Montreal, September 27, 2022 – The Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE) today released an important report entitled “Climate-washing: How to Turn the Tide”, which examines the regulatory landscape in Quebec and Canada and, drawing on best practices from around the world, makes a series of recommendations for policy makers.
As claims of carbon neutrality and net zero greenhouse gas emissions proliferate, there is also a significant increase in controversies related to climate-washing in the private sector.
“More and more companies are making climate commitments and offering so-called carbon neutral products to meet consumer and investor demands. Unfortunately, some of these claims are not based on real GHG emission reductions. We are therefore advocating for a better framework for corporate climate claims, both at the federal and provincial levels,” explains Mtre Julien O. Beaulieu, lead author of the report.
“The problem is that when false or misleading, these statements are likely to distort important decisions of various stakeholders in the context of a climate emergency,” points out Mtre Marc Bishai, a lawyer at CQDE who contributed to the report.
“The objective of this report is to take stock of the ways in which the legal and regulatory framework can be improved, adapted, and strengthened to better respond to reality. We want to provide decision-makers with the tools they need to rise to the challenges they face,” explains Sophie-Anne Legendre, the CQDE’s interim Executive Director.
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THE AUTHORS
The Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE)
As the only charitable organization dedicated to environmental law in Quebec, the CQDE’s mission is to put its legal expertise at the service of environmental protection and the public at large. To do so, it provides legal information, participates in legislative and regulatory reforms, and undertakes legal actions, thus contributing to the development of a cohesive legal framework to protect the environment and facilitate access to justice.
Julien O. Beaulieu, lead author of the CQDE report
Julien O. Beaulieu holds an MBA from Université de Sherbrooke and a graduate degree in economics from Concordia University. Mtre Beaulieu is a lawyer specializing in competition law and a lecturer in law at Université de Sherbrooke.
Source: Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE)
Media contact: Sophie Turri, Communications Manager, CQDE
sophie.turri@cqde.org | 438-979-7951
