On August 5, 2021, the Government of Canada announced its launch of an initial exploratory phase of consultations on border carbon adjustments (BCAs), along with the release of a discussion paper. These exploratory...more
On July 6, 2021, the Government of British Columbia released its Hydrogen Strategy outlining 63 actions to be undertaken over the short-term (2020-25), medium-term (2025-30) and long-term (2030-50) to make B.C. a leader in...more
On April 23, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released its decision in R. v. Desautel, 2021 SCC 17, which upheld the lower court decisions to acquit Richard Desautel of charges under the Wildlife Act. The SCC confirmed...more
On March 15, 2021, the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) launched its complaints process, enabling the receipt of complaints respecting human rights abuses arising from the operations abroad of Canadian...more
On March 19, 2021, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) launched the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative (ICII), which aims to invest $1 billion to encourage infrastructure investment in Indigenous communities. The...more
The term Environmental, Social and Governance, or ESG, refers to a broad set of issues or criteria relating to corporate behaviour and performance that generally fall outside of the traditional financial performance...more
On March 11, 2021, Canada unveiled its Critical Minerals List. The list includes 31 minerals considered integral to the Canadian economy, all of which are available in Canada. The list highlights focus areas in future...more
It is an exciting time in the Canadian energy industry, but also a pivotal one. We need to maximize the value of our current energy resources, and continue to develop new lower-carbon sources that customers want to buy, to...more
The New Energy Economy Series -
Following its recent announcement of A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, an accelerated climate plan for Canada, the Government of Canada released the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada:...more
On December 3, 2020, Minister David Lametti, the federal Minister of Justice, introduced Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Bill follows on the Liberal Party...more
Following two previous efforts Parliament is again considering legislation to address modern slavery in corporate supply chains. Bill S-216: An Act to enact the Modern Slavery Act and to amend the Customs Tariff is currently...more
On November 19, 2020, the federal government introduced Bill C-12, the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, the latest in a series of federal government initiatives aimed at satisfying Canada's obligations under...more
On November 5, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in Quebec (Attorney General) v 9147-0732 Québec Inc, 2020 SCC 32, in which the court decided that the constitutional protection against being subject to...more
On October 1, the Government of Canada announced the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s (CIB) $10-billion plan to invest in major infrastructure initiatives (the Growth Plan), as a part of the $35 billion allocated to the CIB under...more
On May 14, 2020, British Columbia, Canada and the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) that establishes a process for the “three equal governments” to negotiate agreements on how to...more
Recent divestments by certain major global investment funds of their holdings in companies due to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) concerns demonstrates the increasing importance of ESG as an investment criteria for...more
COVID-19 is affecting how the Crown and proponents consult and engage with Indigenous peoples. Like many governments and organizations, Indigenous communities are taking actions to address COVID-19, including by closing...more
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies in various industries have quickly shifted their operations to meet the growing demand for essential supplies, including hand sanitizer. While hand sanitizer may seem like a...more
On March 26, 2020, British Columbia Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth, issued the Local Authorities and Essential Goods and Supplies (COVID-19) Order pursuant to powers granted to him under the...more
Across Canada, companies and regulators are taking unprecedented steps to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to protect the health and safety of the workforce while adapting to the evolving regulatory responses to...more
In less than two months, Canada has gone from recording its first presumptive case of COVID-19 to declaring states of emergencies across the country. The global pandemic is all-encompassing and affects every facet of society...more
On October 24, 2019, the British Columbia (B.C.) government introduced Bill 41 – 2019, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, fulfilling its February 2019 announcement that it would table legislation...more
On February 12, 2019, the British Columbia government announced plans to introduce legislation that implements the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) (the Legislation), as part of the...more
In November 2018, British Columbia passed legislation designed to “revitalize” its Environmental Assessment Act as well as "to ensure the legal rights of First Nations are respected, and the public's expectation of a strong...more
On December 13, 2018, John McKay, the Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Guildwood, introduced private member's bill, Bill C-423: Modern Slavery Act (the "Bill"), which aims to implement Canada’s international commitment to...more
1/7/2019
/ Anti-Slavery Commissioner ,
Australia ,
Canada ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Extractive Industry Transparency Rule ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Human Trafficking ,
Modern Slavery Act ,
Multinationals ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Supply Chain ,
Transparency ,
UK