With the 2019 Federal election around the corner, CPAWS reviewed the election platforms of the major parties to see if and how each party plans to address the conservation issues we’ve raised. You can find our summary of the conservation-focused aspects of party platforms in the table below, which includes commitments to terrestrial and marine conservation, species at risk and nature-based climate solutions.
Neither the Bloc Québécois or the People’s Party of Canada have anything specific in their platforms regarding issues that CPAWS focuses on. For this reason, these two parties are not included in the summary.
Our table will be updated as additional announcements or commitments are made by the parties.[1]
Conservation Commitments
CPAWS’ mission is to conserve half of Canada’s public land, freshwater and ocean, and to ensure that protected areas are managed to maintain ecological integrity. As climate change becomes a more prominent issue, the need for nature-based climate solutions becomes more apparent. These types of solutions include reducing emissions produced through ecosystem degradation and increasing the storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through ecosystem restoration.
The following table identifies party commitments to measurable terrestrial and marine protection, nature-based climate solutions, conservation funding, conservation-focused research and supporting indigenous conservation knowledge. We recognize our summary may not contain every detail of the party platforms; our aim is to provide a sense of the conservation goals each major party is focusing on.
Measurable Conservation Plans and Targets
Conservative Party[2]
a) Set aside 17% of terrestrial area and 10% of marine area.
Green Party[3]
a) Protect a minimum of 30% of freshwater, ocean and land by 2030.
Liberal Party[4]
a) Conserve 25% of Canada’s land, freshwater, and ocean by 2025, working toward conserving 30% by 2030.
b) Advocate for countries around the world to set a 30% conservation goal.
c) Reduce emissions by 30 Mt by 2030 using natural climate solutions that support efforts across the country to better manage, conserve, and restore forests, grasslands, agricultural lands, wetlands, and coastal areas, as well as by planting two billion trees.[6]
New Democratic Party[5]
a) Protect 30% of our land, freshwater, and ocean by 2030 and back those protections with funding and enforcement.
Explicit and New Conservation Funding Commitments
Conservative Party[2]
a) Finance the community-led National Wetland Conservation Fund with $4 million/year.
b) Fund the community-led Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program with $10 million/year.
c) Create a new fund ($25 million over five years) for community-based projects targeted at wildlife enhancement.
d) Restore the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund.
e) Increase resources for waterfowl conservation, funded by modest increases, totaling $76 million over four years, for non-resident hunters on the cost of the migratory bird stamp.
Green Party[3]
a) Commit $100 million annually over the next four years to create Indigenous-led protected and conserved areas and fund stewardship of these lands and waters by Indigenous guardians.
b) Increase funding to Parks Canada to ensure that the ecological integrity of national parks is maintained, and restored where necessary, and that heritage sites are fully protected and maintained.
c) Increase funding (by $100 million over four years) to federal departments to dramatically ramp up the development and implementation of endangered species recovery plans required by legislation.
Liberal Party[4]
a) Commit $255 million over four years to the Canada Water Agency and for other measures to protect oceans, fish, and coastal communities.
b) Commit $1.2 billion over four years and $3 billion over 10 years for natural climate solutions, including tree planting.
c) Commit an additional $300 million over three years and invest $1 billion over the next decade in the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (for natural infrastructure projects).
New Democratic Party[5]
a) Commit $40 million per year for a climate forestry fund.
b) Commit $75 million per year for habitat protection and conservation.
c) Commit $50 million per year for coastal protection and a sustainable fisheries fund.
Indigenous-Led Conservation
Conservative Party[2]
a) Work with Indigenous Peoples to explore options for more active participation in the management of protected areas.
Green Party[3]
a) Commit $100 million annually over the next four years to create Indigenous-led protected and conserved areas and fund stewardship of these lands and waters by Indigenous guardians.
b) Implement the co-management provisions of the Oceans Act.
Liberal Party[4]
a) Ground [conservation] efforts in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspectives.
b) Work with coastal communities, Indigenous communities, and others to better protect fish stocks and marine habitats from changes resulting from climate change.
