Environmental Defence Canada is a 4-star charity. It has an A- Results Reporting grade, which is above average. The charity holds reserve funds within Ci's reasonable range. For every dollar donated to Environmental Defence Canada, 78 cents are available to go to the cause, which is within Ci's reasonable range. 

Founded in 1984, Environmental Defence Canada (EDC) aims to protect Canada’s freshwater and land, decrease plastic pollution, and promote clean energy alternatives. EDC empowers individual Canadians, works with industry leaders, and advocates for new government policies to achieve these goals. The charity has five major programs: Climate & Clean Economy, Ontario: Yours to Protect, Safeguarding Freshwater, Ending Plastic Pollution, and Kicking Out Toxics. EDC spent $4.6m on its programs in F2024.

Climate and Clean Economy represented 62% of program costs in F2024. In partnership with Ecojustice, EDC ran a poll on Canadian opinions on the Climate Aligned Finance Act. The charity reports that two-thirds of Canadians support the passing of the act and three-quarters of Canadians support laws against greenwashing by corporations. EDC advocated to the federal government to keep its commitment to having all vehicles sold in Canada be electric by 2035. In February 2024, the charity partnered with Équiterre to release the Putting Wheels on the Bus report. This report shows that expanding public transit service can double ridership in Canada and cut emissions by 65 million tonnes. In F2024, the charity launched “Climate Villains”, which is designed to expose the behaviour of Canadian oil and gas CEOs.

Ontario: Yours to Protect represented 19% of program costs in F2024. In F2024, EDC focused on protecting the Greenbelt and stopping Highway 413 from being built. EDC organized 110 public protests and collected over 50,000 signatures in its “Hands off the Greenbelt” campaign. The charity states that  if Highway 413 is built, it will add over 17 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, resulting in $1.4 billion in damages from pollution. It would also pave over 400 acres of Greenbelt and over 2,000 acres of Ontario’s most productive farmland.

Plastic Pollution represented 8% of program costs in F2024. EDC states that less than 9% of plastic waste gets recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, where it destroys ecosystems and releases toxic chemicals. In F2024, EDC released an audit of 54 high-traffic grocery stores. It revealed that over 70% of products in Canada’s produce and baby food aisles are packaged in plastic. This can expose people to microplastics and harmful chemical additives.

Freshwater represented 6% of program costs in F2024. In F2024, EDC’s efforts focused on shutting down Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline, which crosses directly through the Great Lakes at the Straits of Mackinac. In F2024, 6,300 EDC supports sent letters to the federal government, calling for the permanent shutdown of Line 5. The charity also hosted a webinar for supporters who wanted to meet directly with the MP of the region. Its #WeAreLakeErie hashtag generated over 1 million impressions and reached over 310,000 social media accounts.

Toxic Chemicals represented 4% of program costs in F2024. EDC advocated for the passage of Bill S-5, an update to Canada’s environmental laws. This law will better protect people and the environment from harmful substances.