Indigenous Peoples in Canada have long been environmental stewards on land, ice, and water and are the original leaders in sustainable development and natural resource management. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to support Indigenous leadership in conservation as we tackle the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, announced that the department is now accepting expressions of interest for up to $40 million in Indigenous-led area-based conservation funding. The Indigenous-led area-based conservation program provides funding to Indigenous Peoples to lead or co-lead projects to establish and recognize protected areas. This includes other effective area-based conservation measures across Canada, such as Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas that can contribute to Canada's conservation targets.
Environment and Climate Change Canada will be accepting expressions of interest until November 14, 2022. To be eligible for funding, proposals must be Indigenous-led, contribute toward Canada's conservation targets within the next few years, and have the support of the relevant provincial or territorial government, or reporting authority.
Conserved areas help address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, but also provide important benefits for Indigenous communities, the natural environment, and species at risk.
This is just one of the measures the Government of Canada is taking to protect nature as it prepares to welcome the world to Montréal in December 2022 for the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. COP15 presents an opportunity for Canada to show its leadership in taking actions to conserve nature and halt biodiversity loss around the world, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, the original guardians of the land.
