Canada plans to next year introduce legislation that would hold the government accountable for making progress towards and meeting its commitments on nature and biodiversity, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault announced Saturday.
Guilbeault made the announcement on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai, a year after Montreal hosted the event that led to the signing of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
“We landed a deal that showed the world that action on nature was just as vital as action on climate, and that they are, in fact, inseparable goals. It is now up to every country to implement the commitments we set for ourselves,” the minister said in a statement.
“Canada is one of the first countries in the world to announce its intent to enshrine nature and biodiversity commitments into law, and I am encouraging my counterparts from other countries to do the same.”
In 2010, the nations of the world agreed to a set of biodiversity targets for 2020 negotiated in Aichi, Japan, but when the decade came to a close, not a single one of those had been fully met.
With the nature and biodiversity crises accelerating, pressure is now on to ensure the Kunming-Montreal framework, which includes the target of ensuring that 30% of the world’s land, inland freshwater, and oceans are protected by 2030, fares better.
“The bill would intend to establish an accountability framework for the federal government in fulfilling its nature and biodiversity commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework,” Canada’s statement said Saturday.
“It would provide concrete steps from now until 2030 to implement these commitments at the federal level, which would include requirements to develop Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and report on its implementation.”
Canada has made a series of nature protection and restoration investments over the past year, with the government setting aside more than C$5 billion ($3.7 bln) for the purpose of meeting the 30×30 target.
“Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and the federal biodiversity accountability bill will ensure we are on the right path to protecting invaluable aquatic ecosystems, including our oceans, fresh water, and coastal areas,” said Fisheries and Oceans Minister Diane Lebouthillier.
“The oceans are home to an immense web of marine life, and they sustain the majority of our planet’s biodiversity. More than ever, the time is now to work together to protect them for future generations.”
By Stian Reklev in Dubai – stian@carbon-pulse.com
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