More than half of the provinces' ministers have skipped out on a meeting with the federal government and Indigenous leaders to discuss halting land and water loss in Canada. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault speaks during the Montreal Climate Summit in Montreal on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
OTTAWA – Canada’s provinces and territories are on board to help the federal government in its goal to halt land and water loss across the country.
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault met with his counterparts in Ottawa today and says they’re all on the same page about conservation targets.
The Liberal government is leading a biodiversity strategy to protect 30 per cent of Canadian land and water by 2030, a goal more than 190 countries signed on to at a UN biodiversity conference in Montreal last December.
Environment and Climate Change Canada says provinces and territories have a critical role to play in reaching the target because of their significant authority over land use.
Almost 14 per cent of Canada’s land and freshwater and almost 15 per cent of marine areas and coastline were under some kind of conservation protection at the end of 2022.
Nova Scotia environment minister Tim Halman says he’s pleased to see collaboration across Canada on the issue.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2023.
