From Policy to Practice: Canada’s Evolving Environmental Law in 2025

In 2025, Canada’s environmental regulatory landscape underwent sweeping changes, as federal and provincial governments introduced reforms aimed at accelerating major project approvals, increasing regulatory certainty and achieving greater alignment with the laws of other industrialized countries.

The following five developments reflect the shifting priorities and regulatory direction of environmental law in Canada.

1. Federal Fast-Tracking. The Building Canada Act introduces a new fast-track framework for projects designated to be in the national interest. Those national interest projects will benefit from streamlined approvals under federal legislation and be managed through a centralized Major Projects Office. Current candidate projects range from liquified natural gas and nuclear to container terminals and mining expansions. Although operational details are forthcoming, proponents and stakeholders are advised to monitor developments closely.
2. Provincial Fast-Tracking. British Columbia’s Infrastructure Projects Act and Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act create fast-track pathways for significant infrastructure and renewable energy projects. Quebec’s Bill 69 and Bill 81 centralize authorizations for energy projects and compress timelines for the impact assessment procedure. In Ontario, the One Project, One Process framework applies to mining, aiming to reduce provincial review times by 50% through a single-permitting team. Each regime reflects a trend toward consolidation, project-specific coordination and prioritization of economic drivers.
3. CEPA Implementation Framework. A federal implementation framework now guides the administration of the right to a healthy environment under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). It defines both substantive protections and procedural obligations, including guiding principles related to environmental justice, non-regression and intergenerational equity. While not a standalone cause of action, the right may increasingly be raised in judicial review and regulatory challenge contexts. For more information, visit our Blakes Bulletin: Implementation Framework for the Right to a Healthy Environment Under CEPA.
4. PFAS Class Regulation. Canada has formally designated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), other than fluoropolymers, as “toxic” under CEPA and is phasing in use prohibitions. Phase 1 targets firefighting foams, with consumer products to follow. Given Canada’s aim to align PFAS regulation with the increasingly stringent restrictions in the EU and increased scrutiny of supply chains, companies would be well advised to conduct PFAS audits and assess litigation risk, if they have not done so already.
5. Plastic and EPR. The federal plastics registry mandates data reporting across phases, while Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regimes in every province except Nunavut impose escalating compliance and financial obligations. Ontario has already issued multiple penalties, signalling increasing enforcement across sectors.

Have more than five minutes? Watch our recent webinar on this topic or contact any member of our Environmental group to learn more.