FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Ottawa, Dec. 5, 2019) —Graham Saul, Executive Director of Nature Canada made the following statement in response to today’s throne speech:

“The
government just committed to the most important nature protection initiative in
Canadian history in today’s speech from the throne.

In
2011 Canada made a promise, based on leading biodiversity science, that we
would protect 17 per cent of land and freshwater and 10 per cent of marine areas
by 2020.

“The
government already showed immense leadership in meeting and surpassing the
marine target. During the election, we heard from the Liberal Party that they
were committed to the next phase of protecting 25 per cent by 2025 and 30 per
cent by 2030.

“The
clear commitment to expand protected areas in today’s throne speech, as well as
the focus on pursuing nature-based solutions to fight climate change, and the
commitment to plant two billion trees, is great news for nature.

“The
world is facing the twin crises of climate change and a mass extinction of
species unlike anything since the time of the dinosaurs. Habitat loss, caused
by human activity, is the leading cause of species collapse and we need urgent
action.

“Canada
has the longest coastline in the world, the largest intact forest on earth and
a population of citizens who care deeply for our iconic species. Today’s
commitments demonstrate global leadership and position Canada to be a
conservation superpower.

Notes:

• More
  than one million species of plants and animals are at risk of extinction due to
  human activity, according to the IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity
  and Ecosystem Services released in May, 2019.
• The
  current amount of protected land and freshwater in Canada is about 12 per cent.
  The federal government surpassed their marine protected areas target in August
  with the creation of Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area that pushed protection over
  13 per cent.
• Last
  month Nature Canada joined the Green Budget Coalition in outlining specific
  funding recommendations in order to meet the Aichi targets, support Indigenous
  conservation and protect species at risk. This includes investments in Nature
  of $934 million in the 2020-21 federal budget, and a further $2.3 billion over
  the subsequent three years, as well as the creation of a $1 billion Nature
  Based Climate Solutions Fund over four years.
• For more information
  visit naturecanada.ca.

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For
more information, or to set up an interview with Graham Saul, please contact:
 

Andrew Aziz

Communications and Digital Director

Cell:
(613) 222-9410

Email: aaziz@naturecanada.ca