Conserving and restoring nature is fundamental for capturing harmful greenhouse gas emissions by pulling more carbon dioxide out of the air, while also safeguarding the places and species that are part of who we are as Canadians. The Government of Canada has launched the largest conservation campaign in the country's history in order to support meeting its emissions reduction targets and to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced $89.1 million for 10 greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects funded through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund. These projects will take place in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec, and will aim to fight climate change while benefitting biodiversity by safeguarding carbon-rich ecosystems from destruction to keep carbon in the ground.
Minister Guilbeault was in British Columbia today to announce almost $50 million for major nature conservation projects in that province:
- The BC Parks Foundation: An investment of $37 million to protect approximately 4,000 hectares of private land and implement natural climate solutions, avoiding the conversion of carbon-rich ecosystems across British Columbia. The project will take place in priority habitats, including grasslands, forests, riparian areas, and wetlands in multiple locations, such as Vancouver Island, the Southern Interior, and Northern British Columbia, benefitting several species at risk.
- The Nature Trust of British Columbia: An investment of $8 million to secure 552 hectares of carbon-rich ecosystems and provide benefits for multiple species at risk, including the Western Toad, the Grizzly Bear, and the Southern Mountain Caribou, among others. This project will result in the creation of 11 new protected areas, including forest, wetland, and grassland habitats on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the East Kootenays, and in the Cariboo Region.
- Nuxalk Nation: An investment of over $4 million for this Indigenous-led project that will protect private land and implement natural climate solutions, avoiding the conversion of carbon-rich ecosystems that would result in greenhouse gas emissions, through land acquisition. The activities will take place in priority habitats, including forests in the Great Bear Rainforest near Bella Coola. Species that will benefit include the Marbled Murrelet, the Northern Goshawk, and the Grizzly Bear.
The Government of Canada is investing heavily in nature-based climate solutions that restore degraded ecosystems, create new protected areas, improve land management practices, and achieve milestones, such as planting two billion new trees. Activities supported by the Government of Canada help mitigate climate change, build resilience, improve water quality, and provide critical habitat for Canada's wildlife.
