Canada must act now to establish legally binding targets and thresholds that protect marine life, as well as dedicated quiet areas of the ocean, and requirements that all offshore projects must be designed to reduce underwater noise.
Environmental Law Alert Blog
Through our Environmental Law Alert blog, West Coast keeps you up to date on the latest developments and issues in environmental law. This includes:
- proposed changes to the law that will weaken, or strengthen, environmental protection;
- stories and situations where existing environmental laws are failing to protect the environment; and
- emerging legal strategies that could be used to protect our environment.
If you have an environmental story that we should hear about, please e-mail Andrew Gage. We welcome your comments on any of the posts to this blog – but please keep in mind our policies on comments.
Gitxaała Nation is headed back to court to make sure that BC is held accountable for aligning its laws with UNDRIP. Is BC’s legislated commitment to UNDRIP and Indigenous rights just a political promise, or is it legally enforceable?
This article was originally published in Slaw, Canada's online legal magazine, on June 21, 2024.
As Indigenous Peoples Day approaches on June 21, 2024, the RELAW (Revitalizing Indigenous Law for Land, Air & Water) team wanted to take this moment to reflect on the significance of this day and the rich cultural heritage it celebrates.
This month, the federal government tabled Bill C-73, a Nature Accountability Act, and published a new 2030 Nature Strategy. The question is: will the Strategy and Act work?
West Coast Executive Director and Senior Counsel Jessica Clogg spoke with Nuxalk Hereditary Chief Smawn (Richard John Hall) about coastal and ocean conservation in accordance with Nuxalk Ancestral Law, and the importance of decolonizing ocean spaces.
Governments are meeting in Ottawa to negotiate a global treaty to regulate plastic pollution. Let's urge Canada to take leadership role in ensuring an effective treaty – including a strong cap on global plastic production.
Our RELAW (Revitalizing Indigenous Law for Land, Air and Water) program has reached its eight-year milestone. Read along as we reflect on powerful themes from our collective learning and celebrate eight years of making an impact.
At West Coast, we know that safeguarding the environment must be approached from multiple angles. One such angle is ensuring that current and proposed federal environmental laws are just and sustainable.
Critters, rejoice. Canada appears to be in an era of renewed attention to wildlife and the lands and waters they need to survive and thrive.