Environment groups suing Ottawa over projected missed emission targets

A group of climate advocates is suing the federal government, saying recent policy changes have put it off track to meet Canada's legislated emission reduction targets.

An application for judicial review filed on Monday asks the Federal Court to order Ottawa to bring its 2030 emissions reductions plan into compliance with the Net-Zero Accountability Act.

The application also says that, in lieu of such an order, the Federal Court should declare Ottawa's emission reductions plan unlawful under the act.

The Net-Zero Accountability Act, which passed in 2021, legally commits Canada to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and requires the government to set national emission reduction targets along the way — though there are no consequences for missing them.

A progress report published in December shows the government is nowhere near on track to meet its current target of cutting emissions to 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels.

Environmental Defence and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment are named as applicants in the lawsuit, along with climate activists Marie Maltais, Sophia Mathur and Shirley Barnea.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2026.

By Nick Murray | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.