I would like to propose amendment G-5. Its reference number is 12136497. It would amend clause 4 in Bill S-5 by adding after line 28 on page 3 the following:
healthy environment means an environment that is clean, healthy and sustainable.
That's the amendment itself, and I will explain the rationale behind it.
It begs the question of what kind of environment would be healthy if it wasn't also clean and sustainable, but this amendment is based on testimony that we heard from multiple witnesses, not the least of whom was Dr. David Boyd, the world's foremost expert on this subject matter and the UN special rapporteur on human rights and the environment, who also happens to be a Canadian. This would make this act consistent with how the right is described in the UN General Assembly in a resolution that was passed less than half a year ago and that Canada supported. It would ensure that Canada essentially practices what it preaches internationally.
It's defined here in the definitions section, such that it wouldn't need to be amended every time we mention “right to a healthy environment” throughout this act.