Majority of Canadians call for urgent action to protect nature
Nine in 10 say society needs to work together to stop nature loss
As the world gathers at a groundbreaking United Nations summit on biodiversity (COP15) in Montreal, new research shows a clear national consensus: Canadians overwhelmingly want to see immediate action to stop the destruction of nature.
A poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) shows 88 per cent of respondents believe all of society — people, government, businesses and communities — need to work together now to focus on biodiversity loss.
In addition, 87 per cent of people say they are worried about the decline of plant and animal species in the country. Last week’s release of the Wild Species Report, compiled by the federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada, shows that more than 2,200 species of plants and animals in Canada are at risk of being lost.
Respondents to the poll identified a link between biodiversity loss and climate change, with 88 per cent noting they believe nature conservation is an important tool to counter the effects of climate change. A clear majority, 86 per cent, agreed Canada needs to be acting faster to curb climate change in order to protect the communities we live in. This urgency is likely a function of witnessing the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events. Eight in 10 respondents have noticed more floods, tornados and droughts in recent years. Three in four believe their own communities and homes are vulnerable to extreme weather events in coming years.
Other notable findings from the NCC/Ipsos poll include:
- Ninety-five per cent of people say conserving and caring for nature is personally important to them.
- Eighty per cent of people are worried that future generations won’t have access to nature close to where they live.
Rallying cry
The poll results represent a rallying cry to COP15 delegates to heal nature here at home and around the planet. Rapid biodiversity loss is on par with climate change as a threat to our existence. As part of the official Canadian delegation at COP15, NCC will contribute to shaping an ambitious plan to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, and to charting a path forward to a nature-positive future by 2050.
Impact
NCC has a plan to deliver more protected area solutions, faster, to accelerate the pace of conservation and to double its impact in Canada in the next few years. In the past year alone, NCC has delivered conservation results at an unprecedented pace. For example, the Boreal Wildlands project in Ontario, at about three times the size of Toronto, is the largest of its kind ever in Canada.
Through partnerships, NCC has already conserved more than 15 million hectares (150,000 square kilometres). That’s equivalent to more than two times the size of New Brunswick, saving habitat for 244 species at risk. These lands store nearly two billion tonnes of carbon. And every year they pull another 3.2 million tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere — about the equivalent of the lifetime emissions of 700,000 passenger vehicles. But there is much more to be done in the face of today’s challenges.
Quote
“These results are energizing, but not unexpected to me. Whenever NCC has announced an ambitious conservation goal, Canadians have been there to help us get there. Now we, as a society, are facing down two massive challenges: nature loss and climate change. When one accelerates, the other does too. But there is no solution to either without nature conservation. So the challenge before us is clear: we need everyone’s support to stop nature loss and to address the impacts of climate change. Only through a whole-of-society approach can we act with urgency and ambition to tackle these crises.” – Catherine Grenier, President and CEO, Nature Conservancy of Canada
Facts
- The survey was conducted between November 23 and 28, 2022, on behalf of NCC. A sample of 2,006 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
- Residents in BC were more likely to call for urgency on climate change. Ninety-three per cent say we have to move faster to curb the effects of climate change to protect the communities where we live. Ninety-one per cent said we need a whole-of-society approach to slowing climate change. Regional results to this and other questions are available by contacting media@natureconservancy.ca.
- Delegates to COP15 will attempt to finalize a new Global Biodiversity Framework — an ambitious plan to stop and reverse nature loss. Once finalized, the framework would need to be implemented by the 196 member nations. Their work will replace the 2010–2020 Aichi Targets. None of the Aichi Targets was ever met.
Examples of nature loss in Canada include:
- More than 70 per cent of Canada’s native grasslands have been converted to other land uses. Manitoba has lost approximately 90 per cent of its grasslands, while Saskatchewan has lost over 80 per cent.
- Wetlands are imperilled across the country. In BC’s South Okanagan region, only 15 per cent of the original wetlands remain. In Ontario, more than 72 per cent of wetlands have been lost. Sixty-five per cent of the coastal salt marshes in the Atlantic provinces have been lost.
- Between 1990 and 2020, Canada’s total estimated forest area shrank by more than 14,000 square kilometres, an area more than twice the size of Banff National Park.
About
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner NCC works with people, communities, businesses and government to protect and care for our country’s most important natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.
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