Want to keep up with climate news, law, and policy? You can sign up for the Green Economy Law Monthly Newsletter here. Each newsletter contains a roundup of blog posts (like this one) with additional commentary, firm offerings, event listings, and more.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled his new cabinet Tuesday, naming Steven Guilbeault the new Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Jonathan Wilkinson, who has served as environment minister since 2019, will now head the Ministry of Natural Resources. 

Guilbeault makes for an exciting Canadian environment minister pick. A longtime environmental activist, he served for several years as spokesman for Greenpeace Quebec, and was co-founder and senior director of Quebec environmental non-profit Équiterre. In 2001, he was notably arrested for scaling the CN tower and unfurling a banner reading, “Canada and Bush Climate Killers”. 

As Liberal candidate for the downtown Montreal riding of Laurier—Sainte-Marie, Guilbeault won his seat in 2019’s federal election and served as heritage minister for the last two years. 

Taking over Environment and Climate Change Canada just before COP26, and as the Trudeau Liberals work to move Canada past the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying economic calamity, Guilbeault will be tasked with helping implement the federal government’s various ambitious climate-related objectives, including planned Just Transition legislation, a 2035 gas vehicle phaseout target, and a 2050 net zero goal backed by recent accountability legislation.