Initial recommendations for strengthening Bill C-28

A statement from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other organizations providing recommendations to strengthen Bill C-28, the Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act, which aims to modernize the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).

• The authors recommend strengthening the 'Right to a healthy environment' by removing language that balances this right with economic factors, integrating principles of non-regression and environmental justice, and requiring the minister to protect this right when determining toxic substances.
• The organizations propose a new regime to prioritize the prohibition of toxic substances of high concern, specifically those that are mutagenic, carcinogenic, or toxic to reproduction, while closing loopholes that allow for the 'consideration of any other factors' unless no less harmful alternatives exist for essential uses.
• The statement calls for the assessment of 'aggregate exposures' (sum of exposures to one substance via multiple pathways) and 'cumulative effects' (impacts of simultaneous exposures to multiple substances and stressors), including synergistic effects, for both human health and ecological risks.
• The authors identify several gaps in Bill C-28 that they believe Parliament should address, including making ambient air quality standards legally binding, requiring GMO food labelling, and aligning hazardous waste controls with the Basel Convention regarding plastic waste streams.
• The organizations recommend improving enforcement and transparency by streamlining the process for individuals to bring environmental protection actions and reversing the burden of proof for confidential business information to require requesters to prove the need for confidentiality.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2021). Initial recommendations for strengthening Bill C-28. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Strengthening-Bill-C-28-2021-06-03.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Initial recommendations for strengthening Bill C-28. 2021. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Strengthening-Bill-C-28-2021-06-03.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Initial recommendations for strengthening Bill C-28 |date=3 June 2021 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Strengthening-Bill-C-28-2021-06-03.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2021initial, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Initial recommendations for strengthening Bill C-28}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Strengthening-Bill-C-28-2021-06-03.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }