Montreal and Quebec City, May 14, 2026 – Quebec environmental organizations, citizen-led groups, and civil society organizations are calling on all federal Members of Parliament to refuse to endorse the accelerated rollback of environmental protections currently being planned by the federal government.
Because these proposals could to profoundly alter Canada's very nature and identity, the groups are urging all elected officials to put the public interest, public health, the protection of nature, and the future of coming generations ahead of private sector short-term priorities.
“Our MPs were elected to defend the interests of their communities, not to greenlight unprecedented deregulation that serves the interests of polluting industries. We call on them to have the courage to speak out loudly and clearly against the federal government’s gutting of our environmental protections,” state the signatory organizations.
The Canadian government’s proposed reforms to environmental legislation and regulations are worse than those seen in the past, according to the organizations. They further entrench an alarming concentration of decision-making power in the hands of the government and could lead to even more significant setbacks by shifting the risks to the public.
“Hidden behind the slogans of speed and efficiency lies a dismantling of protections that have been built up over decades to safeguard the public - the water we drink, the air we breathe, the species that are nearing extinction, and the natural environments on which our health and quality of life depend,” declare the organizations.
As the Federal Commissioner for the Environment and Sustainable Development has repeatedly pointed out, Canada’s environmental decline is not the result of a number of one-off mistakes, but comes from a culture of tolerated pollution and short-sighted policy-making. “We must ask ourselves, who really benefits from these reforms? While the government rolls out the red carpet for polluting industries, Canadian households are still waiting to see tangible benefits that will help bring down the cost of living,” deplore the organizations.
The consequences of weakened environmental regulations will not be purely abstract. “An environmental assessment is not merely a hurdle to be overcome; it's our safety net against a new generation of costly and irreversible damage. When natural environments are destroyed, when communities are forced to live with increased levels of pollution or suffer the consequences of more expensive and frequent climate-related disasters, it will be too late to say that we didn’t know,” the groups explain.
They warn that a rush to loosen environmental regulations could also fuel social tensions, conflicts with local and Indigenous communities, and legal challenges all across the country. “To all Members of Parliament who are committed to leaving future generations with a livable planet, a vibrant natural world, and resilient communities, we appeal to your conscience. We call on you to address the true causes of the delays rather than attacking measures that protect the public,” conclude the organizations.
Organisations signataires :
- SNAP Québec
- Nature Québec
- Greenpeace Canada
- Vigilance OGM
- Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement
- Mères au front
- David Suzuki Foundation
- Équiterre
- Fondation Rivières
- Regroupement national des conseils régionaux de l’environnement du Québec (RNCREQ)
- Les AmiEs de la Terre de Québec
- Ateliers pour la biodiversité
- Réseau québécois de l’action communautaire autonome (RQ-ACA)
- Eau Secours
- Société pour Vaincre la Pollution (SVP)
- Terravie FFC Fond Foncier Communautaire
- Coalition Alerte à l’Enfouissement Rivière-du-Nord (CAER)
- Climate Reality Project Canada (CRCP)
- Front étudiant d’action Climatique (FÉDAC)
- Association québécoise des médecins pour l’environnement (AQME)
- Coalition Action Déchets Toxiques (CADT)
- Climate Action Network Canada (CAN-Rac)
- Front commun québécois pour une gestion écologique des déchets (FCQGED)
- GroupMobilisation (GMob)
- Groupe de recommandations et d’actions pour un meilleur environnement (GRAME)
- Regroupement Vigilance Énergie Québec (RVÉQ)
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For more information:
media@equiterre.org; (514) 605-2000
