All governments must now follow through to meet 30 by 30 goal
VANCOUVER | UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES — Today, the First Nations Leadership Council and federal and British Columbia governments released a framework agreement to protect nature, highlighting their intention to work collaboratively and provide adequate funding to see protection through.
This agreement was made possible through dedication and hard work by First Nations leadership. The David Suzuki Foundation looks forward to seeing the federal and provincial governments uphold First Nations leadership to achieve protection of at least 30 per cent of land and ocean by 2030.
“We hope this agreement helps disrupt the status quo practices that have continued to degrade biodiversity in the province,” Jay Ritchlin, David Suzuki Foundation director general for Western Canada and nature programs director, said. “Protecting and restoring biodiversity offers the most effective and straightforward way of halting and reversing nature loss while mitigating climate change.”
The agreement outlines measurable targets for protected and restored areas and the protection of old-growth forests. It also commits to aligning protection and restoration measures with the recovery of at-risk species (such as spotted owl and caribou), and to use interim protection measures as a tool. The David Suzuki Foundation hopes these commitments will result in meaningful, overdue measures to halt and reverse nature loss.
We look forward to all provinces and territories making similar agreements to increase the resiliency of their communities and nature.
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For more information or a media interview, please contact:
Brendan Glauser: bGlauser@davidsuzuki.org, (604) 356-8829
The David Suzuki Foundation (DavidSuzuki.org | @DavidSuzukiFdn) is a leading Canadian environmental non-profit organization, founded in 1990. We operate in English and French, with offices in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. We collaborate with all people in Canada, including First Nations leadership and communities, governments, businesses and individuals to find solutions to create a sustainable Canada through scientific research, traditional ecological knowledge, communications and public engagement, and innovative policy and legal solutions. Our mission is to protect nature’s diversity and the well-being of all life, now and for the future.