2024 Reports 6 to 10 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of CanadaCanadians use environmental petitions to get answers from ministers

Ottawa, 7 November 2024—Today, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry V. DeMarco released the 2024 Environmental Petitions Annual Report to inform Parliament and Canadians about the number, subject matter, and status of petitions, including ministers’ responses.

From 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada received 26 environmental petitions. The petitions raised concerns about toxic substances, monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, protecting green spaces, and protecting human and aquatic life.

The 2 departments that received the most petitions were Environment and Climate Change Canada (12) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (8). Health Canada, Transport Canada, and Natural Resources Canada received at least 5 petitions each, with many petitions being addressed to more than 1 federal organization. From 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, 20 organizations responded to 23 petitions.

Environmental petitions are a unique way for Canadian residents—acting as individuals or on behalf of an organization—to bring their concerns and questions about environmental issues to the attention of the federal ministers and be guaranteed a response. Organizations have 120 days to respond to petitions. The Commissioner administers the petitions process on behalf of the Auditor General of Canada.

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The 2024 Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Report 10—Environmental Petitions Annual Report, is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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