28 May 2008
BONN
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today addressed the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Prime Minister was invited to speak at the Conference by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and both leaders were presented with awards recognizing their nations' contributions to the protection of biodiversity by the Executive Secretary of the UN Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
In his speech, Prime Minister Harper congratulated delegates on their constructive efforts during the Bonn conference. He also described the work that Canada has done to preserve and protect biodiversity at home and around the world.
"Over 10 per cent of Canada's land mass, an area greater than the size of France and Germany put together, and three million hectares of ocean waters have been protected by federal, provincial and territorial governments," Prime Minister Harper said, as a collage of spectacular photographs of Canadian parks and natural landscapes appeared on large screens inside the conference venue. "These large protected areas include famous national parks like Banff, Fundy, Gros Morne, and Nahanni, of which our government announced a significant expansion last summer."
The Prime Minister noted that his Government has undertaken several new initiatives to further protect Canada's biological diversity, including:
- Establishment of the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, the world's largest freshwater protected area.
- Working with the local aboriginal community to establish a huge new national park on Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories.
- Investing in more than 1,000 projects to protect habitat under our Habitat Stewardship Program.
- Significant investment to protect the Great Bear Rainforest in Northern British Columbia, home to the majestic white Spirit Bear.
- And providing funds for the 13 biosphere reserves that UNESCO has designated in Canada.
Prime Minister Harper noted that climate change represents one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity, and a particular threat to Canada's Arctic. "That's why we have made the development of a comprehensive regulatory plan to fight against climate change one of the highest priorities of our government," said the Prime Minister. "We have to get past the empty rhetoric and take real action to require Canadian industry to make real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions."
