Nature is core to Canada's national identity, is a source of pride, and is the foundation of our daily lives. But the science is clear: nature is in trouble. Biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history. When we lose nature, we jeopardize the things we rely on and often take for granted: clean air and water, flood regulation, climate regulation, food security, pollination, and the foundation for much of our economy.
First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation are the first biodiversity guardians, and have stewarded the lands, waters, and ice across Canada for a very long time. But biodiversity loss threatens their ability to exercise their rights, such as the rights to hunt, fish, harvest from the land, and sustain a traditional way of life, including cultural practices and ceremonies.
Urgent action is needed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework provides an ambitious path forward for doing so at the global level. The 2030 Nature Strategy charts a path for how Canada will implement the Framework.
The 2030 Nature Strategy builds on existing initiatives in all regions and sectors across the country, recognizing that these efforts have not been and will not be enough on their own, as biodiversity continues to decline in Canada. Harnessing the transformative change needed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss requires a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach built on partnership and collaboration. It requires us to address the challenges that have held us back, rethink the paradigms and systems that led us to this crisis, and find new ways of doing things, of working together, and of financing our efforts.
A vision to 2050 will serve as a guide for our actions: nature is healthy, thriving, and sustaining and enriching the lives of current and future generations, and all Canadians have re-established their relationship with and are honouring their responsibilities to nature. Six pillars will ensure our path to 2030 is inclusive, adaptable, and evidence-based:
- Recognizing, upholding, and implementing the rights of Indigenous peoples and advancing reconciliation, as Indigenous peoples are the original caretakers of the lands, waters, and ice.
- Ensuring a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach to create policy coherence and draw on the strengths of every segment of society to build and deliver the solutions we need.
- Supporting a resilient economy and improving efficiency and certainty, as our prosperity is inherently linked to a healthy environment.
- Empowering on-the-ground action by reflecting regional differences, supporting communities, and adopting flexible community-based approaches.
- Using the best available science and knowledge, incorporating new insights, sharing information, and giving equal weight to Western science and Indigenous Knowledge.
- Applying integrated, holistic approaches to ensure our actions are inclusive and transparent.
The 2030 Nature Strategy addresses all 23 of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework targets, matching the level of ambition for each. The federal government will lead by example, building on its recent historic investments, and ensure transparency and accountability in its actions. However, federal actions alone will not be enough. Provincial and territorial leadership and ambition will be essential, complemented by actions by all other segments of society.
Halting and reversing biodiversity loss is one of the great challenges of our time, but if we get it right, the transition to a nature-positive Canada will have profoundly positive impacts on our collective well-being, economic prosperity, and quality of life now and into the future.
The Nature Accountability Bill
The Nature Accountability Bill was introduced in Parliament today to enshrine certain nature and biodiversity commitments that Canada has made internationally.
The effective stewardship of our natural environment requires all levels of government and all Canadians to take action. The bill, if passed into law, would create a transparency and accountability framework-with meaningful checkpoints-for the federal government to play its role in advancing implementation of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework and related Convention on Biological Diversity commitments at the federal level.
The bill would provide concrete steps to 2050 to advance implementation of those commitments, including requirements to develop national biodiversity strategies and action plans-like the 2030 Nature Strategy-and to report on their implementation. Reporting requirements would allow for an assessment of implementation progress and, where necessary, provide information on course corrections to stay on track with commitments.
The bill would also require that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change consider certain things when establishing national strategies and preparing national reports. For example, the Minister would be required to consider Indigenous Knowledge as well as the rights affirmed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The bill would also provide a legislated mechanism so that national strategies and reports were informed by independent experts.
Beyond imposing specific accountability and transparency requirements on the federal government, the bill is an important step forward to support collaboration between the Government of Canada and other Canadian governments as well as Indigenous partners in actions to address biodiversity loss. The bill would not impose requirements or obligations on other governments or Indigenous partners, or have an effect on their jurisdiction.
Together, the bill and the 2030 Strategy will provide a coordinated approach to efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
