Manitoba's NDP government has endorsed the Suzuki Foundation Blue Dot campaign.
The campaign seeks protection of the right of citizens for a clean environment, that is: clean air, clean water, clean and safe food, and fully functioning ecosystems that provide services to nature and humans. Implicit in these goals is protection from climate change impacts.
Municipalities and cities are endorsing environmental rights for citizens and signing onto the campaign. Manitoba is the first province to take this step. Included in Manitoba's intention are a code of practice to enforce these environmental rights, with independent oversight to review government department policies and actions.
The Manitoba government posted a set of questions, and requested comments from Manitobans about potential content for the Manitoba Environmental Bill of Rights. No public registry is in place for the public review. Draft text is not yet available.
EcoJustice Canada, a charitable group of environmental lawyers, released its advice for the contents of the future Manitoba Bill of Environmental Rights. Manitoba Wildlands endorsed the EcoJustice advice in its comments, while commenting that some of the comparisons to the Ontario EBR system do not apply in Manitoba.
To date there is no Bill in the Legislature, though a session of the Manitoba Legislature begins February 28, 2016. If the Environmental Bill of Rights is tabled it could go to committee, including for public presentations, before the session ends. The Manitoba provincial election is dated April 19, 2016.
View October 16, 2015 Manitoba Government news release
View Manitoba Environmental Bill of Rights web page
View Blue Dot Campaign, Suzuki Foundation
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