We use the law and we help shape the law with our precedent setting interventions

Friends of the Earth Canada stands on guard for people and the planet. As a member of Friends of the Earth International, we work in solidarity with our global counterparts in 75 country groups.

By intervening in the highest court, the Supreme Court of Canada, Friends of the Earth is able to offer distinctive advice to the Justices as they weigh the pleadings of parties in a case.

FOE Canada has a long history of legal cases and interventions.

Most recently, FOE joined with the National Association of Women and the Law to intervene on behalf of women and girls in the reference case on the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.

We support vulnerable people and communities

People from vulnerable communities are on the front lines, confronting the health and environmental impacts of toxic contaminants from mines, nuclear power plants and climate chaos.

While climate chaos will impact everyone, it will be experienced differently based not only on where people live, but also their socio-economic status, age, gender, race and culture.

We insist that environmental rights are human rights and work for justice for victims and to hold corporations accountable

Too often big business captures political decision making spaces, such as development of laws and regulations nationally and UN negotiations globally, and, in so doing, shapes environmental and human rights policies to suit its interests rather than those of vulnerable people and communities.

We need a legally binding treaty to pave the way for justice for victims and to hold corporations to account. Relying on businesses to voluntarily regulate themselves simply does not work. To ensure rights for people, we need rules for business. The UNHRC treaty process commenced in 2014 has yet to deliver on these rules.