As you read this, the last slivers of old growth forests in BC are being logged, Northern boreal forests in the east are being doused with poisonous pesticides, and salmon populations are imperiled on both coasts.
Science tells us that we must protect nature to limit global warming yet exploitative industries continue to destroy it with zero regard for Indigenous sovereignty.
Corporations get away with this appalling behaviour because Canadian policy protects the polluter. As long as this remains the case, Canadian law is broken.
To fix it, we need a new Biodiversity Act that protects the rich ecosystems of Canada. This law must respect Indigenous sovereignty, ensure public accountability, and establish firm nature protection targets.
The Liberal government’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, announced his willingness to enshrine nature targets in legislation back in 2022. [4]. He even repeated this promise at the end of 2023 [5]. And yet we’re still waiting.
Together, let’s tell Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that we are fed up with the prioritization of profit-driven corporations over Indigenous rights and the environment. It’s time for real action from Justin Trudeau, not just words.
Tell Justin Trudeau to keep his government’s promise and pass a strong Biodiversity Act that respects Indigenous rights and protects biodiversity before this year’s Convention on Biological Diversity negotiations in October.