The Critical Role Of The Board In Addressing Climate Change

The Government of Canada has amended regulations under the Impact Assessment Act to streamline environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects, particularly interprovincial pipelines. These changes shift regulatory responsibility for certain energy projects to the Canada Energy Regulator while removing other project types from federal review following the Supreme Court's 2024 constitutional ruling.

The Canadian government has removed seven types of energy projects from federal impact assessment requirements, shifting review responsibilities to the Canada Energy Regulator and provincial processes. This regulatory change affects pipelines, electrical transmission lines, oil sands facilities, and power plants, fundamentally altering how major energy infrastructure projects will be evaluated and approved across Canada.

Dianne spoke last month at the annual Canadian Water and Wastewater Association "Window on Ottawa", on potential risks to municipalities of the new Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act, expected to appear shortly in the Canada Gazette.

Yesterday, the Federal Government announced changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to exempt various projects funded under the Building Canada Plan from federal environmental assessment ("EA") requirements.

Canada is proposing to eliminate its federal zero-emission vehicle sales mandate and replace it with technology-neutral greenhouse gas emission standards. The shift comes amid declining EV sales, affordability concerns, and trade uncertainty with the United States, raising questions about how the automotive industry will balance climate goals with market realities. What will this regulatory transformation mean for manufacturers, consumers, and Canada's electrification timeline?

Canadian governments and producer-responsibility organizations are refining extended producer responsibility programs across the country, affecting packaging, batteries, electronics, and hazardous products. Recent regulatory changes include expanded collection obligations, adjusted compliance timelines, and new enforcement measures, with significant developments in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic provinces.

Ontario has launched its first call for expressions of interest in carbon capture and storage licences under the new Geologic Carbon Storage Act, targeting Crown-owned pore space beneath lakebeds surrounding the Ontario Peninsula. The detailed submission requirements reveal expectations that proponents have advanced well beyond initial planning stages, with the process serving as a critical test of Ontario's emerging CCS framework and its attractiveness to industry.

Although there is debate about whether the world is suffering from climate change, according to a 2024 United Nations survey, 80 percent of people worldwide want their country to do more about it. Based on measurements of the world’s glaciers, there is certainly scientific evidence that they have receded each year for the past 37 years and that they are melting faster than ever.

Quebec has dramatically increased minimum environmental fines for designated industrial activities by a factor of ten, with penalties now reaching up to $300,000 per day for contaminant releases. These changes, effective August 13, 2026, apply to nine categories of industrial operations including aluminum smelters, mines, cement plants, and chemical facilities, with fines doubling on first recidivism and tripling thereafter.

The federal government has introduced mandatory reporting requirements for 200 chemicals under the Chemicals Management Plan, requiring businesses to disclose usage, manufacturing, and import data from 2025. With Phase 1 reporting deadlines approaching in March 2027, companies must assess their obligations and prepare comprehensive submissions covering quantities, facility releases, sales information, and unpublished studies.

The United States has escalated its trade dispute with Canada by imposing import bans on alcoholic beverages, dairy products, and motorcycles under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, while Canada responds with matched counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of U.S. goods. Following the collapse of bilateral negotiations in August 2026, both nations have entered an unprecedented phase of trade restrictions that extends beyond traditional tariffs to include procurement exclusions and threatens further auto

On July 2, 2026, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) published its updated Guidance on the Common Reporting Standard (Updated CRS Guidance).

The Government of Alberta recently confirmed its plan to implement a data centre levy framework as part of its broader AI Data Centre Strategy. The levy framework requires that large-scale data...

Canada's inaugural Investment Summit in September 2026 aims to attract $1 trillion in investment across defence, infrastructure, Indigenous partnerships, technology, energy, critical minerals and agriculture. This analysis examines the federal measures shaping the Summit's agenda and outlines the key legal, regulatory and structuring considerations businesses and investors should evaluate when assessing nation-building opportunities in Canada.

Newfoundland and Labrador's House of Assembly has approved a landmark definitive cooperation and implementation agreement that would replace the 1969 Churchill Falls Power Contract, pair the redevelopment of Churchill Falls with the Gull Island project, and establish new transmission pathways through Québec. The agreement faces political uncertainty in Québec ahead of the October 2026 provincial election...

On July 16, 2025, the minister of Justice of Québec released a draft regulation clarifying the obligations of manufacturers and merchants under the legal warranty of good working order...

Agentic AI, a new threat: The report identifies AI agents as an emerging trend that presents many risks to investors, firms, and markets, such as agents acting beyond the user's intention and the unintentional use or disclosure of sensitive information. Firms are encouraged to develop the necessary supervisory frameworks specific to agentic AI

On March 15, 2019, Education Minister Lisa Thompson announced plans to increase class size for high school and some elementary grades.

The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) released its latest annual compliance report (the Report) which details areas of focus for CIRO-regulated dealers in 2026 and beyond.

As all registrants know, reporting entities including advisers and dealers are required to report suspicious transactions for money laundering or terrorist financing to the Financial Transactions and Reports Centre of Canada.