British Columbians are heading to the polls on October 19th, and BC Election 2024 campaigns are in full swing. Not sure what to say when your candidates come knocking? Our lawyers have put together a list of five questions for BC election candidates about a few key priorities for nature and communities.
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.
Fall is a wonderful time to get out in the woods with family. This fall, as British Columbia is gearing up for the upcoming provincial election, it’s also a crucial time to be thinking about the government policies and laws we need to maintain healthy, thriving forests into the future.
The Andrew Thompson Award honours individuals who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to environmental protection and sustainability in British Columbia through the law. In recognition of West Coast’s 50th Anniversary, the theme of this year will be “50 Years of Changemakers for Environmental Justice."
Efforts to streamline regulatory processes are particularly prevalent when it comes to environmental laws. Problems arise when efficiency comes at the expense of environmental protection, or is simply a guise for rubber-stamping applications for potentially harmful resource extraction projects.
This summer, we were lucky to have five talented law students working with us on a wide range of projects related to fish habitat protection, climate accountability, fossil fuel finance, revitalizing Indigenous laws and more. They share a few reflections on their time with us.
Throughout West Coast’s history, we’ve been committed to transforming the legal landscape in ways that are more sustainable, more democratic and more just. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we’re reflecting on five key moments that have made the organization into what it is today.
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.
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.
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?