A roadmap to restoring nature: Key takeaways from COP15
Last month, the West Coast team attended the UN Biodiversity Conference (aka COP15) in Montreal, where we pushed for meaningful action from our governments to better respect and protect nature.
No Mining Rights Without Consent: A groundswell of support for Gitxaała Nation and mineral tenure reform in BC
On December 15th and 16th, Justice Ross of the BC Supreme Court heard from a wide range of applicants seeking permission to intervene in an important legal challenge launched by the Smgyigyetm Gitxaała and Gitxaała Nation (Gitxaała).
5 legal solutions we’re rooting for at COP15
West Coast lawyers are on the ground at the most important nature conference of the century
Finding the right recipe for life in the floodplain
One year on from the November 2021 flood events in BC, it’s clear as we look towards the future there are no easy answers for the Lower Fraser River floodplain and the communities who live there.
Trans Mountain: Compromised viability to cost taxpayers more than $17 billion
In February 2022, the federal government announced that the cost of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) had soared to $21,400,000,000, and Canadians were told “the government will spend no additional public money on the project” and “the project remains commercially viable.” New analysis by economist Robyn Allan disproves both claims and shows how the federal government is hiding Trans Mountain’s compromised viability.
Help secure a strong, ambitious oil and gas emissions cap
In July, Canada released a discussion paper outlining options and considerations for establishing a cap on oil and gas sector emissions, as part of its strategy for reaching its 2030 reductions target and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
2022 summer law students brighten up our work at West Coast
West Coast really lucked out this year with our incredible cohort of summer law students! For the past four months, our legal interns have been getting a taste of what practicing environmental and Indigenous law looks like by supporting our programs on applied issues – including research, attending forums, contributing to blogs and reports, and much more.
We at West Coast are grateful to have been a part of their legal journey and we look forward to seeing what’s in store for this next generation of environmental lawyers. Check out what they had to say about their time with us:
Sharing is the law here: Co-learning on ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht) Territory
Standing under the towering presence of a 600+ year old being, a hushed awe permeates the group. As we silently recognize the magnificence of this life form, I suspect I am not the only one who longs to hear the stories this tree carries.
“We are going to Sue Big Oil”: The birth of a new movement
“We are going to sue Big Oil,” noted journalist Avi Lewis told us. “This is an historic moment, and you are going to be able to tell everyone you were here when it began.”
Why we need a law to keep oil and gas emissions from wrecking Canadian climate targets
For decades, Canadians across different sectors of the economy have been working to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. From agriculture to construction, to our household carbon footprints, people in Canada are ready to do their part for the climate – and now it is Big Oil’s turn.