Expert: Supreme Court’s carbon tax decision

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled the federal Liberal government's carbon pricing regime is constitutional — a major decision that allows Ottawa to push ahead with its ambitious plan to ensure every province and territory has a price on carbon to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Some provinces — notably Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan — have forcefully opposed the carbon tax, arguing natural resources are in the provinces' jurisdiction under the Constitution. (CBC News) 

Here is an expert from McGill University that can provide comment on this issue: 

Sébastien Jodoin, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law  

“The Supreme Court’s decision confirms that the unique challenges posed by climate change justifies the Federal government’s constitutional authority to enact a pan-Canadian framework for setting a minimum price on carbon. It is an important victory for effective climate governance in Canada and demonstrates the flexible nature of Canadian constitutional law in the face of new environmental issues and problems.” 

Sébastien Jodoin is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law, as well a member of the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism and an associate member of the Bieler School of Environment. His research focuses on legal and policy solutions to complex environmental and social problems that cut across multiple fields and levels of governance. 

sebastien.jodoin [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)