Finding the right recipe for life in the floodplain
One year on from the November 2021 flood events in BC, it’s clear as we look towards the future there are no easy answers for the Lower Fraser River floodplain and the communities who live there.
Climate and Energy
West Virginia v Environmental Protection Agency: What Are the Implications for Canada?
This blog originally appeared in Slaw, Canada's online legal magazine.
82,622 people in Canada call for the federal government to rein in Big Oil’s climate pollution
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.
Hocus Pocus: How Trans Mountain’s accounting magic creates the illusion of commercial viability
Our work to oppose the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) is grounded in upholding Indigenous rights, fighting climate change, and preventing the devastating local impacts of an oil spill. Since 2014, we have also focused on analyzing and critiquing the economic arguments presented by Trans Mountain’s owners, Kinder Morgan and the Canadian government, because they are supposed to justify the harms.
Securing a Fair, Effective and Robust Oil and Gas Emissions Cap
In summer / fall 2022, the federal government invited input on its discussion paper regarding a proposed cap on greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector. This submission to Environment & Climate Change Canada outlines West Coast Environmental Law's recommendations for securing a fair, effective and robust oil and gas emissions cap.
New Report Projects Federal Government Will Forgive $17 Billion of Trans Mountain’s Debt to Canadians
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.
Trans Mountain: Compromised viability to cost taxpayers more than $17 billion
In February 2022, the federal government announced that the cost of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) had soared to $21,400,000,000, and Canadians were told “the government will spend no additional public money on the project” and “the project remains commercially viable.” New analysis by economist Robyn Allan disproves both claims and shows how the federal government is hiding Trans Mountain’s compromised viability.
Capping Canada's Oil & Gas Emissions: Fact vs. Fiction
We outline some key myths about a federal oil and gas emissions cap, along with the facts.
Help secure a strong, ambitious oil and gas emissions cap
In July, Canada released a discussion paper outlining options and considerations for establishing a cap on oil and gas sector emissions, as part of its strategy for reaching its 2030 reductions target and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Flood Recovery, Resilience and Reconciliation in the Lower Fraser: Build Back Better, Together Forum - July 14 2022 Forum
In the wake of the November 2021 flooding, communities (both local governments and First Nations) have been under pressure to develop recovery plans with varying levels of capacity and resources and with little to no opportunity for collaboration.