Some of the country’s biggest polluters are multibillion-dollar companies. Limited fines may not be enough to stop them, but other potential solutions exist.
Read the full article by Ben Collison on The Conversation or The Narwhal
Monetary penalties for breaking environmental laws continue to rise. Yet, many companies are failing to maintain compliance and pollution continues to flow. This is especially true in the case of water.
Water pollution from natural resource extraction can hinder economic drivers like tourism and fisheries, impair Indigenous rights, harm species at risk of extinction and perpetuate environmental racism.
For many businesses, a hefty one-off fine for breaking an environmental law is an unsettling wake up call. Responsible employers reflect on this seriously and take tangible steps to reduce the chance of their operations harming the environment in the future. But for wealthy repeat offenders, fines may be treated as nothing more than the cost of doing business. This is where the problem lies, and some of Canada’s richest corporations prove it.
Westwood Lab 