Nature Canada Unveils Bold “Nature Platform” to Protect and Restore Canada’s Natural Heritage

Press Release

April 03, 2025

“Every federal party faces a stark choice: will they rise to the occasion and stand up for policies that will protect nature and Canada’s long term prosperity, or will they capitulate to those who would pillage our common inheritance? Canadians will judge them accordingly.”

Unceded Algonquin Territory — Ottawa, ON, April 03, 2025 — With Canada in the midst of a federal election, Nature Canada is calling on all political parties to stand up for our country by committing to protect and restore nature. Last month, Nature Canada, one of the country’s oldest and most respected conservation charities, is launched its “Nature Platform”—a concrete plan to safeguard Canada’s irreplaceable lands and waters while ensuring that all Canadians can benefit from a thriving natural environment.

“Our economy will prosper, and our society will thrive, only if we protect our shared natural heritage,” said Akaash Maharaj, Director of Policy at Nature Canada. “This means protecting and conserving our lands and waters, halting species extinction, and protecting carbon-rich landscapes. Canada can not afford to cannibalize our natural assets to benefit the few today, at the expense of the many over generations to come. We must stand up for Canada.”

With only 23% of our land habitats and 13% of our oceans remaining intact, urgent action is required to halt nature’s decline. The Nature Platform outlines three key commitments Canada’s next government must adopt:

1. Protect and Conserve Nature – Commit to protecting 30% of land, water, and oceans by 2030, safeguard primary and old-growth forests, provide long-term funding for Indigenous Guardians Programs, and protect wildlife from genetic pollution.
2. Restore and Better Manage Nature – Restore 30% of degraded lands and waters by 2030, end federal subsidies that harm nature, and mobilize $1 billion per year in nature-based solutions over the next five years.
3. Bring Nature to Everyone – Ensure that all Canadians have equitable access to nature by establishing a permanent Office of Environmental Justice and expanding urban green spaces through the Natural Infrastructure Fund.

“This election is a decisive moment in Canada’s history,” added Maharaj. “Every federal party faces a stark choice: will they rise to the occasion and stand up for policies that will protect nature and Canada’s long term prosperity, or will they capitulate to those who would pillage our common inheritance? Canadians will judge them accordingly.”

For more information or to schedule an interview with Nature Canada’s Policy and Campaign team, please contact media@naturecanada.ca:

Akaash Maharaj – Director of Policy and Campaigns
Julia Laforge – Policy and Campaigns Manager, Protected Areas
Michael Polanyi – Policy and Campaigns Manager, Nature-based Climate Solutions
David Wallis – Policy and Campaigns Manager, Restoration

Nature Canada represents a powerful network of over 1,200 local nature groups and 250,000 individuals, working together to ensure a sustainable future for all Canadians.

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