The injunction request, from the environmental group Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement and three citizens, sought to cease work on the Swedish battery company’s Northvolt Six plant, claiming the site east of Montreal was environmentally sensitive. (The Canadian Press)

Talking point: “If there is a public interest in protecting the environment, there is also a public interest in protecting the legal certainty of activities authorized by the public administration,” wrote Quebec Superior Court Justice David Collier. Set to be fully operational by 2028, the $7-billion Northvolt plant is key to Quebec’s push to produce and recycle electric vehicle batteries. It represents the biggest private investment in the province’s history, with the Quebec and the federal government contributing about $1.3 billion each to Northvolt’s $4.3 billion.