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, MIND THE STORE AND UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS CANADA

    Toronto, Ont. – Our organizations offer our congratulations and thanks to Metro for responding to calls by consumers and workers across the country to end the use of receipt paper coated with toxic BPA or BPS by August 2021 in all Metro food and pharmacy banners.

    In 2019, we launched a public call-to-action urging Costco Canada, Loblaw, Metro, Sobeys and Walmart Canada, Canada’s largest grocery retailers, to ditch toxic receipts. To date, Costco Canada, Loblaw and Metro responded to our call and honoured the request of thousands of workers and consumers who wrote letters to the companies asking for immediate action on this issue. We encourage these companies to ensure that substitutes don’t contain other hazardous bisphenols or regrettable substitutes.

    With its decision to phase out BPA and BPS on receipts, Costco Canada, Loblaw and Metro have shown that the retail sector can readily step up and take the measures necessary to protect workers and the public from hazardous chemicals, even in the absence of government action. We are now renewing our call to Sobeys and Walmart Canada to follow the lead of the others and commit to removing bisphenol-coated receipts by the end of the year.

    Quotes:

    “Hormone mimicking chemicals like BPA and BPS have no place in the workplace, especially in high impact items like cash register receipts,” said Tim Gray, executive director, Environmental Defence. “Companies like Metro show our governments the way forward to address these chemical threats and should be congratulated.”

    “UFCW Canada commends Metro for showing leadership on this issue and setting an example for other retailers to follow,” said Paul Meinema, National President, UFCW Canada. “Doing everything possible to better protect UFCW Canada members and all workers from environmental risks – like BPA and BPS – must be the top priority for industry, government, and all stakeholders.”

    “When women learn that thermal paper used for receipts is coated with BPA or BPS that is transferred to their hands and can penetrate the skin, they are understandably very upset,” said Jennifer Beeman, executive director, Breast Cancer Action Quebec. “Given the health risks associated with bisphenols, we are very pleased to know that Metro will be phasing out their use in receipts and that major retailers are stepping up to take responsible actions on the issue of toxic exposures for their workers and their clients. Hopefully, this leadership will inspire other retailers, large and small, to follow for the sake of our health and our environment.”

    “We’re happy to see that this has been a growing sustainability trend among retailers in both the U.S. and Canada,” said Mike Schade, campaign director, Toxic-Free Future’s Mind the Store program. “Retailers have an obligation to protect both customers and employees from unnecessary hormone disrupting chemicals—especially when safer alternatives exist. Companies that have not yet acted, like Sobeys, must get on board.”

    This is a joint release by Breast Cancer Action Quebec, Environmental Defence, the Mind the Store campaign and United Food and Commercial Workers Canada.

    – 30 –

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Sarah Jamal, Environmental Defence, sjamal@environmentaldefence.ca

    The post Statement on Metro’s commitment to phasing out toxic BPA and BPS on receipts to better protect customers and workers appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • National environmental organizations release federal party positions on 11 key environmental issues

    As Angus Reid poll confirms climate remains a top election issue, survey educates voters on most pressing environmental issues

    Ottawa | Unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People (Sep. 8, 2021) – Today, Canada’s leading environmental organizations released responses from all federal parties to a Federal Party Survey on Environmental Platforms. Survey questions address the climate, nature, toxics and waste crises harming Canada, as well as issues around Indigenous rights. The survey was distributed to the five main political parties in August 2021.

    The survey represents the collective priorities of Canada’s leading environmental organizations and outlines the actions required to adequately address the environmental protection, economic justice and Indigenous rights issues facing everyone in Canada. The non-partisan survey was developed to help voters make informed decisions leading up to and on September 20.

    “We know environmental and social justice are among the most pressing issues for voters this election, but we’re also hearing that voters aren’t sure which party or parties have legitimate plans to help solve the climate crisis, protect and restore nature, fight toxic pollution and defend environmental rights – particularly Indigenous rights – urgently this decade,” said Megan Leslie, president and CEO of WWF Canada and spokesperson for the One Earth One Vote coalition. “It’s never been more important for voters to vote, and when we do, vote for candidates committed to a sustainable and equitable future.”

    – 30 –

    The Federal Party Survey on Environmental Platforms can be accessed at: election2021envirosurvey.ca / election2021ecosondage.ca (see summary of answers here: election2021envirosurvey.ca/responses).

