On October 17, 2024, Ontario’s Court of Appeal sided with a group of young climate activists in its Mathur v Ontario decision, reviving a case against the province which was previously dismissed in April 2023.
On October 9, 2024, the Canadian government announced that it will establish a “Made-in-Canada” sustainable investing taxonomy, and institute mandatory climate disclosure requirements for large, federally-incorporated private companies.
The legislation’s goal is to support workers and communities by creating high-quality, socially-responsible (and preferably unionized) jobs, as part of the transition away from fossil fuels.
The European Court of Human Rights delivered its long-awaited first ruling in the climate action case Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz v. Switzerland, finding that the European Convention on Human Rights encompasses the right to effective protection from adverse effects of climate change.
The rule may require coal and gas-fired power plants, both new and old, to use carbon and capture sequestration and hydrogen-fueled generation technologies to reduce emissions and achieve an up-to 90% CO2 capture rate by 2035 (for natural gas plants) or 2040 (for existing coal plants scheduled to operate past that date).
On April 14th, Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice dismissed the climate action case Mathur v. Ontario, in which seven youth plaintiffs alleged that Ontario’s lacklustre 2018 climate plan, adopted following Doug Ford’s election to premier, violates the Charter rights of today’s youth and future generations.
Environment and Climate Change Canada proposed forthcoming regulations aimed at incentivizing low-emission passenger vehicle adoption in Canada. The regulations will take effect in 2026 and create a program of credits and deficits to reward car manufacturers and importers for meeting “zero emission vehicle” sales quotas.
Though the Ford government claims the law is intended to spur affordable housing construction, opposition parties and civil society groups have criticized the bill as primarily benefiting real estate developers exacerbating urban sprawl, degrading energy efficiency standards, and scraping away much-needed municipal revenue.
COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt was among the more disappointing COPs, with little accomplished in terms of ratcheting up countries’ emission reduction efforts. But, with some big developments in terms of “loss and damage” funding for developing nations, it was not inconsequential. Here’s a summary of the conference in 10 points covering its five greatest achievements and five most notable failures.
Last month, Environment and Climate Change Canada released Faster and Further: Canada’s Methane Strategy. The document set out Canada’s plan to reduce methane emissions across key economic sectors of the Canadian economy, while positioning the country to benefit from potential economic opportunities that may arise from such action.
Last month, Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks proposed amendments to the Emissions Performance Standards program that regulates industrial greenhouse gas emissions in the province. The proposed program amendments aim to ensure it remains in compliance with the federal government’s carbon pricing benchmark standards for 2023-2030.
