Our Mission

West Coast Environmental Law believes in a just and sustainable society where citizens are empowered to protect the environment and environmental protection is enshrined in law. West Coast Environmental Law is British Columbia’s legal champion for the environment. We provide legal information, guidance and support to individuals, communities and organizations seeking to protect their water, lands and air. We believe that the best way to safeguard the environment is to have it protected by law. Through law, British Columbia’s species and ecosystems will be protected, communities will have a democratic voice in their environment, social, and economic well-being, and we will make the essential shift to greater sustainability.

As our name implies, we are experts in environmental law. We are called on time and again for advice on the toughest legal issues facing the environment in British Columbia. West Coast has provided support to communities and non-governmental organizations on virtually every environmental issue imaginable since we opened our doors in 1974. We know what we are doing and our work has earned us respect and credibility. We are proud to be the public watchdog for environmental law in BC.

Along with empowering BC citizens to protect the environment, West Coast Environmental Law also makes certain that progressive, stringent environmental laws are created and enforced in British Columbia. West Coast Environmental Law has helped establish and shape many of BC’s most significant environmental legislative initiatives, and we continue to be the trusted authority in BC on environmental law. We helped shape the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act; we helped ensure lasting protection for the Great Bear Rainforest; we were one of the principal drafters of the BC Forest Stewardship Council forest certification standard – an internationally recognized “green mark” – just to name a few.

About WEST COAST ENVIRONMENTAL LAW RESEARCH FOUNDATION

In addition to our staff expertise on environmental law generally, we have in-house expertise on laws related to oil and gas development, energy, urban sustainability, climate change and forestry. Our approach to achieving strong environmental protection is unique, in the way we analyze environmental law, develop strategies to empower and mobilize citizens, and reform law to safeguard our natural environment. We focus on solutions through in-depth analysis, expert research, and a balanced approach; we engage BC communities, First Nations, advocacy groups, the private sector, and all levels of government to build consensus on legal solutions that protect and sustain the environment. West Coast also informs and empowers citizens through the most respected source of free environmental legal information and advice; the only source of environmental legal aid in BC; and by acting as BC’s public “watchdog,” sounding the alarm when weak laws threaten environmental protection.