Environmental rights can mean many different things.  There are procedural environmental rights, such as the right to be involved in environmental decision-making or request an investigation of an environmental offence, as well as substantive environmental rights, such as the right to a healthy environment or clean water.  Friends of the Earth’s focus is on using procedural environmental rights to promote or protect substantive environmental rights. 

Part of this work involves research and education regarding what environmental rights are available to Canadians and what environmental rights are still needed.  Friends of the Earth also works with individuals and groups who want to use the procedural environmental rights available to them to try to protect their local environment.

Investigating PCB Contamination

PCBs have been identified as a priority substance worldwide for decades.  Canada is finally taking action with some fairly aggressive regulations. How many sites that have PCBs on them (and are basically breaching the regulations with regards to release of PCBs into the environment) are hidden away?  Like New Habour, NL?

Standing on Guard: Environmental Rights in Canada

In the face of inadequate action by governments to protect our climate,water and other environmental assets, Friends of the Earth Canada assessed the rights available to individuals in Canada to take action to protect the environment.  In the first annual Score Card, FOE determined that nine out of 13 political jurisdictions fail to provide adequate environment rights to individuals residing in that jurisdiction.  FOE wants to work with communities and groups to raise the bar on environmental rights and has developed a model Straight A Score Card to help identify areas for upgrading.

FOE's detailed report, Standing on Guard: Environmental Rights in Canada 2009, is a comprehensive collection of what's "on the books" now in each jurisdiction. We know there are available rights that are not fully implemented by governments nor widely used by individuals or groups.  We hope this report will shed light on the inadequacies of environmental rights and help trigger the necessary steps to raise the bar in each jurisdiction.

FOE invites your ideas on case studies and shared learning opportunities to help raise the bar on environmental rights in Canada.