Jessica Clogg

Vancouver
Executive Director and Senior Counsel, West Coast Environmental Law

Jessica Clogg, alongside West Coast Environmental Law, has played an instrumental role in environmental law reform efforts and in the passage of new environmental laws in the face of crucial challenges such as climate change, sustainable resource extraction and marine protection. These reforms included the new British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act, which is the first provincial legislation in Canada that recognizes the inherent jurisdiction of Indigenous nations in making their own decisions regarding resource projects within their territories. Clogg also helped in the development of RELAW, a program that strives to revitalize Indigenous laws over land, air and water. The pilot phase of the program involved more than 50 First Nations who participated in projects wherein they applied their own laws to land and resource management, environmental assessment, water stewardship and fisheries governance, among other issues. Overall, these initiatives have improved legal protection for the environment and environmental decision-making processes. She holds an Ashoka fellowship, which recognizes her commitment to bridging between Canadian and Indigenous legal traditions.