TORONTO, Ont. — Canada’s most famous environmentalist has reportedly left the board of his charitable foundation to avoid being a lightning rod for criticism.

The Globe and Mail reports David Suzuki wants to avoid seeing the foundation face government attacks that would undermine its work.

Suzuki told the newspaper he had to leave the board because it was being targeted because of his personal views and actions.

The 76-year-old environmentalist also said he had felt he needed more freedom to speak his mind and “can’t stand being a liability.”

Foundation chief executive Peter Robinson says a “chill” is leading the group to pull back from key environmental debates lest it be accused by Ottawa of exceeding its charitable mandate.

In the recent federal budget, Ottawa said non-profit groups will have to provide more information “on their political activities, including the extent to which these are funded by foreign sources.”

“We’re seeing a very difficult period of time in terms of the rhetoric and the tone of what’s coming out from the government,” Robinson told The Globe and Mail’s editorial board.

“And why we find this alarming is that environmental groups and organizations, we think, provide a really valuable input into discussions in our society, things that Canadians value.”