Canada advances initiatives to protect the right to a healthy environment and enhance chemicals management Français

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Environment and Climate Change Canada

Jul 23, 2025, 14:00 ET

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

GATINEAU, QC, July 23, 2025 /CNW/ - To protect human health and the environment for future generations, the federal government is taking decisive action. Recognizing the deep interconnection between Canadian health and the environment, these sustainable efforts will create a clean and safe environment for all.

The Government of Canada is now releasing:

the Implementation Framework for the Right to a Healthy Environment under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA)
the Plan of Priorities for chemicals management
the Strategy to Replace, Reduce or Refine Vertebrate Animal Testing under CEPA

These publications are key requirements under the modernized Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA).

The Implementation Framework sets out the meaning of the right to a healthy environment and provides guidance on how the Government of Canada considers this right in the administration of CEPA. The Framework provides a new lens for decision-making to support and encourage strong protection of both the environment and people who may be disproportionally impacted by pollution, now and in the future.

The Plan of Priorities outlines upcoming initiatives to address chemical substances in Canada. It includes a list of substances to be assessed and elaborates on activities that support the assessment, control, and management of risks posed by substances. This Plan builds on Canada's existing strong foundation for chemicals management.

Linked to the Plan of Priorities, the Strategy to Replace, Reduce or Refine Vertebrate Animal Testing will help guide continued efforts toward the replacement, reduction, or refinement of vertebrate animal testing under CEPA.

These initiatives work together to help protect the environment and the health of all people in Canada.

Quotes

"The Implementation Framework for the Right to a Healthy Environment under CEPA and the Plan of Priorities represent important steps forward in safeguarding the health of people in Canada and the environment. Initiatives like these will allow us to respond effectively to a changing and complex global chemical landscape and ensure that the right to a healthy environment is considered when making decisions under CEPA."
– The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 is one of Canada's core environmental laws.
On June 13, 2023, Bill S-5, Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act, received Royal Assent. This was the first set of comprehensive amendments in over 25 years to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
A right to a healthy environment in the CEPA context is recognized in the preamble of the modernized Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
Canada's Chemicals Management Plan is enabled by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. This Plan helps protect human health and the environment by assessing and managing the risks posed from a wide range of substances.
More than 200 risk-management instruments are already in place to manage the risks from substances determined to be harmful under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.