    The survey represents the collective priorities of: CPAWS, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre, Équiterre, Environmental Defence, Greenpeace, Nature Canada, Stand.earth, Sierra Club Canada Foundation, West Coast Environmental Law Association, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, WWF-Canada

    For more information or a media interview, please contact:

    ENGLISH: Brendan Glauser, bglauser@davidsuzuki.org, (604) 356-8829

    FRENCH: Anthony Côté Leduc, acoteleduc@equiterre.org, (514) 605-2000

    The post National environmental organizations release federal party positions on 11 key environmental issues appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Statement from Aliénor Rougeot on one-year anniversary of Commission for Environmental Cooperation decision on leaking tailings ponds

    One year after Canada found in violation of Fisheries Act, still no federal action on leaking tar sands tailings ponds

    Toronto, Ont. – Tomorrow, September 4, marks the one year anniversary when the international Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) released a Factual Record showing overwhelming evidence that Canada’s oil sands tailings ponds are leaking toxic pollutants into groundwater and tributaries of the Athabasca River in violation of the Fisheries Act. Since then, the Federal government has taken no action to address this situation despite proclaiming that “the tailings issue is a problem that we are going to have to address” and the findings of  the Factual Record “cannot be ignored.” This continual lack of action has allowed millions of additional litres of toxic water to leak from the tailings ponds.

    During this federal election, Albertans and Canadians deserve clarity on what their representatives will do to finally put an end to the environmental racism in Alberta’s tar sands. The growing toxic tailings ponds, which currently over 1.25 trillion liters of oil sands process water, threaten the health of local First Nations, as well as the surrounding ecosystems. Party leaders, as well as those running in Fort McMurray – Cold Lake, must commit to enforcing the existing laws, such as the Fisheries Act, that would help protect local populations from these ongoing toxic leaks into their water source.

    The same oil companies that are fueling the climate crisis are also knowingly allowing these toxic substances to leak into the Athabasca River – and the next Parliament should ensure that these same companies are accountable for the clean up, based on reclamation plans approved by local First Nations.

    Decades after the first drop of toxic water leaked from the ponds, and one year after the CEC acknowledged that Canada was failing to enforce its own law, it is imperative that we hear from those who wish to represent Canadians in Parliament on the issue.

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    For more information and to arrange an interview please contact:

    Barbara Hayes, Environmental Defence, bhayes@environmentaldefence.ca

     

    Background: Main findings of the factual record released by the CEC:

    The Commission on Environmental Cooperation is a multinational body created under NAFTA to conduct research and facilitate cooperation and public conversations on shared environmental issues.

    • The record validated the claims of Environmental Defence, The Natural Resources Defence Council and Daniel T’Seleie of the K’ahsho Got’ine Dene First Nation that in failing to enforce the Fisheries Act, the government of Canada is placing the health of First Nations people, and the wildlife and ecosystems they depend upon, at risk.
    • The Factual Record estimated 785,000 cubic metres of Oil Sands Process Water (OSPW) have leaked from the Aurora Settling Basin alone, corresponding to an average of 39.25 million litres a year from a single tailings pond over its 20-year operation.
    • Data provided by Syncrude, and validated by independent scientists, show seepage of tailings ponds chemicals into groundwater adjacent to tributaries of the Athabasca River
    • There is experimental and monitoring evidence showing that tailings chemicals seep into freshwater, meaning that tailings water is circumventing systems meant to capture it after it escapes tailings ponds, and two tributaries of the Athabasca River contained elevated concentrations of tailings chemicals
    • The evidence presented in the CEC Factual Record clearly shows that tailings ponds are seeping, and that their continued operation, in the absence of regulatory authority, constitutes a violation of the Fisheries Act.
    • The federal government is responsible for enforcing the Fisheries Act, since there is no administrative agreement between the federal and Alberta governments giving the responsibility for enforcing the Fisheries Act solely to Alberta

    Read the full Factual Record here: http://www.cec.org/wp-content/uploads/wpallimport/files/17-1-ffr_en.pdf

    Read our latest blog post on the tailings ponds here: https://environmentaldefence.ca/2021/09/03/when-it-comes-to-toxic-tailings-ponds-industry-continues-to-pass-the-buck-and-alberta-and-the-federal-government-are-going-along-with-it/

    The post Statement from Aliénor Rougeot on one-year anniversary of Commission for Environmental Cooperation decision on leaking tailings ponds appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Ron Jacobsen Is Exonerated After 30 Years of Wrongful Conviction

    (August 27, 2021 – Newton County, Georgia) The Newton County District Attorney’s Office has dropped all charges against Ron Jacobsen, who spent 30 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Mr. Jacobsen was released from prison on Nov. 4, 2020, on $500,000 bail, after DNA testing proved his innocence. Mr. Jacobsen had been wrongfully convicted of a 1990 kidnapping and rape in Covington, Ga.

