Summary#

This bill requires the federal Minister of the Environment to create, publish, and update a national strategy to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent, and address environmental racism. It sets timelines for the first strategy and for follow-up reports. It requires broad consultation, including with Indigenous communities, and alignment with the federal framework on Indigenous rights.

• Requires a national strategy within 2 years of the Act coming into force, then public posting within 10 days of tabling (s.4(1)–(2)).
• Mandates a study on links between race, income, and environmental risk, plus statistics on where environmental hazards are located (s.3(3)(a)).
• Requires consultation with governments in Canada and Indigenous communities; strategy must align with the framework on Indigenous rights (s.3(2)).
• Lists possible measures the strategy may include, such as law changes, community involvement, compensation, and health data collection (s.3(3)(b)).
• Requires effectiveness reports every 5 years, with conclusions and recommendations (s.5).

What it means for you#

• Households and communities

  • You may be able to share your experiences and priorities during consultations for the national strategy (s.3(2), s.3(3)(b)(ii)). Timing: during strategy development within the 2‑year window after the Act comes into force (s.4(1)).
  • You can expect a public strategy that includes data on environmental hazards and how they affect different groups (s.3(3)(a); s.4(2)).
  • The strategy may recommend compensation for people or communities harmed by environmental racism, but this Act does not itself provide compensation (s.3(3)(b)(iii)).
  • There is no direct order in this Act to clean up sites, move facilities, or change permits. Any concrete actions would depend on future measures in the strategy and other laws (s.3(3)(b)).

• Indigenous peoples

  • The Minister must consult or cooperate with Indigenous communities, and the strategy must be consistent with the federal framework for recognizing and implementing Indigenous rights (s.3(2)).
  • You may have formal avenues to help shape data collection, proposed measures, and recommendations in the strategy (s.3(3)).

• Community groups and NGOs

  • The strategy may include measures to involve community groups in environmental policy‑making (s.3(3)(b)(ii)).
  • You may be asked to provide local data, research, or community impact information for the required study (s.3(3)(a)).

• Businesses and project proponents

  • No new regulations or permitting rules take effect under this Act. However, the strategy may propose changes to federal laws, policies, or programs in the future (s.3(3)(b)(i)).
  • Public reporting on hazard locations and community health outcomes may increase scrutiny of facilities near affected communities (s.3(3)(a), s.3(3)(b)(iv); s.4(2)).

• Provinces, territories, and municipalities

  • You may be consulted and asked to share information to support the study and strategy (s.3(2), s.3(3)(a)).
  • The Act does not impose binding obligations on subnational governments; it focuses on a federal strategy and reporting (s.3–s.5).

• All Canadians

  • You will be able to read the national strategy once tabled and posted, and later reviews of its effectiveness every 5 years (s.4–s.5).

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• No fiscal note or appropriation amounts in the bill text. The Act directs the Minister to develop, publish, and report on a strategy and to conduct a study and consultations (s.3–s.5). Data unavailable on associated administrative costs.
• The Act does not authorize or fund compensation; it only lists compensation as a possible measure that the strategy may consider (s.3(3)(b)(iii)). Any future costs would depend on separate decisions. Data unavailable.
• The frequency of required reporting is set (initial strategy within 2 years; effectiveness reports every 5 years), but no budget figures are provided (s.4–s.5). Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• A national strategy will coordinate federal action and fill data gaps by requiring a study of how race and income relate to environmental risk and where hazards are located (s.3(3)(a)).
• Mandated consultation and community involvement will give affected people a formal role in shaping policy and solutions (s.3(2); s.3(3)(b)(ii)).
• Aligning the strategy with the framework on Indigenous rights supports better, rights‑consistent decision‑making (s.3(2)).
• Regular 5‑year effectiveness reports create public accountability and a feedback loop to adjust the strategy (s.5).
• Listing options such as legal amendments, compensation, and health data collection gives the strategy tools to address both past harms and ongoing risks (s.3(3)(b)(i), (iii), (iv)).

Opponents' View#

• The Act sets process and study requirements but does not mandate concrete actions like cleanup, relocation, or permit changes, so results may be limited without later laws or funding (s.3(3)(b); s.4–s.5).
• “Compensation” is only a possible measure; the Act provides no authority or budget for payments, which could create expectations without delivery (s.3(3)(b)(iii)).
• Cross‑jurisdiction coordination with provinces, territories, and municipalities may slow implementation of the strategy’s recommendations, since the Act imposes no binding duties on them (s.3(2)).
• The 2‑year timeline to produce the strategy could delay near‑term action on known hot spots, depending on how the Minister sequences work (s.4(1)).
• Data collection and analysis demands may strain departmental and community capacity if not funded, risking incomplete or uneven coverage (s.3(3)(a); s.3(2)).