Three young women and two environmental groups on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Canadian government, seeking to force it to develop an action plan to meet its key climate goals. The legal challenge comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney's administration shifts Canada's climate and energy priorities, rolling back key environmental policies while advancing major energy and infrastructure projects to reduce dependence on the United States.
Lawsuit Details and Plaintiffs
The plaintiffs include Shirley Barnea, a university student from Quebec, Sophia Mathur from Ontario, and Charlie Hatt, Climate Director at Equal Justice, alongside the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). The lawsuit aims to compel the government “to chart a credible, up-to-date course of action” and “to protect Canadians from the worsening impacts of climate change,” according to a CAPE statement.
Government's Climate Record Under Scrutiny
Announcing the lawsuit, Barnea said authorities had an obligation to build a sustainable future for younger generations. “Young people deserve a sustainable economy, good green jobs and a government with a credible plan to get us there,” she told a news conference. Five years ago under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the federal government set a target of slashing total carbon emissions by 40-45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, but Carney has acknowledged the country is unlikely to meet them.
Since taking office in March 2025, Carney has rolled back several environmental measures, including a carbon tax for individuals and an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector. He argues that Canada must strengthen its economic resilience in response to trade tensions with the United States under President Donald Trump, including by accelerating major energy and infrastructure projects that his government says are in the national interest.
Climate Impacts and Legal Arguments
The filing describes climate change as an “existential threat,” noting that Canada is warming at roughly twice the global rate, while temperatures in its north are rising nearly three times faster, according to court documents reviewed by AFP. Mathur added: “My generation's first decade on this planet will have been marked by wildfire seasons, floods, heat waves, and constant warnings from scientists that the window for action is closing.”
“Over the last year, we have watched the Carney government weaken, delay and repeal Canada's key climate policies,” said Hatt. The lawsuit seeks to hold the government accountable for its legal commitments. “The federal government made a promise, a legal commitment, to meet its climate targets,” Mathur said. “Now it must keep its word.”