New Democratic Party[5]
a) Expand the Indigenous Guardians Program, invest in Indigenous-led science, and support the creation of Indigenous-managed protected areas – and make sure that species recovery efforts respect Indigenous rights and embrace traditional knowledge.
b) Invest in Indigenous-led science [related to species at risk and conservation actions].
Other Terrestrial and Freshwater Conservation Commitments
Conservative Party[2]
a) Initiate an expedited process to declare protected areas.
Green Party[3]
a) Enforce tight deadlines on completion of recovery strategies and invoke emergency powers of the federal government to protect species when provincial governments fail to do so.
Liberal Party[4]
a) Continue to move forward with greater protection for the Great Lakes – the largest body of fresh water on Earth – and other large lakes, like Lake Winnipeg.
b) Create a new Canada Water Agency.
New Democratic Party[5]
a) Implement a national freshwater strategy and work with provinces and territories to protect waterways under international agreements.
b) Restore navigable waters protections for all of Canada’s lakes and rivers.
c) Use all of the tools available under the Species at Risk Act and ensure the implementation of recovery strategies to preserve biodiversity.
Other Marine Conservation Commitments
Conservative Party[2]
a) Work with coastal provinces, business leaders, and industry experts to explore the creation of flexible shipping routes based on the latest scientific data to reduce the impacts of shipping on marine life.
b) Protect fisheries to ensure important fish stocks can be rebuilt and maintained, and to ensure that recovery plans are completed for all of Canada’s critical fisheries.
Green Party[3]
a) Fight invasive species.
b) Work with coastal communities, Indigenous communities, and others to better protect fish stocks and marine habitats from changes resulting from climate change.
Liberal Party[4]
a) Invest in habitat restoration and the rebuilding of fish stocks.
New Democratic Party[5]
b) Preserve ocean biodiversity by expanding marine protected areas.
Other Nature-Based Climate Solution Commitments
Conservative Party[2]
a) Work with farmers to increase the efficiency of fertilizers and land-use methods and maximize the potential of agricultural land to sequester carbon.
b) Pursue natural infrastructure projects that leverage the resilience of our natural landscapes.
Green Party[3]
a) Use the existing Green Infrastructure Fund to launch a national program to restore natural buffer zones along waterways and carbon sinks through ecologically-sound tree-planting and soil re-building.
b) Collaborate with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, and the public to renew the abandoned process of developing a National Forest Strategy which recognizes the role of forests in carbon sequestration and the imperative of retaining and restoring the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems in building resilience to climate change. Increased funds would be dedicated to research and the expansion of tree nurseries in support of these objectives.
c) Invoke federal powers for peace, order, and good government to develop non-commercial aspects of forest management, such as massive tree planting, creating fire breaks, and fire suppression for climate change adaptation.
Liberal Party[4]
See commitment c) under Measurable Conservation Plans and Targets.
New Democratic Party[5]
a) Boost reforestation efforts to strengthen our climate resilience and ensure the sustainability of the forestry sector and protect communities through forest management to mitigate forest fire risk, including by combatting the spread of the mountain pine beetle and improving coordination of fire prevention efforts across all levels of government.
b) Work with other levels of government to develop a system of urban national parks and a national approach to tree-planting, using responsible reforestation to help lower our carbon footprint.
Conservation-Focused Research and Planning Commitments
Conservative Party[2]
a) Lead a science-based terrestrial and marine conservation assessment to identify the best opportunities for expanding protected area networks, including parks, marine protected areas, national wildlife areas, and migratory bird sanctuaries.
b) Identify high-value, low-conflict areas for conservation.
c) Study the feasibility of an incentive-based program that restores, maintains, and protects critical habitats. This study will identify regions and ecosystems that provide significant ecological goods and services.
d) Study the contribution Canada makes to global emissions and identify where we are now as well as opportunities for making better land-use decisions for the future.
Green Party[3]
a) Invest in research to support freshwater protection.
b) Increase funding for research on fish stocks to improve management and protect endangered species in the face of rapidly changing ecosystems.
Liberal Party[4]
a) Ground [conservation] efforts in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspectives.
New Democratic Party[5]
a) Invest more in marine science to fight invasive species, and work with coastal communities, Indigenous communities, and others to better protect fish stocks and marine habitats from changes resulting from climate change.