Bring Nature Back to the Budget
Canada’s new budget is out—it’s a swing and a miss. In a year when generational investment was expected, Budget 2025 is a stunning letdown that fails to mention nature at all.
Statements
In April, PM Carney declared we are in a “time of crisis” needing “bold new approaches to protect Canada’s natural heritage and defend it for future generations.” Instead, Budget 2025 falls short of the bold action Canadians were promised, putting our essential ecosystems at risk.
Polls show that people in Canada support development, but 49% are against fast-tracking projects at the expense of nature. They expect a balanced approach, and this budget fails to deliver it.
Let’s get nature on the balance sheet. Economic growth and environmental stewardship can progress together if the government:
- Renews nature funding for conservation to be part of decision-making
- Embeds natural capital accounting into the economic framework
- Respects Indigenous rights and leadership for participation and planning
As Canada embraces the opportunity provided by “nation-building projects”, the path to economic security and stability also needs to safeguard the natural systems that underpin our long-term prosperity.
“You can’t protect nature without long-term investment. It takes years of collaboration, research and trust building to plan protected areas…Without stable federal funding, that works grinds to a halt. If the Carney government doesn’t act fast, it risks wasting years of hard work and undermining its own commitments to protect nature.”
– Sandra Schwartz, Executive Director, CPAWS National
In a time of economic uncertainty, overlooking nature as a strategic asset is not just a policy failure, it’s a national risk that can lead to devastating generational consequences. Here are some concerning highlights from Budget 2025:
Budget Cuts to
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
- Parks Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Lack of Renewed Funding for
- Enhanced Nature Legacy
- Marine Conservation Target funding
No Support or Plan for
- New National Parks
- Indigenous-led conservation or Guardian programs
As a dedicated member of the Green Budget Coalition, CPAWS has met with numerous government officials, consistently providing clear recommendations to ensure biodiversity and environmental priorities are reflected in policy decisions. And yet, these discussions are largely absent in Budget 2025.
There’s still time to change the game, Budget 2025 isn’t set in stone yet. It’s time for the government to step up to the plate—with conviction and a concrete strategy that invests in nature.
Nature needs you. Our futures depends on it.
Take action
Write to the Prime Minister and call key decision-makers.
Tell them the path to economic security and stability also needs to safeguard the natural systems that underpin our long-term prosperity. Nature is the backbone of our economy, our health and our security.
Contact PM Mark Carney and François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue:
To make it easy, we’ve drafted a message you can customize and send in just a few minutes.