Protect biodiversity in Canada

As you read this, the last slivers of old growth forests in BC are being logged, whales are being poisoned by pollutants from industries, and salmon populations are imperilled on both coasts due to overfishing and habitat loss. [1] [2] [3]

Science tells us that we must protect nature to limit global warming [4], yet exploitative industries continue to destroy it with zero regard for Indigenous rights and sovereignty. 

Corporations get away with appalling behaviour because Canadian policy protects the polluter. As long as this remains the case, Canadian law is broken. 

To fix it, we need a strong federal nature law that protects the rich ecosystems of Canada. This law must respect Indigenous sovereignty, ensure public accountability, and establish firm nature protection targets. 

Earlier this year, the Trudeau government introduced the Nature Accountability Act (Bill C-73) in an attempt to address the biodiversity crisis. [5] But currently, this Bill lacks specific targets, fails to integrate with existing laws, and doesn’t prioritize Indigenous sovereignty. It’s missing the legal force necessary to drive real change. [6]

Luckily, the Bill is still fairly early in the legal process, which means that speaking out now can make a big difference.

Tell Justin Trudeau to keep his government's promise and pass a STRONG Nature Accountability Act that respects Indigenous rights and actually protects biodiversity before this year’s Convention on Biological Diversity (Nature COP) negotiations in October.

Sources: 

[1] Endangered Caribou in Canada, The Narwhal

[2] Wild Atlantic salmon conservation: Implementation plan 2019 to 2021, Government of Canada

[3] Orcas off Canada’s East Coast threatened by ‘forever chemicals’, November 2023, The Narwhal

[4] Save nature to protect people on fast-heating planet, IPCC scientist urges, March 2 2022, Reuters

[5] 2030 Nature Strategy and Nature Accountability Bill, Government of Canada 

[6] Nature bill welcome, needs work to ensure Canada meets its targets, June 2024, Greenpeace Canada