Media Releases

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) & səl̓ilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories/VANCOUVER

Today, lawyers at West Coast Environmental Law are celebrating Canada’s signing of the High Seas Treaty on the one-year anniversary of the agreement.

Topics: Healthy Waters, Marine Protection

Slocan, BC – On Monday evening, Slocan Council voted 5-0 to work with other local governments towards a class action lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies for a share of the costs of climate change, and to pledge $1 per resident for that purpose once other local governments come on board.<

Topics: Climate and Energy, Sue Big Oil

Saanich, BC (Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ Territories) – In response to last night’s unanimous vote by Saanich Council to direct staff to explore collaboration with other local governments to bring a class action lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies, Andrew Gage, Staff Lawyer, stated:

Topics: Climate and Energy, Sue Big Oil

Qualicum Beach, BC – The Township of Qualicum Beach Council voted yesterday, 4-1, to commit to work with other local governments to bring a class action lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies to recover a fair share of the township’s climate costs.

Topics: Sue Big Oil

Lawyers highlight need for urgency & increased ambition in forthcoming regulations

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) & səl̓ilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories/VANCOUVER 

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws, Climate and Energy

Environmental groups call on the BC government to deliver on its long-delayed promise to establish a public participation funding program for environmental assessments

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws, Environmental Assessment

Biodiversity & ecosystem health to be legally established as ‘overarching priorities’ for all sectors 

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws, Lands & Forests, Fish & Wildlife, Healthy Waters

Squamish, BC, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw – The District of Squamish will be the third BC local government to support a class action lawsuit against fossil fuel companies after Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole, voted 5-2 to set aside funds in the 2025 budget for this purpose. 

Topics: Climate and Energy, Sue Big Oil

Majority of Canadians want oil companies to pay for the project; only 18% say the government is heading in the right direction

Topics: Climate and Energy, Tar Sands, Pipelines & Tankers

OTTAWA | TRADITIONAL, UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE ALGONQUIN ANISHNAABEG PEOPLE – With six weeks to go until the UN Climate Change Conference COP28, a coalition of leaders of

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws

“This is not the win Alberta was hoping for,” say environmental lawyers

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws, Environmental Assessment

Decision expected this Friday in Supreme Court of Canada reference case

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws, Environmental Assessment

Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh Territories/VANCOUVER – A new study released today by World Weather Attribution (WWA) confir

Topics: Climate and Energy, Sue Big Oil

Mandatory measures are welcome, but more action needed to close loopholes and address scrubber washwater

Topics: Marine Protection, Great Bear Sea

Lower Fraser Floodplains Forum brings together decision-makers and experts to chart a path forward for flood resilience

Topics: Fish & Wildlife, Healthy Waters, Community Climate Adaptation, Indigenous Law, Green Communities, Coastal Communities, Green Infrastructure

VIEW ROYAL, BC – At its Town Council meeting on Tuesday night, June 6th, View Royal Council voted to work with other local governments to bring a class action lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies for a share of municipal climate change costs.

Topics: Climate and Energy, Sue Big Oil

Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa — Alberta’s superior court today dismissed attempts by former Premier Jason Kenney and the Alberta government to throw out a defamation lawsuit brought forward by five environmental groups.

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws, Climate and Energy

Unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe Territories [Ottawa, ON] – This week, the federal government is defending its Impact Assessment Act (IAA) (formerly Bill C-69) at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws, Environmental Assessment

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) & səl̓ilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories / VANCOUVER, BC 

Topics: Climate and Energy, Sue Big Oil

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) & səl̓ilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories/VANCOUVER

Topics: Marine Protection, Great Bear Sea, Protected Areas, Fish & Wildlife, Indigenous Laws

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) & səl̓ilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories/VANCOUVER

Topics: Marine Protection, Great Bear Sea, Protected Areas, Fish & Wildlife

Federal biodiversity accountability law a “must” for addressing the nature crisis, environmental lawyers say

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws, Lands & Forests, Fish & Wildlife, Healthy Waters

Ottawa (November 9, 2022) - As discussions continue at the 27th UN Climate Conference of the Parties (COP) in Egypt, to be followed by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity meeting (“Nature COP”) in Montreal in December, the Green Budget Coalition today released a comprehensive set of fiscal

Topics: Strong Environmental Laws

Organizations delivered petitions to the Prime Minister’s Office today, asking that the federal government follow through on its COP26 promise to implement a strong, ambitious cap on oil and gas emissions 

Topics: Climate and Energy, Climate Solutions

Vancouver, BC, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territories – West Coast Environmental Law released a new report today that shows how Ottawa’s lack of transparency, unusual corporate structure, and accounting wizardry is creating the illusion that Trans Mountain is commercially viable.

Topics: Climate and Energy, Tar Sands, Pipelines & Tankers