Ottawa, Ontario
Protecting more nature is an essential part of addressing biodiversity loss and fighting climate change. Here in Canada, working in collaboration with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, and other partners is critical to protect and conserve Canada’s nature and to recover Canada’s species at risk.
Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced as part of the Enhanced Nature Legacy up to $796 million in funding to support provinces and territories and other partners’ actions to recover species at risk and protect and conserve lands and freshwater.
This investment includes up to $210 million over five years to support interested provinces and territories to develop bilateral nature agreements with the federal government, $209 million to protect priority ecosystems, and $377 million to support recovery actions for priority species such as boreal caribou, Atlantic salmon and Pacific salmon.
Bilateral nature agreements will be collaboratively developed with provinces and territories to advance our shared interests in a more integrated approach to conserving nature, establish more protected areas, protect and recover species at risk and their habitat, while at the same time advancing Indigenous reconciliation. The agreements will also help support a green recovery by ensuring the coordinated delivery of nature-based solutions to climate change.
Collaboration will be necessary to achieve the changes we need for nature. It is by working closely together with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples and communities, industry, not-for-profit, philanthropic and other stakeholders that we will succeed in protecting nature and build stronger communities.
Today’s announcement is a fundamental feature of Budget 2021’s commitment to invest an additional $2.3 billion over five years in Canada’s Enhanced Nature Legacy to continue supporting nature conservation measures across the country, including Indigenous leadership in conservation.