West Coast’s Access to Justice Program believes that the environment includes anywhere that people live, work and play. Are you or your community impacted or at risk of being impacted by an environmental issue where you work, where you play sports or do recreational activities, or inside your home? If so, until December 12, 2025, you can provide input to the Government of Canada on what you want to see in the National Strategy on Environmental Racism and Justice (the Strategy).
This much-needed strategy – mandated by the federal National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act (the Act) – is a critical opportunity for the government to better understand how environmental injustices are affecting communities across Canada, and to work toward solutions.
Since the Act became law on June 20, 2024, a lot has changed in Canada. We have a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, and under his leadership, the Building Canada Act (BCA) was adopted, which allows projects in the “national interest” to be fast-tracked.
This is deeply concerning from an environmental justice perspective, because we know that environmental injustices happen when communities are shut out of the decisions that affect them. The BCA will further limit the ability of the public and First Nations to share their concerns with the government about how major projects will harm their communities, as well as the land, air, water and all beings.
On November 4, Canada’s Budget 2025 was released, and it includes no mention of environmental justice and racism. In the rush to approve more big industrial projects, communities are at risk of being impacted by new polluting industries and hazardous sites, repeating historic injustice. Providing input on the Strategy is one way that you can have your voice heard by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
Your story matters and we want to support you to provide your input on the Strategy. Below, we summarize what the federal government committed to in the Act, the opportunity to share your views on the Strategy, and how we can support you to participate and tell your story.
The National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act
On June 20, 2024, Bill C-226 received royal assent, the last step in the process of making the Act a law. In summary, through the Act, the Government of Canada:
- Recognized the need to advance environmental justice across Canada and the importance of continuing to work towards eliminating racism and racial discrimination.
- Committed to assessing and preventing environmental racism.
- Committed to working with communities to develop ways of addressing harm caused by environmental racism.
- Recognized that Indigenous and racialized communities, and other communities that are marginalized are the most likely to live in environmentally hazardous areas.
- Recognized that the creation of landfills, polluting industrial sites, and other environmentally hazardous sites near these communities could be considered a form of racial discrimination.
- Recognized that it was important to involve all Canadians, particularly those from marginalized communities, in the development of environmental policies.
The Act requires the Minister of Environment to do the following:
- Develop a National Strategy to promote efforts across Canada to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent and address environmental racism.
- The Strategy must include:
- A study that includes the link between race, socio-economic status and environmental risk.
- Information and statistics relating to the location of environmental hazards.
- Measures that can be taken to address the goals of the strategy, which could include:
- Amendments to federal laws, policies and programs;
- The involvement of communities in environmental policy-making;
- Compensation for individuals and communities; and
- The collection of information and statistics relating to health outcomes in communities located close to environmental hazards.
Within two years of the Act becoming law, the Minister of the Environment must prepare a report setting out the Strategy. The responsible Ministry – Environment and Climate Change Canada – has opened opportunities to provide input on several topics to inform the Strategy.
Engagement on the Strategy
It is likely that the scope of the Strategy will focus on communities experiencing environmental harms because of hazardous sites such as landfills and polluting industries. Whether or not the environmental harm that you have experienced is associated with hazardous sites, your story matters. Polluting industries and landfills are not the only environmental issues associated with environmental racism and injustice in Canada.
There are four “foundations” or parts to the government’s engagement, summarized below.
Foundation 1: Environmental Justice
This part of the engagement asks how you would define environmental justice and what would tell you that it has been achieved. This part also asks you to share the values and priorities that you have related to environmental justice. Finally, it asks what the government should do to advance environmental justice.
Foundation 2: Assessing, preventing and addressing environmental racism
This part of the engagement asks you to define environmental racism in the context of Canada and to share experiences that have shaped your understanding. The questions also ask you to share the ways that environmental racism could be assessed, tracked and measured. The government asks what they could do to prevent and address environmental racism and what roadblocks or challenges they should pay attention to.
Foundation 3: Examining the link between race, socio-economic status and environmental risk
In this section, the government asks what actions could assist in building national awareness about environmental racism and justice in Canada. They also ask what information or statistics on where environmental hazards are located would help you. They want to know how advancements in environmental justice in Canada should be tracked, and what information will tell you that there has been progress in addressing environmental injustice.
Foundation 4: Indigenous Environmental Justice
The last section is similar to the other three, but is focused on the specific experiences of Indigenous people. Environment and Climate Change Canada has planned to host a discussion series on environmental justice that will focus on First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The dates for these sessions have not yet been posted at the time of this blog.
How can I make my voice heard?
There are several ways that you can participate in this engagement process. You can register through the government’s online portal and submit your feedback using their documents on each foundation as guidance.
You can also submit your input to Environment and Climate Change Canada directly through their email. If you want to ask their team questions or have a conversation, you can email them at EJ-JE@ec.gc.ca
Anyone who wishes to provide input must do so either through the online portal or by contacting the team directly by December 12, 2025.
Do you need support to tell your story?
We recognize that telling your story could be difficult. We also recognize that these engagement processes can be confusing and a lot to go through.
If you are an individual, community, organization or First Nation who wants support to participate in the engagement process, please reach out to West Coast’s Access to Justice Program. We can assist you in recording your story in a way that is accessible to you so that you can provide your input on the Strategy. You can email us at legalaid@wcel.org or call 604-684-7378 (ext. 229) or toll free: 1-800-330-9235 (ext. 229).
Top photo: Berta Vallo for Unbound Philanthropy x Fine Acts (Creative Commons)