Coalition for Action on Toxics

Background of the organization:

Founded in 2016, the Coalition for Action on Toxics is a funder-NGO partnership that brings together experts, advocates, and representatives from health and environmental NGOs with a shared belief that all Canadians deserve to live healthy lives in a healthy environment. Key partners in the Coalition include the following registered charities: the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, and Équiterre. Funding partners include the DragonFly Fund at Tides Canada, and the Gosling, Patagonia, McLean, Ivey, Lush, and Chisholm Thomson Family Foundations.

Grant Description:

Despite plummeting bee populations and well documented links to health conditions like cancer, asthma and autism, Canada’s legislative policies have fallen behind those of many other countries in regulating and banning toxic chemicals and harmful pesticides, effectively putting Canadians at increased risk of unnecessary and avoidable health challenges.

There is a historic opportunity in 2020 to significantly reduce exposure to toxics across Canada. The two main pieces of Canadian legislation that have the greatest impact on environmental and human exposure to toxics— the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA)—are being reviewed. It is important that environmental and health organizations participate in this process to ensure adequate legislative change and counter industry lobbying to weaken regulations.

Funding for the Coalition for Action on Toxics will support work on this immediate priority as well as ongoing research and policy advocacy on related matters. The project has three main objectives over the next three years:

• respond to policy and legislative opportunities to achieve meaningful changes to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), and the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA)
• support precedent-setting litigation and amplify messages among partner organizations, and key audiences in Canada
• build public awareness, concern, and engagement regarding toxic chemicals and pesticides.