Strengthening Environmental Protection and Improving the Health of Canadians

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), amended by Bill S-5 in 2023, provides the Government with the tools needed to manage a wide range of environmental and human health risks. The amended CEPA introduces a right to a healthy environment for the first time in a federal statute and modernizes the framework for managing harmful substances.

The implementation of these new amendments will now allow Canada to:

• Develop, through engagement and consultation, a new implementation framework that will specify how the right to a healthy environment and related principles will be considered in the administration of CEPA;
• Modernize how the government assesses and manages substances that Canadians use daily;
• Implement a new regime for toxic substances that pose the highest risk to Canadians and support the shift to less harmful chemicals;
• Solicit public input into developing a Plan of Chemicals Management Priorities. This will support activities like research, monitoring, and information-gathering, and promote the development and implementation of scientifically justified alternative methods to vertebrate animal testing.

The amendments also contribute directly to six goals of Canada’s 2022-2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS):

• FSDS Goal 4: Promote knowledge and skills for sustainable development;
• FSDS Goal 6: Ensure clean and safe drinking water for all Canadians;
• FSDS Goal 10: Advance reconciliation with Indigenous people and take action to reduce inequality;
• FSDS Goal 11: Improve access to affordable housing, clean air, transportation, parks, and green spaces, as well as cultural heritage in Canada; and
• FSDS Goal 12: Reduce waste and transition to zero-emission vehicles.

Internationally, CEPA now supports four of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

• SDG Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation;
• SDG Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities;
• SDG Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; and
• SDG Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

Chemicals management is an ongoing obligation of the federal government. The amendments to CEPA contribute to strengthening the protection of Canadians and the environment from exposure to harmful chemicals. This approach enables the Government to continue to protect Canadians and the environment with a stable, predictable, and transparent regime.