Statement – World Environment Day: Statement from the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature

Press Release

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

June 5, 2026

“Today we celebrate World Environment Day, a day that reminds us that the choices we make now shape the planet we leave to future generations. Our environment, our economy, and the systems that sustain them are deeply interconnected and depend on the decisions we make individually and collectively. As we work to build a stronger Canada, we know that protecting nature, strengthening our communities, and growing a clean, resilient economy are intertwined. By investing in sustainable solutions today, we are creating good jobs, supporting Canadian competitiveness, and ensuring a healthier, more prosperous future for generations to come.

“In an increasingly complex global context, climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution cannot be addressed in isolation. They require integrated approaches that recognize the connections between the strength of our ecosystems, our economies, and our communities. In this moment, long-term prosperity depends on strengthening the foundations of our economy by investing in sustainability and building systems that are both resilient and competitive in a rapidly changing world.

“This year’s theme is climate action, and the urgency could not be clearer. Communities across Canada and around the world are experiencing the impacts of the changing climate: more frequent floods, intensifying wildfires, increasingly severe weather, and growing threats to nature and biodiversity.

“Addressing climate change is essential to protecting our communities, improving affordability by reducing the costs of climate damage, and building an economy that is resilient, competitive, and strong.

“Canada is meeting this moment with a plan that is ambitious, pragmatic, and durable, guided by Indigenous Knowledge, informed by science, and strengthened through collaboration with provinces, territories, municipalities, industry, and communities. Through the Climate Competitiveness Strategy, we are reducing our emissions and catalyzing investment in clean technology and innovation. Through Powering Canada Strong, we are expanding clean electricity to ensure Canadians have access to reliable, affordable, and low-emissions energy. And through A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature, we are investing $3.8 billion to protect and conserve 30% of lands and oceans in Canada by 2030; building projects in ways that work with nature, not against it; and mobilizing new capital for sustained conservation—because nature is not just something we protect, but something we depend on.

“We all have a part to play in climate action. Small changes, multiplied across millions of Canadians, can lead to meaningful results. And by working together across communities, sectors, and borders, we can build a cleaner, more sustainable, and resilient future for Canadians today, and for generations to come.”

Contacts

Keean Nembhard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature
343-552-2387
Keean.Nembhard@ec.gc.ca

Media Relations
Environment and Climate Change Canada
819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
media@ec.gc.ca

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