Media Release: Some worthwhile environmental and equity gains in Budget 2019

Toronto – The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) is pleased to see today’s federal budget continue Canada’s commitment to addressing climate change with substantial investments to encourage electric vehicles, increase building energy efficiency, and expand green infrastructure. We also strongly support the planned investments in Just Transition for coal power workers and communities.

“Alongside and within these environment-focused measures, CELA is encouraged to see federal recognition of the needs of low-income and vulnerable Canadians,” noted CELA Executive Director, Theresa McClenaghan. “Several of the budget’s climate-focused measures are linked to addressing the crisis in affordable housing and the need to retrofit older homes. Likewise, vulnerable groups will benefit from plans for a Food Policy for Canada and the gender equality analysis and poverty reduction measures and legislative commitments in the budget document, ” McClenaghan noted.

Through CELA’s work and membership in the Green Budget Coalition, we had hoped to see increased federal investments in the regulation of pesticides and other toxic substances, including increased budgets for enforcement and pollution monitoring. While these areas did not receive additional funding, CELA is very glad to see renewed funding for the Federal Contaminate Sites Action Plan.

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For more information, contact:
Theresa McClenaghan, Executive Director
Canadian Environmental Law Association
theresa@cela.ca • Cell: (416) 662-8341

About CELA
The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) is a non-profit, public interest organization established in 1970 to use existing laws to protect the environment and to advocate environmental law reforms. Funded by Legal Aid Ontario, CELA is one of 76 community legal clinics located across Ontario. CELA also undertakes additional educational and law reform projects funded by government and private foundations.