Carbon Pricing at the Supreme Court of Canada

The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) heard oral arguments concerning the constitutionality of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA) in the Carbon Pricing References from the Court of Appeals for Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Alberta on September 22-23, 2020.

This Act was adopted in 2018 as part of the federal government’s plan to tackle climate change and established a national carbon pricing scheme. Decisions of the Courts of Appeal have been divided on the question of constitutionality; both the Ontario and Saskatchewan Courts of Appeal ruled the Act to be constitutional (4-1 and 3-2, respectively), while the Alberta Court of Appeal found the Act to be unconstitutional (4-1). The Carbon Pricing Reference represents one of most significant proceedings in Canadian environmental and constitutional law over the past decade and the Supreme Court’s decision on this matter will have major implications for both climate change policy and the division of powers in Canada going forward.

Professors from the Faculty of Law directly involved in the litigation and counsel representing parties before the Supreme Court will discuss their perspectives on the presentations made before the Court, the key issues that the Court will consider in coming to a decision, and their thoughts on how the Court may ultimately decide the case. This moderated webinar will consist of brief presentations from each panellist, followed by a moderated panel discussion on potential implications of the case and a question and answer period.

Register now: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/124836183385/