    After being freed, Mr Jacobsen, a native New Yorker, immediately returned to his home state to reunite with his sister. For the last 10 months, he has been confined to her home, awaiting a potential new trial. Today, in response to the dropped charges, Mr. Jacobsen told the Innocence Project, “Thirty years ago, I was called a liar for proclaiming my innocence at trial. Today, I have my freedom by the overbearing proof of my innocence of this crime which I was convicted of, sentenced to life for, and ultimately justice prevailed through the tireless work and efforts of Vanessa Potkin and the Innocence Project. I have my life back and words can’t do justice to my gratitude and appreciation to everyone at the Innocence Project. Thank you.”

    “The District Attorney’s Office fought DNA testing in this case and then opposed a new trial even after DNA testing excluded Mr. Jacobsen as the assailant. It later fought to keep him in jail after his conviction was vacated, claiming that it would retry him for over two years in spite of the exonerating DNA evidence,” said Vanessa Potkin, Mr. Jacobsen’s Innocence Project attorney. “The District Attorney’s Office’s claim that Mr. Jacobsen was too dangerous to be released on bail while awaiting a retrial, but could walk free immediately if he pleaded guilty, is unconscionable. It also demonstrates how plea bargains can be used coercively to obtain and uphold convictions without truth or fairness. Not everyone is able to do what Mr. Jacobsen did — reject an opportunity to walk out of prison after 30 years of wrongful incarceration, knowing he could be imprisoned months or years more and that COVID-19 was spreading rapidly through jails. Ron’s perseverance and fortitude has enabled him to finally get justice.”

    In 1990, when a woman was kidnapped and raped in Covington, Ga., Mr. Jacobsen was nearly 200 miles away with his fiancée and her family. The survivor initially told police the man who attacked her was a stranger, but she later identified Mr. Jacobsen, whom she had briefly dated several months prior, as her assailant.

    In 2017, Mr. Jacobsen’s legal team secured DNA testing of crime scene evidence which  excluded him as the attacker. In spite of this evidence, the District Attorney’s Office refused to vacate the conviction. After litigation in the trial and appellate courts, Mr. Jacobsen’s conviction was overturned in February 2019. 

    Rather than dismiss the charges, the Newton County District Attorney’s Office announced it would re-try Mr. Jacobsen and opposed his release on bail. In April 2019, the Innocence Project filed a motion for Mr. Jacobsen to be released on bond as he awaited retrial. The district attorney then offered Mr. Jacobsen a deal — if he pleaded guilty, he could be released immediately with time served. Mr. Jacobsen refused, maintaining his innocence as he had for the past three decades. The court set bail at $500,000 — which would have made his pretrial release impossible, but 1,300 supporters secured his release by contributing to his family’s fundraiser.

    “Ron’s strength and dignity are an inspiration. While we are thrilled for him, we must not forget that he should never have had to endure such tragedy in the first place,” said Clare Gilbert, Executive Director of the Georgia Innocence Project. “We must learn from these injustices and our criminal legal system’s often unwavering fixation on finality. The criminal legal system is not perfect, and when miscarriages of justice occur, the State must correct them quickly, ensuring convictions have integrity and that no one is too late for justice.”

    Inadequate Defense at Trial

    Innocent people who have inadequate defense representation are more likely to be wrongly convicted or plead guilty to crimes they did not commit. Before trial, Mr. Jacobsen’s attorney failed to investigate an alternate suspect that the rape survivor had mentioned to police. The jury never learned that the woman had given multiple statements to police implicating another unknown person as her attacker. Mr. Jacobsen’s case is just one of many that exemplifies the dire consequences of an ineffective investigation. 

    Guilty Plea Problem

    In 2019, after nearly 30 years wrongfully incarcerated, Mr. Jacobsen was faced with the choice of pleading guilty and immediately regaining his freedom, or awaiting a retrial behind bars, with the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison if he lost. Mr. Jacobsen refused to admit to a crime he did not commit. Exercising his right to a trial by jury to prove his innocence carried a potentially far greater punishment than accepting a deal based on a lie. Yet, as he insisted even prior to his release in 2020,  “I have to see my case through to the end, either by a jury finding of ‘not guilty’ or the charges being dropped. There’s no other solution when I’m innocent.”

