On March 14, 2025, Mark Carney - the former governor of the Banks of Canada and England, boasting an extensive track record of climate advocacy - was sworn in as Canada’s 24th Prime Minister, replacing Justin Trudeau.

Few success stories came out of this year’s COP. Nevertheless, we’ve compiled COP29’s five (very modest) achievements and five of its most notable failures.

On November 12, 2024, the Hague Appeals Court overturned a landmark 2021 decision ordering oil giant Shell to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 45% from 2019 levels by 2030.

On October 17, 2024, Ontario’s Court of Appeal sided with a group of young climate activists in its Mathur v Ontario decision, reviving a case against the province which was previously dismissed in April 2023.

On October 9, 2024, the Canadian government announced that it will establish a “Made-in-Canada” sustainable investing taxonomy, and institute mandatory climate disclosure requirements for large, federally-incorporated private companies.

The European Court of Human Rights delivered its long-awaited first ruling in the climate action case Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz v. Switzerland, finding that the European Convention on Human Rights encompasses the right to effective protection from adverse effects of climate change.

In this report, we provide a broad overview of 2024’s animated Canadian climate law and policy landscape.

On December 13, Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal released a unanimous decision to revive La Rose, a previously-dismissed youth climate action case, and send it to trial.

On December 13, 2023, COP28 concluded in Dubai with an agreement heralded, perhaps too optimistically, as "the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era." Here’s a summary of the conference in 10 points, covering its five greatest achievements and five most notable failures.

On Monday, November 27, 2023, Alberta’s legislature tabled a resolution to invoke its controversial Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act for the first time. The Act allows Alberta’s legislature to pass resolutions to identify and disregard specific federal legislation or policies as either unconstitutional or causing harm to Albertans.