Our Work

Shaping Environmental Policy for a Sustainable Future

From policy research to legal analysis, our work drives meaningful change in environmental law. Explore our comprehensive resources, including reports, publications, and research, that support advocates, lawyers, and policymakers in advancing environmental protection.

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  • Conservation, Habitat, Species at Risk
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Another step in the long, slow road to protect Woodland Caribou in Alberta: Draft Regulatory Details Released

Woodland caribou – an iconic Canadian species – has been legally recognized as a threatened species under Alberta’s Wildlife Act...

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  • Environmental Assessment, Sustainable Communities, Waste Management
  • Pollution and Human Health
  • Blogs
Regulating Pollution and Contaminated Sites in Alberta: Case Study of the Verte Homesteader Community

Cover Photo – “Fencing around the old Domtar site” Photograph. 2021. CTV News Edmonton. https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/precautionary-park-fencing-comes-down-at-former-domtar-site-1.5651392 Imagine that you invested your...

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  • Conservation, Constitution, Water management
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Drought Watch 2024: Grasslands and Drought Management in Alberta

It is essential to ensure the maintenance of Alberta’s grasslands – especially native grasslands – for their significant carbon storage...

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  • Constitution, Reimagining Rivers, Water management
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Drought Watch 2024: Recent Drought Management Responses in Alberta include the introduction of Bill 21: Emergency Statutes Amendment Act

Recent proactive steps have been taken to respond to the critical drought in Alberta. In mid-April, the provincial government announced...

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  • Constitution, Environmental Assessment
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Amending what’s not broken: The proposed amendments to the federal Impact Assessment Act

The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) in its reference opinion determined that portions of the federal Impact Assessment Act (“IAA”)...

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  • Conservation, Land Use, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Communities
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Renewables Moratorium Shifted not Lifted: AUC’s Module A Renewables Inquiry Report Released to the Public

Following the release of the Alberta Utilities Commission’s (AUC) Module A report, the moratorium on renewable energy development has ended....

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  • Conservation, Water, Water management
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Drought Watch 2024: Forests and Drought Management in Alberta

Drought Watch 2024: Forests and Drought Management in Alberta Alberta is currently experiencing severe drought conditions. Drought can have a...

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  • General
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Employment Opportunity: ELC is seeking a law student for a summer research position. Apply today!

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 25, 2024   The Environmental Law Centre (Alberta) (ELC) is inviting applications from law students for a...

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  • Water, Water management, Watershed management
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Drought Watch 2024: Wetlands & Drought Management in Alberta

“This winter, snowpack is below average, rivers are at record low levels and multiple reservoirs remain well below capacity.”[1] This...

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  • Pollution and Human Health
  • Webinars
Contaminated sites in Alberta: Current challenges and law reforms
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  • Pollution and Human Health
  • Publications
The Regulation of Pollution and Contaminated Sites in Alberta
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  • General
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Pollution Management and Contaminated Sites in Alberta: Current Challenges, Jurisdictional Approaches and Law Reforms

The Environmental Law Centre invites you to join our webinar discussion around contaminated sites and the law on February 27,...

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  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Publications
A Better Pace for Alberta: Eliminating barriers to private financing of Alberta’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs
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  • Job Opportunity
  • Blogs
Job Post: Staff counsel term position at the ELC

The Environmental Law Centre is seeking a lawyer to fill a term position as Staff Counsel. Our activities focus on...

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  • Constitution, EPR Extended Producer Responsibility, Polluter Pays, Waste Management
  • Pollution and Human Health
  • Blogs
Maybe not the last (plastic) straw: Federal Court quashes federal order aimed at regulating “Plastic Manufactured Items”

(Photo: Horia Varlan from Bucharest, Romania, CC BY 2.0) ___________________________________________________________________________   Attempts by the federal government to tackle plastic pollution...

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  • Environmental Assessment, Indigenous Rights
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Join us for a panel discussion – The SCC Impact Assessment Act Decision: federal assessments – past, present, and future

Join our panelists Brenda Heelan Powell (ELC) and Prof. Andrew Leach, and Prof. Cameron Jefferies, from the Faculty of Law...

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  • Municipal Government Act, Solar
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
A Better PACE for Alberta: ELC recommends law reforms to increase financing and flexibility of Alberta’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs

Since 2018, Alberta has had legislation which supports PACE programming via the Clean Energy Improvements Regulation (CEIP Regulation) and amendments...

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  • About ELC, General
  • Blogs
The ELC looks forward to new opportunities as an affiliated institute with Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta

The ELC is excited to share that we are now an affiliated institute with the Faculty of Law at the...

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  • Cumulative Effects, Environmental Assessment, Fisheries, Habitat, Public Participation
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Federal role in assessing project impacts is reset, not rejected, by Supreme Court of Canada

Authors: Brenda Heelan Powell & Jason Unger Has the Supreme Court of Canada dismantled the foundation of federal project assessments...

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  • Renewable Energy
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Blogs
Alberta’s Renewables are on Hold: Utilities Commission Sets Path Forward to Gather Input

As has been widely reported, in early August, the Government of Alberta (GOA) unexpectedly placed a moratorium on the issuance...

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  • General
  • Environmental Rights and Principles
  • Blogs
The Right to a Healthy Environment (and more) in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act: A First for Canadians

In June 2023, the federal government finally amended the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, ostensibly, to reflect a modern interpretation of...

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