    The plea bargain system in America currently has no regard for innocence. Prosecutors use plea deals to secure convictions, often regardless of the truth. Many innocent people faced with a plea deal that assures a substantially reduced sentence or freedom decide to accept the guilty plea rather than gamble with the possibility of decades, or even death, in prison. Since 1989, 11% of the nation’s 375 DNA-based exonerations have involved people who pleaded guilty to serious crimes they did not commit. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, 591 of the 2,849 known exonerees (whose innocence was proven either by DNA or other means) pleaded guilty. The guilty plea problem doesn’t occur just at the front-end of the system. Like Mr. Jacobsen, it also occurs after people have taken the extraordinary step of demonstrating — through solid evidence and often decades in prison — that they are, in fact, innocent. 

    Mr. Jacobsen is represented by Vanessa Potkin of the Innocence Project; Amanda Clark Palmer and Don Samuel of Garland, Samuel & Loeb, P.C.; Michael Aiello, Sarah Coyne and a legal team from Weil, Gotshal & Manges; and the Georgia Innocence Project.

    The post Ron Jacobsen Is Exonerated After 30 Years of Wrongful Conviction appeared first on Innocence Project.

    This post was originally published on Innocence Project.

  • ADVISORY: Spokespeople are available to comment on climate change, environmental issues during election

    Environmental Defence expert spokespeople are available to comment on climate change and other environmental issues including plastic pollution and toxic chemicals in our air and water

    Toronto, Ont. – With climate change and the environment top of mind for many Canadian voters, it is important that Canadians have information about the threats to our country’s environment. Environmental Defence expert spokespeople are available to comment and clarify information on climate change and its solutions, along with other environmental issues, including plastic pollution, toxic chemicals in our air, water and the products people use, and the need to end subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.

    WHO: Environmental Defence expert spokespeople available to comment on climate change, plastic pollution, toxic pollution, ending fossil fuel subsidies, and Great Lakes water quality.

    WHERE: Toronto and Ottawa, available remotely

    A briefing about key environmental issues facing Canadians this election is available here: https://environmentaldefence.ca/report/election-2021-backgrounder/

    About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    -30-

    To arrange an interview with an Environmental Defence expert spokesperson, please contact:

    media@environmentaldefence.ca, 647-280-9521

    The post ADVISORY: Spokespeople are available to comment on climate change, environmental issues during election appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • Media Advisory/Interview Opportunity: On August 25, Ontario and U.S. residents share why they love Lake Erie

    ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, CANADIAN FRESHWATER ALLIANCE, AND FRESHWATER FUTURE CANADA

    The 5th annual #WeAreLakeErie social media event draws attention to the challenges Lake Erie is currently facing

    Toronto, Ont. – As Lake Erie continues to be plagued by annual and often toxic algal blooms, Ontarians and Americans are answering a rallying cry on social media to demand urgent action to protect the lake and, along with it, drinking water for millions of people and many complex ecosystems.

    August 25 is the 5th #WeAreLakeErie Day on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Throughout the day, social media users will be sharing their Lake Erie stories and photos by using the hashtag #WeAreLakeErie to help create a virtual wave of support for the lake. The event is a chance to demonstrate to decision-makers the important role the lake plays in the lives of so many people. 

    The event was created in 2017 by three Canadian environmental organizations: Environmental Defence Canada, Canadian Freshwater Alliance, and Freshwater Future Canada. 

    EVENT DETAILS:

    WHAT: The 5th annual #WeAreLakeErie Day hosted by Environmental Defence Canada, Canadian Freshwater Alliance, and Freshwater Future Canada 

    WHEN: Wednesday, August 25, 2021, All day

    WHERE: Online. People will participate by sharing their Lake Erie stories and photos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook with the hashtag #WeAreLakeErie. Anyone who participates will be entered into a draw to win a custom “I Love My Lake” tshirt.

    ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

    ABOUT FRESHWATER FUTURE (freshwaterfuture.org): Freshwater Future works to ensure the healthy future of our waters in the Great Lakes region. We help citizens engage in efforts to protect our natural environment by providing grants and offering consulting assistance to diverse communities and collaborators.

    ABOUT THE CANADIAN FRESHWATER ALLIANCE (freshwateralliance.ca): The Canadian Freshwater Alliance builds, connects and supports freshwater initiatives across Canada. We work with NGOs, community groups, governments and businesses to strengthen citizen voices and participation in protecting our lakes and rivers. We are a project on the MakeWay shared platform (makeway.org).

