A Topography of Effective Climate Governance in Canada: The Contours of Fiduciary Obligation

Abstract

Directors’ fiduciary duties in Canada include an obligation to identify and oversee management of the company’s climate-related risks and opportunities. The precise contours of these obligations need further articulation. Internationally adopted financial disclosure accounting standards and green and transition finance taxonomies help to clarify the reasonable expectations of regulators, investors, creditors, and other stakeholders in respect of directors’ specific duties to achieve climate financial resilience and transition the company to net-zero carbon emissions.