Albert Koehl

Staff Lawyer, Albert Koehl

When Albert Koehl joined Ecojustice’s legal staff in the Toronto office in 2001, he was looking for an opportunity to practice environmental law while fulfilling his passion for social justice.

Albert arrived at Ecojustice with an impressive resume.   He had worked as an environmental prosecutor for the Ontario government for six years, and then served in Guatemala as both a United Nations investigator and volunteer human rights observer. After returning to Canada in 1998, Albert dove into the area of poverty law for two Toronto community legal clinics before joining Ecojustice.  At Ecojustice, Albert knew he had landed the opportunity he had been hoping for – one that allowed him to protect the environment and, by extension, those most vulnerable to the effects of environmental damage. 

“Environmental and social justice go hand in hand,” says Albert.  “It is usually the poorest who are least able to defend themselves from environmental degradation. Hurricane Katrina reminded us of this fact. The disadvantaged are often downwind or downstream, while global warming is adding a long list of new dangers.  At the same time, we need to take an inclusive approach to encourage those who feel marginalized to be part of the fight against global warming because it’s going to take a lot more than a handful of politicians and environmental activists.”

Consistent with his interest in social justice, Albert is very active in his community. He is a founding member of a group that advocates for children who are being denied their legal right to go to school because of their parents’ ambiguous immigration status. Albert was recently nominated for The Law Society of Upper Canada's Lincoln Alexander Award for his volunteer work.

At Ecojustice, Albert’s compassion for those less fortunate shines through in the numerous cases he has taken on.  For instance, his ongoing effort to end the billions of dollars in tax subsidies being handed to big oil companies has served as a national wake-up call, and in late 2007 Albert filed a petition against federal government cuts to an energy-saving program that was designed to help low income households.

In addition to his experiences as a lawyer, Albert has accumulated a fascinating array of other life experiences. He has run for political office, traveled across Africa, and studied Mandarin in China. He is fluent in German, French and Spanish.  He is also an active free lance writer with published articles in Canada's leading dailies and various magazines on a range of topics. When he’s not busy on one of his many projects, Albert takes time out when the weather is warm to canoe through the waters of Algonquin Park in Ontario.

Albert is optimistic that the mindset around environmental rights is shifting.  “Since I started at Ecojustice, I’ve noticed there has been a universal change in our focus from a right to pollute, to that of a right to clean air, water, and land, and above all the right to a future that is safe and secure from global warming.  These rights are as crucial as good education and good health care.”

Albert says that Ecojustice helps him take steps to make his vision become a reality. “At Ecojustice we can help change the big picture. We have the expertise to educate, influence, and even force decision-makers to protect our environment and thereby make Canada a healthier place to live while offering hope to others around the world.”