    -30-

    For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

    Lauren Thomas, Environmental Defence Canada, lthomas@environmentaldefence.ca

    Raj Gill, Canadian Freshwater Alliance, raj@freshwateralliance.ca

    Kristy Meyer, Freshwater Future Canada, Kristy@FreshwaterFuture.org  

    The post Media Advisory/Interview Opportunity: On August 25, Ontario and U.S. residents share why they love Lake Erie appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • On September 20, Canada must elect a government committed to a green and just pandemic recovery

    After a summer of devastating extreme weather events and stark IPCC report, 34 of Canada’s leading environmental organizations call on voters to demand transformative change

    OTTAWA | Unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People — With Canada’s 2021 federal election just five weeks away, a coalition of 34 Canada’s leading environmental organizations are calling on everyone in Canada to vote on September 20 — and when they do, vote for a green and just recovery from COVID-19.

    The “One Earth One Vote” coalition is promoting a “demand statement” voters can send to all federal party leaders to show the ever-growing percentage of Canadians committed to building a better, healthier, safer, sustainable and just Canada. (The State of Science Index 2021 reported that 63% of Canadians – and 81% of youth – say the pandemic has made them more environmentally conscious.) The demand statement focuses on upholding Indigenous rights and respecting Indigenous knowledge, bold and ambitious climate action (including phasing out fossil fuels and guaranteeing a just transition to a sustainable clean energy economy), protecting and restoring nature and establishing environmental rights in Canada.

    “This election is a can’t-miss opportunity to elect a government bold, intelligent, responsible and compassionate enough to ensure that this pandemic recovery also helps solve the dire ecological and social justice crises we face,” said Megan Leslie, President & CEO of WWF Canada and “One Earth One Vote” spokesperson.

    Summer 2021 has been the worst wildfire season in Canadian history, with several other climate impacts ravaging the country, including heat waves, droughts, floods, tornadoes and more. Meanwhile, a July 2021 study published in BioScience found that as the planet heats up, Earth’s “vital signs” are setting worrying new records and are either approaching or exceeding key tipping points. And the August 9 report from the IPCC (the world’s leading authority on climate change) further confirmed that the climate crisis is due to human activity (primarily burning fossil fuels); Earth is heating quicker than anticipated and is set to surpass the Paris Agreement target (1.5 C above pre-industrial levels) in the next 10-20 years; and emissions reductions targets from the 197 countries signed onto Paris – including Canada’s – are insufficient.

    “The science is clear and sobering. We must act now,” explains Colleen Thorpe, Executive Director of Équiterre. “If we don’t want even worse wildfires and more frequent pandemics to be our new normal, we must elect governments who will take ambitious action to drastically reduce our consumption of natural resources – and invest in the health of people and planet.”

    Over the course of three months in summer and fall 2020, the “OEOV” coalition helped inspire almost 200,000 concerned Canadians to send messages to the federal government calling for a green and just recovery from COVID-19. For more information, visit https://oneearthonevote.ca/

    – 30 –

    For more information or a media interview, please contact:

    Brendan Glauser, bglauser@davidsuzuki.org – English 

    Anthony Côté Leduc, Équiterre,  acoteleduc@equiterre.org – French 

     

    About:

    A green and just recovery for Canada means above all, investing in a society that places people’s health and the well-being of natural ecosystems that sustain all species above corporate profits. That means that any investments made cannot set environmental progress back, undermine environmental justice, or be incompatible with Canada’s environmental commitments.

    “One Earth One Vote” demand statement:

    I demand that any government that represents me commit to the following actions towards a nature-positive, carbon-neutral and equitable world:

    • Respect and uphold the rights, treaties, and conservation priorities of Indigenous Peoples, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
    • Ensure that climate and nature action are a priority through a green and just pandemic recovery;
    • Recognize the right to a healthy environment and take action on environmental justice and racism while improving laws that protect people and nature from toxics and plastic pollution;
    • Reverse nature loss by protecting and effectively managing at least 30% of land and freshwater and 30% of ocean by 2030, and increasing investments in nature-based climate solutions;
    • Invest in Indigenous-led land-use planning, the establishment of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas and their stewardship by Indigenous Guardians; Indigenous-led efforts to restore and steward species-at-risk and habitat; and recognize and respect Indigenous knowledge in all aspects of nature conservation in Canada.
    • Stop expanding and subsidizing fossil fuels and nuclear energy, and reduce Canada’s carbon emissions by 60% by 2030 to do our fair share globally;
    • Ensure a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, with a plan that supports workers, communities, and marginalized groups in the just and fair transition to a sustainable economy.

