From Brownfields to Brightfields: Advancing a just energy transition in Indigenous communities – The Environment Journal
June 1, 2026
Over the past three decades, brownfield policy has shifted from a narrow focus on contamination management to a broader redevelopment agenda associated with urban revitalization, environmental enhancement, and sustainable land use. Once seen mainly as liabilities requiring risk management, brownfields are now recognized as strategic sites where cleanup can support wider socio-economic and environmental goals, including infill development, infrastructure renewal, and community revitalization. This shift reflects a broader sustainability agenda in which policy and planning seek to integrate environmental protection, economic growth, and social well-being rather than treating them as separate domains.
In Canada, this policy evolution is evident in the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP)–a multi-billion-dollar cost-shared program established in 2005 to support federal efforts to address the sites for which they are responsible. Although FCSAP has made an important contribution to reducing health and environmental risks, a recent evaluation found that its contribution to federal sustainability priorities remains limited [1]. In particular, while the program has supported federal sustainability priorities of environmental protection, job creation, and skills development, more could be done to align with priorities related to innovation, climate change, and, most importantly, reconciliation with Indigenous communities [1].
