From Social License To Class Action – Climate Change Litigation Has Come To Canada, Project Proponents Beware

The bold move towards climate change litigation is progressing in Canada as seen in last year's Voters Taking Action on Climate Change v. British Columbia (Energy and Mines), 2015 BCSC 471 ("VTACC"). Examples of similar litigation in other jurisdictions around the world are outlined below. The Alberta Environmental Law Center noted that at the end of 2013, there were 420 climate change cases in the United States and 173 in the rest of the world out of which approximately 10 cases are in Canada. It has been observed that some of the cases are brought pursuant to common law tortious causes of actions while others challenge decisions of regulatory authorities pursuant to specific legislation and are aimed at driving the course of climate change regulation. Further, some of the cases arise in the context of specific project approvals and others are petitions affecting a particular industry sector. While climate change litigation in Canada is in its infancy and, as in other