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On June 13, 2024, the federal environment Minister introduced Bill C-73, the Nature Accountability Bill. Bill C-73 not only sparks hope for nature’s protection, but changes the course of environmental law, being the first ever proposed law in Canada aimed at safeguarding biodiversity.
Canada has committed to protecting 30% of lands and water by 2030 in keeping with the United Nation’s Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework. However, without a domestic law that enshrines this international biodiversity framework and its protection targets into law, it is not legally binding.
The years leading up to 2030 are the most critical if we are to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. That’s why we need your support to make sure the federal government upholds its biodiversity commitments with binding legislation.
Send an INSTANT MESSAGE to the federal Environment Minister supporting Bill C-73 and a biodiversity protection law that:
- Ensures “ecosystem-based targets” are devised by indepedent expert and Indigenous knowledge bodies to ensure all ecosystems are protected on a sufficient scale necessary for their ecological integrity
- Directly cites Canada’s 30% by 2030 target and also establishes interim targets to ensure appropriate progress is made towards 2025 and 2030 biodiversity protection goals
- Enables the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas legal designations to advance the equitable inclusion of Indigenous peoples in conservation decision-making
- Improves accountability and transparency measures, including reviews by the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development and reporting to Parliament regarding the sufficiency of Canada’s actions to protect and restore biodiversity
- Adequately resources economic development funding for First Nations engaged in protecting lands and waters, including through conservation financing.
Thank you to the 69 citizens that took action by sending the letter below to the federal Minister of the Environment.
I support Bill C-73 and strong laws for nature, biodiversity
Dear Recipient’s full name goes here,
There is clear evidence that nature and biodiversity is in global crisis. The rate of species extinction is 10 to 100s of times higher than the average of the past ten million years and 25% of all animal and plant species are threatened. Nature is in dangerous decline, with one million species currently facing extinction unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss.
We applaud Canada’s leadership in negotiating and adopting the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework that requires we protect 30% of lands and water by 2030, and the leadership of your Ministry in introducing Bill C-73, the Nature Accountability Act.
Today, I voice my support for Bill C-73 and amendments to it that will:
- Enshrine Canada’s international biodiversity commitments into law
A law that protects biodiversity is urgently needed to galvanize the urgent and transformative action needed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, as Canada agreed to in 2022 pursuant to the United Nations Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.The Nature Accountability Act must be legally enforceable and ensure requirements for public accountability and oversight. Voluntary standards to conserve and restore habitats, prevent species extinction, and promote sustainable land use practices are not sufficient.
- Ensure ‘ecosystem-based protection targets’ are relied upon in scaling up the protection of nature and at-risk ecosystems.
The Nature Accountability Act must rely on ecosystem-based targets, that is, protected areas targets for each of the diverse ecosystems across Canada. Through an ecosystem-based target approach, we can ensure the long-term viability of those ecosystems to sustain their full complement of native species and ecological processes, on a sufficient scale to ensure their long-term ecological integrity.I support the language in Bill C-73 that promotes cooperation with provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments. We know that if we are to act as expeditiously as possible in protecting and restoring the full diversity of native ecosystems across Canada, government must work in cooperation to make sure we can have a system of protected areas on a scale sufficient to ensure the long-term viability of ecosystems and the protection of Indigenous cultural relationships to these ecosystems.
- Recognize Indigenous law, including Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs)
The Nature Accountability Act must respect declarations by First Nations who, relying on their legal traditions, have declared protected areas over lands and waters. This would also serve to advance Target 22 of the UN’s Biodiversity Framework, which requires conservation decision-making that fully and equitably respects the cultures and rights over lands, territories, resources, and traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples.For the federal government to achieve Target 22, Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (or IPCAs), will be an important mechanism. While the meaning of an ‘IPCA’ varies among communities, they often share three core principles: (1) they are Indigenous-led, (2) they represent a long-term commitment to conservation, and (3) they elevate Indigenous rights and responsibilities.
The intrinsic value of IPCAs in safeguarding biodiversity echoes the growing recognition that Indigenous Natural Laws, that teach respect and responsibility to lands, have been more effective at protecting the health of ecosystems and species, than the traditional conservation practices established by the Crown.
There must be provisions within the Nature Accountability Act that enables the creation of IPCAs and advances the equitable inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in conservation decision-making, as Target 22 contemplates.
Thank you for taking my comments into account and I look forward to learning of developments as the Bill progresses.