Throughout the year, our team and our allies have joined forces to remind everyone that
the rule of law and environmental protection are not obstacles, but our best tools for
protecting the general public and future generations, and ensuring a just, ecological, and democratic transition.
Despite strong headwinds, we managed to achieve significant gains!
FIGHTING DEREGULATION AND PROTECTING THE RULE OF LAW
This year, several bills have illustrated a worrying trend toward deregulation and an erosion of our rule of law:
Omnibus Bill 81
It opens the door to easier damage to wetlands and threatened species by allowing authorizations without a full assessment.
In response to this setback, we submitted a brief, spoke before a parliamentary committee, and
mobilized civil society to demand that the minister correct the situation.
Bill 93 on Stablex
It introduced for the benefit of a private company and passed under gag order, circumvents essential rules for biodiversity protection and public
participation.
We denounced this abuse and pointed out that it sets a dangerous precedent that undermines municipal autonomy and the environmental legal framework.
Federal Bill C-5 on projects of “national interest”
It changes the rules of democracy by allowing the government to exempt certain projects from environmental laws.
We have filed a brief and initiated legal proceedings to challenge this law, which we consider unconstitutional.
Together with the Institut du Nouveau Monde, we have launched a unique monitoring program for bills and regulations that affect the environment and democratic rights inQuébec. By making this information accessible, we hope to strengthen public vigilance and facilitate participation in the debates that shape our collective future.
MAKING INDUSTRIES ACCOUNTABLE
Northvolt
We are still involved in legal action against the Québec government to challenge the authorization of preparatory work for the Northvolt project and the regulatory changes thatruled out a BAPE review.
One step forward! The Superior Court of Québec rejected the
Québec government’s request to dismiss part of the case before the hearing on its merits.
End of hydrocarbons
On the hydrocarbon front, we celebrated two victories. In May 2025, the Québec Court ofAppeal ordered oil and gas companies to shut down their wells during their dispute with the government.
In October, the Supreme Court denied their appeal, forcing them to begin the permanent closure of their wells immediately.
DEMANDING MORE ACCESS TO INFORMATION
Public register for environmental information
After more than seven years of waiting, we filed a lawsuit against the Québec government for its failure to make the public environmental information register available online, an essential tool for transparency and public participation.
A victory for all Quebecers
In April 2025, the CQDE, representing a local resident, succeeded in getting the Commission d’accès à l’information (Access to Information Commission) to order the disclosure of a report on water quality in Drummondville near a landfill site.
INFORM, RAISE AWARENESS, MOBILIZE
Throughout the year, the CQDE strengthened its role in legal education and mass mobilization:
We published two reports.
We published six Obiterre articles, your free legal guide to the environment.
To amplify our impact, we also rolled out a new brand image, a new website, and a new video:
The CQDE has been named one of Canada’s 2026 Clean50 honourees, which celebrate 50 individuals or small teams who have made outstanding contributions to the clean economy in Canada, as well as a Clean16 award, taking first place in the “Advocacy” category.
The CQDE’s victories are also yours!
Thanks to your support, we defend the right to live
in a healthy environment, transparency, public participation, and a vibrant democracy each and every day.
Support the CQDE today to help us continue our mission.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our faithful financial partners, our cherished donors, and our members, thanks to whom we are able to carry out our work.
Our sincere thanks also go to the Ruben & So Foundation, the Esther Bourgeois
Foundation, the Antoine Turmel Foundation, and numerous congregations.
