Natural Infrastructure is an Integral Part of Green Recovery
Last month, Nature Canada, among 42 other organizations, signed onto a letter encouraging the Prime Minister and key federal ministers to ensure that natural infrastructure is part of Canada’s economic COVID-19 recovery plan. Natural infrastructure projects create good jobs, support local supply chains, and provide a variety of environmental, social, and health benefits. Additionally, increased investment in natural infrastructure has benefits for advancing climate resilience of our cities, risk reduction from natural disasters, and enhanced biodiversity. Our recovery plan should ensure that we are making responsive investments that truly advance more resilient, healthy and sustainable communities for the future.
The letter focused on the below three recommendations, along with the need for inclusion of indigenous communities in the recovery plan.
- Get money moving by expediting funding to projects that are “shovel-ready” and “shovel-worthy,”;
- Keep money moving by modifying existing programs to address current barriers for natural infrastructure projects; and
- Sustain support over the long term by enabling integrated policy, programs and legislation, including the establishment of a dedicated natural infrastructure fund.