The Alberta government has identified, and is taking proactive steps to address, the looming threat of a severe drought this year. As negotiations unfold to secure water-sharing agreements, a cascade of legal and economic...more
On March 28, 2024, British Columbia and the Council of the Haida Nation released the draft Gaayhllxid • Gíihlagalgang “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement (“Draft Agreement”) which would recognize Haida Nation’s...more
On March 13, 2024, the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB) released exposure drafts of its first two proposed Canadian Sustainability Disclosure Standards (Proposed Standards). The Proposed Standards are based on...more
On March 7, 2024, British Columbia's Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation announced interim measures in the form of four Orders in Council (OICs). The OICs place restrictions on the issuance of mineral claims,...more
On March 6, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its widely anticipated climate-related disclosure rules (the Final Rules). The Final Rules require registrants to disclose certain climate-related...more
On April 1, 2024, the new Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) will come into force under the Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2023 (Budget 2023). The OBPS is a new British Columbia (BC) emissions pricing system (although...more
After much anticipation, on February 22, 2024, British Columbia announced its intention to create a First Nations Equity Financing Framework (Framework) as part of its latest budget and fiscal plan. The Framework aligns with...more
On September 26, 2023, the British Columbia Supreme Court issued a ruling in Gitxaala v. British Columbia (Chief Gold Commissioner) that will affect the future of mining in British Columbia. In this case, the court found the...more
On June 26, 2023, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) released the final versions of its first two global sustainability disclosure standards for financial reporting (the ISSB Standards). The ISSB aims to...more
8/2/2023
/ Business Strategies ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Culture ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Financial Reporting ,
Green Finance ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Sustainability
On June 15, 2023, the Government of British Columbia (the Government or Province) announced that BC Hydro would be moving forward with a call for new sources of 100 percent clean, renewable emission-free electricity, notably...more
On July 11, 2023, the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) announced the launch of two separate investigations into allegations that Uyghur forced labour was used in the supply chains and operations of two...more
7/17/2023
/ Canada ,
China ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
International Labor Laws ,
International Trade ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain
The Government of Canada published a "Draft State of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Report” (Draft Report) and "Risk Management Scope for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)" (Risk Management Scope) on May...more
On April 18, 2023, the Government of Canada announced the launch of consultations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) with respect to...more
On May, 3, 2023, the House of Commons passed Bill S-211, An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff (the Act). The Act introduces a public...more
Key amendments to the federal Hazardous Products Regulations (the Regulations) are now in effect, which, among other things -
- update the Regulations to be in line with the most recent standards under the Globally...more
On 4 October 2022, the Government of British Columbia released its policy guidance entitled Interim Approach to Implement the Requirements of Section 3 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Interim...more
With the rapidly evolving landscape of ESG, stakeholders are navigating the emerging legal and compliance issues that arise from the transformation of information management systems.
In this webinar, our industry experts...more
The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities' (CAPSA) draft guideline on ESG sets out three principles as guidance for pension plan administrators -
- consider ESG characteristics that may have material...more
On June 6, 2022, a coalition made up of more than 25 Indigenous organizations from across Canada released a National Indigenous Economic Strategy designed exclusively by Indigenous leaders, institutions and organizations. The...more
On March 18, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a decision in Anderson v Alberta [Beaver Lake Cree] that elaborates on the test for awarding advance costs to offset the expenses of public interest litigants. The...more
On December 16, 2021, the Prime Minister released the much-anticipated mandate letters outlining executive priorities and providing direction to cabinet ministers for the upcoming term. While customized for each of the 38...more
3/30/2022
/ Aboriginal Issues ,
Canada ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
First Nations ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Net Zero ,
Prime Minister ,
Tribal Governments ,
Tribal Lands
On January 7, 2022, more than a decade after the claim was first filed, the B.C. Supreme Court (BCSC) released its decision in Thomas and Saik'uz First Nation v Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. The decision considers the Saik'uz First...more
Following two weeks of negotiations between delegates from 197 countries, on Friday, November 13, 2021, COP26 concluded in Glasgow, Scotland, culminating in the release of the final COP26 decision, now known as the Glasgow...more
Bennett Jones recently hosted a two-part webinar series on ESG and institutional investors. The first session looked at their role in ESG, private markets and investment, how risks and opportunities are being assessed in the...more
Three important decisions relating to Indigenous peoples across Canada have been issued recently: Yahey v British Columbia, Southwind v Canada and Ermineskin Cree Nation v Canada (Environment and Climate Change). The three...more