Expedite Canada’s first environmental racism law, civil society urges
Prioritize and expedite Canada’s first environmental racism law urge 11 civil society organizations in an open letter on September 16 to members of the House Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (ENVI).
KAIROS is among the signatories, who remind Committee members that they studied this bill in the previous parliament (C-230), but it died on the order paper when the election was called.
“Bill C-226 incorporates the committee’s amendments and is identical to the bill approved more than a year ago by three of the four parties represented on ENVI,” states the letter.
Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate impacts on Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities from polluting industries and environmental hazards, and uneven access to nature and environmental benefits.
If enacted Bill C-226 would task the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to develop a strategy that must include measures to examine the links between race, socio-economic status and environmental risk.
Write to your MP support of Bill C-226 and two corporate accountability bills.
