Canada’s Nature Legacy: Protecting nature

It’s in our nature

Find out about the progress we’re making in protecting more of Canada’s nature.

Make a difference!

Find out how you and your family can help protect our natural environment, with activities, tips, videos, and challenges.

Indigenous

Indigenous leadership is key for nature conservation. Hear from Indigenous leaders and find out more about our programs.

Funding

Find out what funding is available to support your organization’s conservation and species-recovery project


As Canadians, we have the privilege of enjoying a country rich in natural landscapes. Canada’s and biodiversity. Nature is a cornerstone of our way of life. All Canadians, particularly Indigenous Peoples, depend on the well-being of the natural environment to support our cultures, health, and economy.

In the face of population growth, urbanization, industrial development, global climate change, and biodiversity loss, nature is in trouble. To help protect nature, Canada has established ambitious domestic and international biodiversity goals. These goals include conserving a quarter of lands and a quarter of oceans in Canada by 2025, and working toward conserving 30% by 2030.

To support these goals, The Government of Canada invested an additional $2.3 billion over five years in Budget 2021. This funding supports work with other governments, Indigenous groups, non-profit organizations, and others. Taken together with funding provided for the Nature Legacy Initiative announced in 2018, this represents the largest investment in nature conservation in Canada’s history.

We know we need to do more to halt biodiversity loss. Canada is committed to halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 and achieving a full recovery for nature by 2050 as agreed upon in the historic Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15.

All levels of government, and every Canadian, including Indigenous peoples, non-government organizations, and industry will need to help. Together with our partners, we are working to improve Canada’s natural environment and create healthier habitats for species at risk, we will continue to find new ways to protect our lands, waters, and wildlife, because we all depend on healthy ecosystems. From agriculture to water and air quality, to a stable climate and economic prosperity, we need nature and nature needs us.

Videos

In the news

Canada and Nova Scotia chart new path with Agreement to help protect and conserve nature

Canada and Yukon chart new path with agreement to help protect and conserve nature

The Government of Canada to protect more ecologically sensitive land by boosting the Natural Heritage Conservation Program

Government of Canada recognizing federal land and water to contribute to 30 by 30 nature conservation goals

Introducing the New First Nations Guardians Network

Protecting more nature in partnership with Indigenous Peoples

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