    The post On September 20, Canada must elect a government committed to a green and just pandemic recovery appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.

  • On September 20, Canada must elect a government committed to a green and just pandemic recovery

    After a summer of devastating extreme weather events and stark IPCC report, 34 of Canada’s leading environmental organizations call on voters to demand transformative change

    OTTAWA | Unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People — With Canada’s 2021 federal election just five weeks away, a coalition of 34 Canada’s leading environmental organizations are calling on everyone in Canada to vote on September 20 — and when they do, vote for a green and just recovery from COVID-19.

    The “One Earth One Vote” coalition is promoting a “demand statement” voters can send to all federal party leaders to show the ever-growing percentage of Canadians committed to building a better, healthier, safer, sustainable and just Canada. (The State of Science Index 2021 reported that 63% of Canadians – and 81% of youth – say the pandemic has made them more environmentally conscious.) The demand statement focuses on upholding Indigenous rights and respecting Indigenous knowledge, bold and ambitious climate action (including phasing out fossil fuels and guaranteeing a just transition to a sustainable clean energy economy), protecting and restoring nature and establishing environmental rights in Canada.

    “This election is a can’t-miss opportunity to elect a government bold, intelligent, responsible and compassionate enough to ensure that this pandemic recovery also helps solve the dire ecological and social justice crises we face,” said Megan Leslie, President & CEO of WWF Canada and “One Earth One Vote” spokesperson.

    Summer 2021 has been the worst wildfire season in Canadian history, with several other climate impacts ravaging the country, including heat waves, droughts, floods, tornadoes and more. Meanwhile, a July 2021 study published in BioScience found that as the planet heats up, Earth’s “vital signs” are setting worrying new records and are either approaching or exceeding key tipping points. And the August 9 report from the IPCC (the world’s leading authority on climate change) further confirmed that the climate crisis is due to human activity (primarily burning fossil fuels); Earth is heating quicker than anticipated and is set to surpass the Paris Agreement target (1.5 C above pre-industrial levels) in the next 10-20 years; and emissions reductions targets from the 197 countries signed onto Paris – including Canada’s – are insufficient.

    “The science is clear and sobering. We must act now,” explains Colleen Thorpe, Executive Director of Équiterre. “If we don’t want even worse wildfires and more frequent pandemics to be our new normal, we must elect governments who will take ambitious action to drastically reduce our consumption of natural resources – and invest in the health of people and planet.”

    Over the course of three months in summer and fall 2020, the “OEOV” coalition helped inspire almost 200,000 concerned Canadians to send messages to the federal government calling for a green and just recovery from COVID-19. For more information, visit https://oneearthonevote.ca/

    – 30 –

    For more information or a media interview, please contact:

    Brendan Glauser, bglauser@davidsuzuki.org – English 

    Anthony Côté Leduc, Équiterre,  acoteleduc@equiterre.org – French 

     

    About:

    A green and just recovery for Canada means above all, investing in a society that places people’s health and the well-being of natural ecosystems that sustain all species above corporate profits. That means that any investments made cannot set environmental progress back, undermine environmental justice, or be incompatible with Canada’s environmental commitments.

    “One Earth One Vote” demand statement:

    I demand that any government that represents me commit to the following actions towards a nature-positive, carbon-neutral and equitable world:

    • Respect and uphold the rights, treaties, and conservation priorities of Indigenous Peoples, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
    • Ensure that climate and nature action are a priority through a green and just pandemic recovery;
    • Recognize the right to a healthy environment and take action on environmental justice and racism while improving laws that protect people and nature from toxics and plastic pollution;
    • Reverse nature loss by protecting and effectively managing at least 30% of land and freshwater and 30% of ocean by 2030, and increasing investments in nature-based climate solutions;
    • Invest in Indigenous-led land-use planning, the establishment of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas and their stewardship by Indigenous Guardians; Indigenous-led efforts to restore and steward species-at-risk and habitat; and recognize and respect Indigenous knowledge in all aspects of nature conservation in Canada.
    • Stop expanding and subsidizing fossil fuels and nuclear energy, and reduce Canada’s carbon emissions by 60% by 2030 to do our fair share globally;
    • Ensure a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, with a plan that supports workers, communities, and marginalized groups in the just and fair transition to a sustainable economy.

    The post On September 20, Canada must elect a government committed to a green and just pandemic recovery appeared first on Environmental Defence.

    This post was originally published on Environmental Defence.