Re. Bill C-226, An Act Respecting the Development of a National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and To Advance Environmental Justice

A joint letter from several Canadian civil society organizations urging House leaders to expedite the passage of Bill C-226, which would establish Canada's first national strategy to assess, prevent, and address environmental racism and advance environmental justice.

• Civil society organizations are calling for the immediate passage of Bill C-226, described as "Canada’s first environmental racism law," to initiate the development and implementation of a national strategy on environmental justice and environmental racism.
• The document defines environmental racism as the uneven access to environmental benefits and nature, as well as the disproportionate effects of environmental hazards and polluting industries on Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities.
• The letter cites a 2020 report from the UN Special Rapporteur on toxics to the Human Rights Council, which noted a pattern in Canada where Indigenous peoples and marginalized groups are subject to toxic conditions that would be unacceptable in other parts of the country.
• Bill C-226 was introduced by MP Elizabeth May and is identical to a version approved one year prior by three of the four parties on the ENVI committee and moved by the fifth party in the House.
• The authors reference the United States' environmental justice program, established via executive order in 1994, and the US EPA's definition of environmental justice as the meaningful involvement and fair treatment of all people regarding environmental laws and policies regardless of income, national origin, race, or color.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2022). Re. Bill C-226, An Act Respecting the Development of a National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and To Advance Environmental Justice. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Expedite-C-226-Joint-Letter-June-9-2022.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Re. Bill C-226, An Act Respecting the Development of a National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and To Advance Environmental Justice. 2022. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Expedite-C-226-Joint-Letter-June-9-2022.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Re. Bill C-226, An Act Respecting the Development of a National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and To Advance Environmental Justice |date=9 June 2022 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Expedite-C-226-Joint-Letter-June-9-2022.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2022bill, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Re. Bill C-226, An Act Respecting the Development of a National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and To Advance Environmental Justice}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Expedite-C-226-Joint-Letter-June-9-2022.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }