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Venetia E.K. Whiting

 Environmental, Aboriginal and Regulatory Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate

Jessica B. Horwitz

International Trade Lawyer, Customs Lawyer, Regulatory Lawyer, Anti-Corruption and Economic Sanctions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner

<a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2021-148/index.html">The Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products Regulations</a>, which came into force on January 7, 2023, impose requirements on manufacturers, importers and sellers of composite wood products relating to emissions testing and limits, certification, labelling, reporting and record keeping.

New Formaldehyde Standards on Composite Wood Products Imported into Sold

New Formaldehyde Standards on Composite Wood Products Imported into, Sold or Manufactured in Canada

Sarah E. Gilbert

Regulatory, Environmental and Health and Safety Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

On April 18, 2023, the Government of Canada announced the launch of consultations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 with respect to a Regulatory Framework that serves as the starting point for the proposed Recycled Content and Labelling for Plastic Products Regulations; and a Technical Paper outlining the reporting requirements for the federal plastics registry. The Government is moving forward with these initiatives in support of its Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste, which was adopted by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment in November 2018.

No Time to Waste Consultation Open on Federal Plastics Initiatives

No Time to Waste—Consultation Open on Federal Plastics Initiatives

Julia E. Schatz

Commercial Litigation, Agribusiness, Arbitration, Real Estate, Construction and Environmental Litigation at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner 

Our Field Notes blog is intended to provide a high-level overview of the emerging issues in the landscape of pesticides in Canada, including happenings at the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). In our first issue, we have focused on some of the PMRA's recent and current  initiatives. 

Field Notes Recent Pesticide Initiatives in Canada

Field Notes: Recent Pesticide Initiatives in Canada

Venetia Whiting is moderating a panel at the OBA's Ontario Legal Conference: Municipal, Planning & Environmental Law on February 9, 2023. The session—entitled Extended Producer Responsibility and Single-Use Plastics Update—will discuss single-use plastics, blue box reform and related greenwashing risks.

Extended Producer Responsibility and Single-Use Plastics Update

Luke Morrison

Energy Project Development, M&A, and Commercial Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Ashley M. White

Corporate, Commercial Transactions, Power & Energy Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Pamela Clark

Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary 

Associate 

On June 6, 2025, the federal government introduced Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act, which proposes new legislation aimed at strengthening Canada's economy by removing interprovincial trade and labour mobility barriers and advancing major projects.

Wind In The Sails of Canadian Energy Project Development

Wind In The Sails of Canadian Energy Project Development: Major Projects Office Open For Business, and Details of Fast-Tracked Projects Emerging

Stephen D. Burns

Technology Lawyer, Intellectual Property Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner, Trademark Agent

Matthew Flynn

Technology Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

J. Sébastien A. Gittens

Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

AI transcription tools offer efficiency and accuracy in the boardroom but create risks to confidentiality, privacy and legal privilege. Organizations should adopt clear policies, safeguards and training to ensure responsible use and compliance with governance standards.

AI Notetaking in the Boardroom

Lorelei Graham

Food and Agribusiness Lawyer, IP Lawyer, Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

The United States Patent and Trademark Office's decision to cancel its Climate Change Mitigation pilot program for patents has not gone unnoticed in Canada. For Canadian policymakers and agri-tech innovators, this move by the United States raises two big questions: (1) How might this affect Canada&rsquo;s own intellectual property&nbsp; strategy for green tech, and (2) could it create opportunities for Canada (and others) to take the lead in certain climate-tech domains?
A particular area of interest is carbon-capture agri-tech, technologies that help farming not just reduce emissions but actively capture carbon (for instance, special crops or soil treatments that lock away carbon dioxide or farm machinery that traps greenhouse gases). These innovations are crucial for meeting climate goals and could become a competitive arena internationally.

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part IV

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part IV: Shifting Gears: How the United States' Exit from Climate Protection Fuels Canada's IP Advantage

Martin Ignasiak KC

Regulatory Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Jessica Kennedy

Larissa D. Lees

Alberta&rsquo;s updated self-supply rules create new opportunities for on-site power generation. This blog highlights key regulatory issues, risks, and opportunities developers need to consider.

So You Want to Supply Your Own Power Key Considerations for On Site Generation in Alberta

So You Want to Supply Your Own Power: Key Considerations for On-Site Generation in Alberta

Across the Atlantic, the European Union (EU) and its member states have also been encouraging climate-resilient agri-tech innovation, but their approach to intellectual property incentives has been a bit different. The European Union has set ambitious climate goals (like achieving climate neutrality by 2050) and launched the European Green Deal, a broad policy agenda to support sustainable technologies. While funding and regulations (such as support for sustainable farming practices) are big parts of the EU strategy, there is also recognition that IP rights play an important role in fostering innovation. However, unlike Canada or the recent US pilot program, Europe has not implemented a unified “green channel” for patent examination at the European Patent Office.

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part III

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part III: Green Without the Label: Europe's Pragmatic IP Approach to Agri-Tech Innovation

Recent Court Decisions on Quantification of Environmental Damages

Authors


Bennett Jones Article Recent Court Decisions on Quantification of Environmental Damages October 1, 2017 Authors Venetia E.K. WhitingAssociate Venetia Whiting and Julia Schatz author "Recent Court Decisions on Quantification of Environmental Damages" for the LSUC Six Minute Environmental Lawyer 2017. Share by Email Social Media Download Download Subscribe Republishing Requests For permission to republish this or any other publication, contact Amrita Kochhar at kochhara@bennettjones.com. For informational purposes only This publication provides an overview of legal trends and updates for informational purposes only. For personalized legal advice, please contact the authors. Authors Venetia E.K. Whiting, Associate Toronto • 416.777.4895 • whitingv@bennettjones.com