Environmental Law

From programming and advocacy to peer recognition and relevant resources, OBA Section membership connects you with education, engagement and leadership opportunities to propel you to the forefront of your area of practice. 

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Resources, Articles, & Advocacy

Advocacy | May 16, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of May 12

Province Tables Tariff-Era Budget: The Ford government plans to run a substantial deficit of almost $15 billion and spend more than $230 billion this year. On Thursday, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy presented the government’s 2025 budget, a document dominated by the tariff response and how it will impact the economy.

Advocacy | May 16, 2025

OBA Update - Budget 2025

On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the government tabled A Plan to Protect Ontario, the 2025 provincial budget

Legislative Update | May 09, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of May 5

Province Files Appeal Against Injunction Halting Bike Lane Removal: Weeks after being ordered to pause plans to remove bike lanes from three major streets in Toronto, the Ford government says it is filing an appeal against the injunction.

Legislative Update | May 02, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of April 28

Province Proposes Plan to Get ‘Tough on Crime’: The Ontario government is proposing changes to the bail system that it says will protect communities by keeping violent repeat offenders off the streets and behind bars. 

Legislative Update | April 25, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of April 21

Province Takes Control of School Board, Launches Probes at 3 Others: Ontario has taken control of one school board over financial mismanagement, launched financial probes of three other boards and ordered a fifth board to repay costs for a trip to Italy to buy art. New Education Minister Paul Calandra has ordered the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board to repay the cost of the board trip to Italy, as well as the $100,000 spent on art. The province has appointed a supervisor to the Thames Valley District School Board, in London, after it conducted a review in the wake of a staff retreat to Toronto that cost about $40,000. It is also launching investigations at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto District School Board over ongoing financial deficits and spending concerns.

Legislative Update | March 31, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of March 24

OBA Seeks "Urgency, Transparency and Accountability" from LSO: In an op-ed published on Thursday, the OBA urged the Law Society of Ontario to deal quickly with the current crisis and then shift its focus from the insular considerations of how to govern itself to the vital work of governing. “These are hard times for the rule of law, access to justice and our economic stability.  Lawyers have a critical role to play," OBA President Kathryn Manning wrote. “We must get past this issue and turn our efforts to these fundamental matters. The only way past this issue is to chart a straightforward course through; there is no getting around it. We look forward to working with the many benchers who recognize that.”

Resource | March 26, 2025

Critical and Emerging Issues for Indigenous Communities: Part 1: Indigenous Economic Participation, Natural Resource Stewardship and the Law

Join your colleagues to learn about Indigenous participation in resource projects and procurement spending that incorporates Indigenous worldviews in today’s modern economy.

Article | March 11, 2025

Unlocking Transparency: Navigating Canada’s New Sustainability Disclosure Standards

On December 18, 2024, the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board announced the release of its first Canadian Sustainability Disclosure Standards. The new Canadian standards, effective January 1, 2025, align with international benchmarks while considering the unique Canadian context. Although currently voluntary, the Canadian standards provide useful guidance for disclosing sustainability-related financial information and climate-related risks and opportunities, and could become mandatory if adopted by regulators or governments in the future.