Foundation 2: Assessing, preventing and addressing environmental racism
Share Foundation 2: Assessing, preventing and addressing environmental racism on FacebookShare Foundation 2: Assessing, preventing and addressing environmental racism on TwitterShare Foundation 2: Assessing, preventing and addressing environmental racism on LinkedinEmail Foundation 2: Assessing, preventing and addressing environmental racism link
Foreword
Environmental justice and environmental racism are broad concepts that can be applied in various contexts. Environmental justice and environmental racism are new areas of work for the Government of Canada. However, grassroots organizations have significant knowledge and experience in advocating for communities and raising awareness on these issues. The Government of Canada aims to work with these organizations, affected communities, and those with lived experiences. Their input will help to develop a national strategy to assess, prevent, and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice (the Strategy).
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is conducting a series of engagement activities, which will help us develop the Strategy. These activities represent a significant part of the policy development process, in principle and in the context of the requirements ofthe National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act. It is important to ensure that the Strategy reflects the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders and partners that it may affect. To achieve this, ECCC will engage with a broad audience during the next consultation phase of strategy development.
Engagement documents are one way that governments can engage broadly with the public and various interested groups. They can be used when considering the development of new legislation or regulations or implementing a new policy or program. Each engagement document will focus on one of the following four key foundational topics:
Advancing environmental justice
Assessing, preventing and addressing environmental racism
Examining the link between race, socio-economic status and environmental risk
Indigenous environmental justice and racism
Each engagement will include a focused webinar that will consist of one session of up to two hours in length. The webinars incorporate presentations from federal officials as well as time for discussion and questions. Following the completion of the engagement period, ECCC will:
review all feedback
engage bilaterally with respondents to discuss submission (as required)
publish a What We Heard Report to detail the input received
publish a What We Did Report to detail how we used the input provided
The input received in response to the engagement documents, including through the accompanying webinars, will inform the development of the national strategy to assess, prevent, and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice. Consultation related to the Strategy will follow in 2026.
Foreword
Environmental justice and environmental racism are broad concepts that can be applied in various contexts. Environmental justice and environmental racism are new areas of work for the Government of Canada. However, grassroots organizations have significant knowledge and experience in advocating for communities and raising awareness on these issues. The Government of Canada aims to work with these organizations, affected communities, and those with lived experiences. Their input will help to develop a national strategy to assess, prevent, and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice (the Strategy).
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is conducting a series of engagement activities, which will help us develop the Strategy. These activities represent a significant part of the policy development process, in principle and in the context of the requirements ofthe National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act. It is important to ensure that the Strategy reflects the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders and partners that it may affect. To achieve this, ECCC will engage with a broad audience during the next consultation phase of strategy development.
Engagement documents are one way that governments can engage broadly with the public and various interested groups. They can be used when considering the development of new legislation or regulations or implementing a new policy or program. Each engagement document will focus on one of the following four key foundational topics:
Advancing environmental justice
Assessing, preventing and addressing environmental racism
Examining the link between race, socio-economic status and environmental risk
Indigenous environmental justice and racism
Each engagement will include a focused webinar that will consist of one session of up to two hours in length. The webinars incorporate presentations from federal officials as well as time for discussion and questions. Following the completion of the engagement period, ECCC will:
review all feedback
engage bilaterally with respondents to discuss submission (as required)
publish a What We Heard Report to detail the input received
publish a What We Did Report to detail how we used the input provided
The input received in response to the engagement documents, including through the accompanying webinars, will inform the development of the national strategy to assess, prevent, and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice. Consultation related to the Strategy will follow in 2026.
