Unceded Algonquin Territory — Ottawa, ON — December 7, 2023

In a letter released today, the signatories urge Canada’s Ministers of the Environment and Natural Resources to “advance effective action to tackle climate change by committing to separately and transparently report GHG emissions attributable to logging in the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan update.”

The 24 MPs and 5 Senators state that the failure to transparently report logging emissions is “hindering the development and implementation of effective policies to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions” and “obscuring the importance of protecting primary and old-growth forests.”

The letter refers to an April report by Canada’s Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development that calls on the federal government to separately report, and account for, logging emissions, the way it does for oil and gas, and every other economic sector.

A recent analysis of government data found that in 2021 the GHG emissions attributable to logging were 73 million tonnes – more than 10% of Canada’s total emissions for that year.

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change is expected to release a progress report on Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction plan this month.

Nature Canada is Canada’s voice for nature. For 80 years, Nature Canada has helped protect over 110 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species. Today, Nature Canada represents a network of over 175,000 members and supporters and more than 1,200 nature organizations.

For more information or interviews, please contact:

Michael Polanyi
Policy and Campaign Manager – Nature-Based Climate Solutions
Nature Canada
343-553-6060
mpolanyi@naturecanada.ca

David Wallis
Policy and Campaign Manager – Reforestation
Nature Canada
dwallis@naturecanada.ca