Canada’s efforts to conserve 30% of its land and water by 2030 face challenges from provincial resistance and federal gridlock, despite the country’s commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Ainslie Cruickshank reports for The Narwhal.
In short:
- Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault notes that some provinces are resisting conservation initiatives, impeding Canada’s ability to meet its 2030 conservation targets.
- Indigenous-led conservation projects are pivotal to Canada’s strategy, yet they need better long-term federal funding and collaboration from provincial governments.
- A proposed Nature Accountability Act aims to keep Canada on track, but political stalemates in the House of Commons threaten its progress.
Key quote:
“The funding at the federal level has really been focused on the establishment process and not so much the long-term management.”
— Valérie Courtois, executive director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative.
Why this matters:
With biodiversity declining rapidly, effective conservation is critical to safeguarding ecosystems that sustain food, water, and air resources. In Canada, political divides hinder cohesive action, putting the ambitious 30-by-30 target and future biodiversity gains at risk.
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