Protecting nature is one of the most effective strategies for adapting to climate change, halting biodiversity loss, and ensuring a healthy and resilient environment for communities across Canada. It is a collective challenge that requires collaboration between all levels of government, Indigenous peoples, and other parties such as industries and municipalities. This is why the governments of Canada and Quebec are committed to working together to protect biodiversity in Quebec while building a strong, sustainable economy.
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced the signing of a Canada-Quebec agreement to advance the protection and conservation of nature throughout Quebec. The Government of Canada will invest up to $100 million between now and 2027 to support the objectives of Quebec's 2030 Nature Plan and Canada's 2030 Nature Strategy.
This nature agreement reflects both governments' commitment to implementing the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework and establishes a series of objectives to achieve this:
- Create and expand protected and conserved areas, and accelerate the conservation of natural environments on private land in southern Quebec, including through the implementation of urban park projects.
- Take action to address threats to biodiversity, better protect threatened or vulnerable species, and foster the recovery of at-risk species.
- Control invasive alien species.
- Support Indigenous leadership in biodiversity conservation.
This investment is in addition to the $125 million that the Government of Canada has invested in conservation in Quebec since 2018, including $42 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. As part of the 2 Billion Trees Program, the Government of Canada is also committed to investing $220 million to reforest nearly 50,000 hectares of land in Quebec.
The Government of Canada also remains committed to supporting the Government of Quebec in its work to conserve the boreal caribou and restore its habitat. This could include additional targeted funding. The federal government's preferred approach has always been one of collaboration. It acknowledges Quebec's efforts to deploy regional caribou conservation plans and implement measures to ensure the boreal caribou's recovery in Quebec.
This species cannot be protected without the input and involvement of Indigenous peoples, for whom it carries great cultural and historical significance. This is why the Government of Canada is committed to continuing to include Indigenous communities in discussions on the conservation of the boreal caribou and to supporting them in their efforts to protect the species.
