We're taking our vision for climate justice to Paris
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 24 November 2015 13:30
- Written by editor
Seeking climate justice in Paris |
Promise of change keeps Trudeau's mailbox full |
A new environmental assessment process for Canada |
Update: Government responds to our environmental petition |
Water license for fracking in Fort Nelson overturned
Dear Paov,In the wake of a momentous federal election, West Coast is preparing for another historic moment: COP21, the Paris climate talks. Despite the tragedy that has placed... a cloud of fear over Paris and the rest of the world, we believe that civil society participation is more important than ever. We're taking our bold vision for a climate-safe future to the halls of the UN to be a part of the critical global conversation around how to build a just and sustainable future.
At home, we are building on the momentum from a shift in government to bring our analysis to the table and make the new leadership's promises on the environment a reality on the ground.
Seeking climate justice in Paris World leaders and civil society have been preparing for the Paris climate negotiations for years. An international treaty is expected to come out of these talks, but unfortunately, it's unlikely that we will get a strong, equitable agreement. Staff Counsel Andrew Gage argues that a shift in our understanding of who should be accountable for the costs of climate change could help us move towards a more just outcome.
- Find out why we need to level the playing field in Paris and how we can do it.
Promise of change keeps Trudeau's mailbox full When Canada elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on a platform of change and open and honest government, a storm of open letters to the government expressing the hopes and expectations of the nation began to appear. Staff Counsel Eugene Kung reports on some of these letters, including two that West Coast signed on to, and what they may accomplish.
- Find out more about the correspondence between the nation and its leadership.
A new environmental assessment process for Canada During the recent federal election, the Liberal party promised to "review Canada's environmental assessment processes and introduce new, fair processes" for reviewing projects. But what exactly does a good assessment process look like? Staff Counsel Anna Johnston argues that it begins with a fundamental shift to sustainability.
- Read Anna's vision for a true sustainability assessment.
Update: The Canadian government responds to our questions about the global atmosphere as critical infrastructure Last March, Staff Counsel Andrew Gage penned an open letter to Prime Minister Harper asking him to recognize that the global atmosphere was at least as essential to our national security as pipelines and highways. After not receiving a response, Andrew, along with summer student Ashley Thomas, filed an environmental petition with the Commissioner for Environment and Sustainable Development asking Public Safety Canada whether it agreed that the global atmosphere fell within its definition of critical infrastructure. They received a response that revealed a picture of the Canadian government's stance on this issue.
- Learn more about the environmental petition we filed and read excerpts from the government's response.
Water license for fracking in Fort Nelson overturned In September, the Fort Nelson First Nation won a major legal challenge at the Environmental Appeal Board (EAB) that overturned a long term water license issued to gas giant Nexen Inc. for hydraulic fracturing (or "fracking"). The EAB decision is an important win, setting new precedents on how water managers should deal with scientific uncertainty and on the government's obligations to consult First Nations on water use.
- Read more about this legal challenge and how it could impact the regulation of fracking in the Northeast.
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Legal e-Brief is a publication of the West Coast Environmental Law Association. wcel.org.
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