Judge rejects federal bid to quash case over greenhouse gas emission targets

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OTTAWA — The Federal Court has rejected Ottawa’s bid to toss out a case accusing the government of having no intention of meeting its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions target.

A group of climate advocates filed a court action against the federal government in June arguing recent policy changes have knocked Ottawa off track to meet Canada’s legislated greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Environmental Defence, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and climate activists Marie Maltais, Sophia Mathur and Shirley Barnea brought the case forward.

They asked the Federal Court to order the government to bring its 2030 emission reductions plan into compliance with the Net-Zero Accountability Act — or to declare Ottawa’s emission reductions plan unlawful under the act.

In a recent motion, government lawyers argued the Federal Court doesn’t have the power to order Ottawa to take steps to meet its emissions targets.

In a ruling dated last Friday, Justice Patrick Gleeson said the government had failed to meet the high bar for striking an application to the court.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2026.

The Canadian Press