Youth fight on, taking landmark climate litigation back to Ontario’s highest court following Ford’s attempt to dodge scrutiny

Press Release

February 3, 2026

Toronto, Ont./ Traditional territories of several First Nations including the Williams Treaties First Nations, Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation — The seven young Ontarians behind the landmark Mathur et al. v. Ontario Charter challenge are going back to Court. On Thursday, the Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed it will hear the youths’ motion asking the province’s highest court to revisit their case and rule on whether the Ford government’s climate record violates their Charter rights.

Last November, days before the case was set to be re-heard before the Ontario Superior court, the Ford government quietly rolled back Ontario’s climate accountability framework — including the statutory requirement that the province set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The government’s last-minute repeal of its climate laws forced an adjournment of their scheduled December 1 hearing, denying the youth their day in court.

“We’re pushing to get this case back before the court because the Ford government cannot continue to play games and avoid its legal duties under the Charter in the face of climate change,” said Ecojustice lawyer, Fraser Thomson. “The courts have already found Ontario’s 2030 climate target is inadequate. Instead of fixing it, Premier Ford scrapped the law that required setting climate targets at all.”

The youth applicants — whose historic Charter challenge argues that the province’s inadequate climate target and plan violate their constitutional rights — believe this latest tactic is part of a broader pattern by the Ford government of dodging accountability for its climate record.

“We followed the rules, waited our turn, and were ready to be heard — only to have the Ford government pull the law out from under us at the eleventh hour,” said youth applicant, Shaelyn Wabegijig. “If Premier Ford thought rewriting the rules to dodge scrutiny would make us go away, he was wrong. We’re taking this back to court because our future isn’t Premier Ford’s to gamble with.”

This comes as Ontario’s Auditor General recently warned the province is on track to miss its 2030 emissions target — likely by a wider margin than the government has acknowledged.

The Court of Appeal’s directions confirming the scheduling of the hearing were issued by Justice Sossin.

Pursuant to the Court of Appeal’s approved schedule for the youths’ reconsideration motion, the filing of legal arguments by the youth and Ontario will be complete by April 20th.  The Court of Appeal is expected to rule thereafter.

Media Contacts

Cari Siebrits, Communications Strategist | Ecojustice
csiebrits@ecojustice.ca, (416) 368-7533 ext. 504

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