Canada government sued over climate inaction

Three young Canadians, backed by environmental groups, filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday, accusing the government of failing to meet its legal obligation to develop a climate action plan for 2030.

The lawsuit comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government 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.

“Over the last year, we have watched the Carney government weaken, delay and repeal Canada’s key climate policies,” said Charlie Hatt, Climate Director at Equal Justice, which is bringing the challenge alongside the three plaintiffs.

The legal action aims to compel the Canadian 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 statement from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), which is also a party to the lawsuit.

Since taking office in March 2025, center-left Carney has rolled back several environmental measures, including a carbon tax for individuals and an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector.

Carney has argued 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.

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Carney himself acknowledged in December that Canada is unlikely to meet its 2030 climate targets, which are at the heart of the lawsuit now before the court.

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 the court documents reviewed by AFP.

The government is also set to face trial in October in a separate case alleging that the previous Justin Trudeau administration’s response to climate change violated the rights of young Canadians.

A broader wave of climate litigation is seeking to hold governments accountable for their climate policies in countries including Germany, the Netherlands and France.

AFP