Have your voice heard! Register to participate in Environment and Climate Change Canada’s public consultation on environmental justice and environmental racism. The consultation is open until December 12, 2025: https://enviroequity.ca/environmental-justice
Bill C-226
In June 2024, I was pleased to see my Private Member’s Bill C-226, National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act, passed into law. Many thanks to former MP Lenore Zann (Cumberland—Colchester), Senator Mary Jane McCallum, Dr. Ingrid Waldron, and countless other allies who helped push this legislation through.
The primary goals of Bill C-226 are to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent, and address environmental racism. This Act requires the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to produce a national strategy for environmental justice by June 20, 2026. The Minister must then report on progress every five years.
This Act builds on the work of Bill S-5 (Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act) which became law in 2022 and amends the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). Bill S-5 guarantees the right to a healthy environment and specifically considers environmental justice in decision-making. The Act also reflects the government’s 2021 commitment to implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
This consultation will walk you through the government’s progress thus far on addressing environmental racism and environmental justice. You do not need to be an expert on the topic to participate. I encourage you to share your personal reflections and experiences, especially if you have been disproportionately affected by environmental impacts or climate change due to identities you hold (e.g., if you are Indigenous, young, racialized, low-income, or have a disability).
Environmental Racism
According to researcher Dr. Ingrid Waldron, environmental racism describes “environmental policies, practices, or directives that disproportionately disadvantage individuals, groups, or communities (intentionally or unintentionally) based on race or colour”. Often, it is Black and Indigenous communities that are most impacted by health and environmental harms due to contamination and pollution. Examples of communities that have experienced environmental racism include:
- Aamjiwnaang First Nation near Sarnia, Ontario (an area known as Chemical Valley), which is greatly impacted by air pollution from oil refineries and power-generating stations
- Shelburne, Nova Scotia, home to the largest concentration of Black Nova Scotians and where the Morvan Road Landfill is situated
- Kebaowek First Nation near Chalk River, Ontario, which is fighting against the development of a near-surface nuclear waste disposal facility on their land
More resources:
- Environmental Racism in Canada (2020) – Dr. Ingrid Waldron
- “Environmental racism in Canada: What is it, what are the impacts, and what can we do about it?” (2020) – Ecojustice
- There’s Something in the Water (2019)
- Documentary about the disproportionate environmental impacts faced by Indigenous and Black communities in Nova Scotia (links to watch)
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice, a term coined by activists at the 1991 People of Colour Environmental Leadership Summit, seeks to ensure meaningful inclusion of affected people in decision-making and the equitable sharing of costs and benefits of environmental decisions. This means that all communities have fair access to voice their concerns and that no one community bears the brunt of environmental harms. This is a critical consideration as we pursue climate solutions that guarantee a livable future for all, not just a select few.
More resources:
- 17 Principles of Environmental Justice (1991) – First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.
- Principles of Climate Justice (2009) – Environmental Justice Leadership Forum on Climate Change
- Summary of the September 2024 Canadian Environmental Justice and Racism Symposium