Populations of Canada’s most endangered species have declined by more than 50 percent over the last fifty years and continue to be impacted yearly.
“Children love animals and nature and they should be at the heart of all biodiversity decisions. Just as we can’t negotiate with nature, we can’t negotiate with our children’s future,” said Andrea Koehle Jones, The ChariTree Foundation’s lead Children’s Biodiversity and Climate Education Advocate.
Global biodiversity is now declining faster than at any time in human history. We are running out of time to take action to stop the accelerating destruction of nature and avoid the extinction of a million species.
We have all seen the unprecedented and imminent danger climate change and biodiversity loss pose to our environment, species, everyone. Global temperatures continue to break records and urgent action is needed to face accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss. This is an emergency that requires immediate action and simply cannot be ignored.
“Kids are really connected to nature. We are also part of the hope to solve the biodiversity crisis. We really want to be involved,” said Aurora Gomez Espinoza, Global Youth Biodiversity Network.
30×30
Canada has now committed to halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 and putting nature on a path to full recovery by 2050. The ChariTree Foundation is calling on Canada’s leaders and all Canadians to take urgent, courageous and significant nature-based steps to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
Kids everywhere are counting on us to:
1. Protect at least 30 percent of Canada’s land and water by the year 2030: Prioritize areas where nature is under imminent threat, and ecosystems that safeguard biodiversity and store significant amounts of carbon.
2. Provide accessibility to formal and informal climate and biodiversity education for children.
3. Support Indigenous-led conservation efforts (including Indigenous Guardian programs) and fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
4. Pursue nature based solutions to climate change by protecting and restoring critical ecosystems while providing permanent funding for the protection of nature.
5. Restore urban biodiversity and expand equitable access to nature: Work with provinces and municipalities to ensure every neighborhood in Canada has at least 30 percent tree cover, and every person lives within 300 meters of green space.
Online Survey
Beginning May 15 to July 14, 2023, the Government of Canada is seeking your views and perspectives to inform development of Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy. The survey will draw on the issues, challenges, and opportunities presented in the Towards a 2030 Biodiversity Strategy for Canada discussion paper, and provide an opportunity for participants to respond to questions reflected in the discussion paper.