Abby Shin

I was getting overwhelmed with all the bad news, and (while staying informed is important) wanted to start a series of posts that highlight some exciting updates in environmental advocacy. A recent blog post from Ecojustice then reminded me of this story, which is truly inspirational!

These young people are holding Ontario accountable for climate progress (or a lack thereof).

With the current state of global issues, it is so important that young people reject apathy and get involved – especially in politics. Those leading the Mathur et al. v. Ontario court case are a great example of this. Since 2019, Ecojustice Canada and Stockwoods LLP have been backing seven young people – Sophia Mathur, Zoe Keary-Matzner, Shaelyn Wabegijig, Shelby Gagon, Alex Neufeldt, Madison Dyck, and Beze Gray – in suing the Government of Ontario for rolling back its climate targets through the 2018 Cap and Trade Cancellation Act. Essentially, the group is arguing that by repealing the 2020, 2030, and 2050 greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets and replacing them with one very weak 2030 target, Ontario allowed (and will continue to allow) significantly more GHG emissions that would fuel the escalating climate emergency – thus violating its citizens’ Charter-enshrined rights to life, liberty, and security of the person.

In 2019, the seven were 12, 13, 22, 23, and 24 years of age (below). See here for their 2019 profiles – each of them are so inspiring! The purpose of the case was to force the province to strengthen its climate targets, and result in court orders which affirm that a lack of climate change action violates the right to life, liberty and security of the person in Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This would thus strengthen the legal precedent for the right to a safe and healthy climate both provincially and nationally.

General timeline of progress

Note that this timeline is very high-level, and does not nearly capture all of the detailed, hard work that has gone into this case! To learn more about the specifics, explore the timeline on Ecojustice’s website.

• April 2020: The Ontario Government filed a motion to strike down Mathur et al.’s case.
• November 2020: The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that the case should be tried! This would be met with an attempt to overturn from Ford’s government.
• March 2021: The Ontario Divisional Court dismissed the province’s attempt to overturn the November decision!
• September 2022: The Mathur group and their lawyers begin their fight in the Ontario Superior Court.
• April 2023: Justice Marie-Andrée Vermette dismissed their case, ruling that the Cap and Trade Cancellation Act did not violate the identified sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• May 2023: The group and their lawyers begin the fight to appeal the dismissal.
• January 2024: The group is heard at the Ontario Court of Appeal, arguing that their case should be tried.
• October 2024: The Ontario Court of Appeal rules in favour of Mathur et al.’s climate lawsuit against the Ontario government continuing forward!
• December 2024: The Ontario government files an application for leave to appeal the case in the Supreme Court of Canada, thus setting the stage for a showdown between Ontario and the Mathur group in our highest court.

The group is currently preparing for their fight in court, and it is vital that Canadians keep voicing our support. To do so, Ecojustice has prepped a letter to the editor template for young people to send to our local news outlets! Check that out here!

It is also important to spread the word, and tell people you know about this case. It has already made unprecedented progress, and is crucial step towards forcing real government accountability regarding climate action.

Sources

Ecojustice Canada. (2019). Backgrounder: Mathur et. al. v. Her Majesty in Right of Ontario. https://ecojustice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Ontario-Climate-Case-Backgrounder.pdf?x64512

Ecojustice Canada. (2025). Climate justice and the next generation: Three youth-led climate cases to watch. https://ecojustice.ca/news/climate-justice-and-the-next-generation-three-youth-led-climate-cases-to-watch/

Ecojustice Canada. (2025). Key Developments: #GenClimateAction: Mathur et. al. v. His Majesty in Right of Ontario. https://ecojustice.ca/file/genclimateaction-mathur-et-al-v-her-majesty-in-right-of-ontario/