The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, issued the following statement today to mark Earth Day 2022.
"Today Canadians join people around the world to celebrate our natural environment and focus on everything we do to keep our shared home healthy. In the face of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change, nature is our best ally. There is no planet B; we must conserve and protect what we have. My personal commitment to protect nature has been the focus of my whole career: it is what got me into politics and is the legacy I want to leave to my kids.
"That is why, to mark Earth Day, our government is pleased to make two major nature conservation announcements to underline our commitment to protecting Canada"s beautiful natural spaces and reaching our goal of conserving a quarter of lands and oceans by 2025.
"First, today, we are launching the largest single private conservation project ever in Canada, called Boreal Wildlands project, covering an area twice the size of the City of Toronto. Backed by a federal investment expected to be over $17 million, the Nature Conservancy of Canada is undertaking a campaign to protect nearly 1,500 square kilometres of boreal forest in Northern Ontario, near Hearst. The Boreal Wildlands will protect forests, which are often referred to as the lungs of the planet. Their peatlands absorb and store greenhouse gas emissions, and their natural corridors provide a refuge for species at risk, including threatened woodland caribou.
"Second, our government launched the new National Program for Ecological Corridors yesterday. Ecological corridors are an integral component of effective nature conservation, allowing wildlife to move between different conserved area habitats and giving nature the best chance to thrive. With an investment of $60.6 million over five years, this Parks Canada-led program will support the creation of new ecological corridors across Canada.
"Nature protection is a key component of our government"s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan - Canada"s Next Steps for Clean Air and a Strong Economy. This plan is a roadmap for reducing pollution in a fair and affordable way, setting us on the path to reducing emissions by at least 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 as a milestone to net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan includes substantial new investments in nature conservation that will enhance the potential of the natural environment, such as wetlands, peatlands and grasslands, to capture and store carbon.
"Investing in the planet is about helping to create a cleaner, healthier, more resilient and sustainable environment. Earth Day is an opportunity for every Canadian to ask themselves what they can do to invest in the planet, not just today, but throughout the year."
