(TKARONTO and OTTAWA/TRADITIONAL, UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE ALGONQUIN ANISHNAABEG PEOPLE) – Today, at a press conference in advance of the National Biodiversity Symposium, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault affirmed his commitment to table biodiversity legislation before Parliament in late 2023 or early 2024 at the latest. In response to these comments from the Minister, Ecojustice and Greenpeace Canada offered the following reactions.
Joshua Ginsberg, lawyer with Ecojustice:
“We applaud Minister Guilbeault for committing to enshrine biodiversity goals in law by 2024. Legal accountability is a key ingredient for success in halting and reversing biodiversity loss. It must mandate clear timelines and outcomes prioritizing and enabling Indigenous protection and restoration practices. For our efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to succeed, the federal government must ensure Indigenous rights and sovereignty are respected and supported.”
Shane Moffatt, Head of Nature and Food with Greenpeace Canada:
“This government is way behind on its commitments to protect nature. From failed promises to protect the land to missed tree planting targets, their track record has been very disappointing. Passing new legislation within the next year, however, would be a concrete step in the right direction. Almost 50,000 Canadians have signed our petition supporting such law. To avoid repeating past mistakes, it’s time for new legislation that can hold governments accountable to protecting the biodiversity we all depend on for our survival.”
ENDS
Note to editors:
The media backgrounder can be accessed here.
For media inquiries:
Dina Ni, Communication officer, Greenpeace Canada
416-820-2148, [email protected]
Sean O’Shea, Communications strategist, Ecojustice
416-368-7533 ext. 523, [email protected]