WCEL > About Us

Welcome to West Coast Environmental Law.

West Coast Environmental Law is BC's legal champion for the environment. Through legal advice, education and advocacy, West Coast provides citizens and organizations with the knowledge, tools and innovative solutions needed to protect our environment and build sustainability locally, nationally and internationally.

Our history

West Coast Environmental Law opened its doors in 1974. And for over thirty years we have been actively promoting progressive environmental law reform in BC and across Canada, helping establish and shape many of our most significant environmental legislative initiatives.

West Coast works closely with our colleagues in other environmental organizations, often playing a leading role in collective efforts to achieve environmental goals. Our priority is empowering citizens to participate in all aspects of environmental decision making.

Our Achievements

We are proud to have contributed to establishing environmental laws and regulations that show governments how they can help protect our environment and build sustainability. Some of our achievements include:

• The toughest pulp mill effluent regulations in the world,
• Comprehensive contaminated sites regulations – a model for other governments,
• Amendments to BC's Land Title Act enabling effective Land Conservancies,
• Strict vehicle emissions regulations targeting greenhouse gas emissions, 
• Ensuring BC's Access to information legislation provides the right to access government information about environmental issues,
• Working to develop and pass the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the BC Environmental Assessment Act;
• Closing loopholes in the international rules to implement of the Kyoto Protocol.

West Coast has gained a solid reputation for rigorous, thorough legal analysis that serves the cause of environmental protection and sustainability. Our opinions are sought and trusted by colleagues, citizens, industry and government.

West Coast has a staff of four lawyers with more than fifty years of environmental law covering all areas of environmental law and policy.

We are grateful to the Law Foundation of British Columbia for core funding of West Coast Environmental Law Association and West Coast Environmental Law Research Foundation.