TheBiodiversity Caucusbridges local and global activities, uniting public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Our primary goal, aligned with our Memorandum of Understanding with Environment and Climate Change Canada, is to implement theConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD). We aim to raise awareness, build capacity, and encourage proactive biodiversity protection.
The Caucus provides a collective voice for organizations, offering guidance to national environmental groups, governments at all levels, the private sector, international organizations, and multilateral environmental agreement secretariats. Grounded in the CBD's definition of biological diversity, we emphasize genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity while respecting diverse belief systems and political views.
The Biodiversity Caucus actively participated in Nature On The Hill 2024. Executive Director Jade Scognamillo and Caucus Co-Chair Frédéric Perron-Welch joined other ENGO representatives in Ottawa to advocate for biodiversity. Delegates from various nature groups, including RCEN, came together to voice their concerns on critical environmental issues. This event fostered essential dialogues with MPs, Senators, and Ministers, aiming to drive impactful change.
RCEN Executive Director, Jade Scognamillo (left), at Nature On The Hill with Senator Kim Pate, joined by ENGO representatives from Nature Canada and the Nature Trust of New Brunswick (May 2024).
National Biodiversity Watch
Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy and the Nature Accountability Bill
Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy has been published! This milestone follows the adoption of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) at COP15, where Canada and 195 other countries committed to halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 and setting nature on a path to recovery by 2050.
Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy outlines the domestic implementation of the KMGBF. It aims to reflect the diverse perspectives and issues across the country, developed through engagement with provinces, territories, Indigenous groups, and stakeholders. The goal of the Strategy is to set a shared vision to address biodiversity loss, building on initiatives nationwide.
In tandem with the Strategy, the Nature Accountability Bill, introduced in 2024, will establish a framework for the federal government to fulfill its KMGBF commitments. It mandates the development of national biodiversity strategies and action plans and requires regular reporting on their implementation. This Bill intends to promote collaboration between the federal government, other Canadian governments, and Indigenous partners to support biodiversity.
With multiple environmental crises going on—climate and biodiversity to name a couple – it is becoming more and more apparent that young people are becoming increasingly concerned about what our world will look like, not only for ourselves, but for generations to come. Will our grandkids be able to live in a world where polar bears are still roaming the Arctic? Or will they be known as an animal that was once roaming this planet, but is now extinct?
Biodiversity has been a topic of international concern, namely through the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), where youth expressed these concerns through groups such as the Canadian Youth Biodiversity Network (CYBN). Canada’s biodiversity has also been at risk, with forest fires destroying ecosystems across the country and record breaking warm temperatures impacting plant and animal’s natural cycles. These issues have to be urgently addressed by our decision-makers, legislations live a biodiversity bill can pave a pathway to hold governments, corporations, and other stakeholders accountable for the country’s biodiversity. From a youth perspective, based on consultations held by CYBN, we believe that intergenerational justice, sustainable finance, and most importantly, giving young people a seat in the decision-making table will help with the halting and reversing of biodiversity loss.
We are excited to introduce our first featured blog post: What Does Canada’s Announced Nature Accountability Bill Mean for ENGOs? This insightful piece is written by Nicola Protetch and Mia Tran, students at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law (Common Law). Supervised by Caucus Co-Chair Frédéric Perron-Welch through Pro Bono Students Canada, this blog post delves into the implications of Canada’s proposed Nature Accountability Bill. It explores critical topics such as the significance of biodiversity, the environment within Canada’s division of powers, provincial authority over environmental matters, and the potential impact on biodiversity protection.
ENGO Spotlight: Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA)
AWA is the oldest wilderness conservation group in Alberta (since 1965), seeking a network of representative protected areas. AWA has a proven history of being an effective, credible, and independent advocate for wildlands, wildwater, and wildlife.
Q. Can you share a recent success story or project related to biodiversity in which your organization has been involved?
A. We are proud to share several recent successes that highlight our commitment to biodiversity:
The Upper Highwood Logging plans, which posed a significant threat to the habitat of the bull trout, a species currently listed as Threatened, have been paused. This is a crucial step in ensuring the protection and recovery of this vulnerable species. More details about this achievement can be found here: Upper Highwood Logging on Pause.
The Foothills Solar Project, which threatened the Frank Lake Important Bird Area (IBA) – one of the most important wetlands in southern Alberta – has been rejected. This decision helps protect the critical habitat for many bird species that rely on this vital wetland. More information on this success can be found here: AWA Supports Denial of Foothills Solar Project by AUC.
The Moose Lake Access Management Plan has been approved, setting maximum 'buffered' disturbance limits on industrial activities in the area. This plan is a significant step forward in preserving the natural environment and biodiversity around Moose Lake. Details about this plan can be found here: Kitaskino Nuwenëné Proposed Expansion & Moose Lake 10km Plan.
Q. What key challenges does your organization face in advocating for biodiversity protection and sustainable practices?
A. Working against large, well-funded industry can be difficult as a non-profit organization. One particular challenge has been obtaining legal standing to participate in hearings. In Alberta, legal standing is often only granted to directly affected stakeholders. Generally, this only includes landowners near where a project is being built, and excludes environmental organizations like AWA.
Q. How does your organization engage with communities and other stakeholders in biodiversity conservation efforts?
A. Education and outreach are a huge part of the work at AWA. We keep our members informed about environmental concerns throughout Alberta through our biweekly newsletters and our quarterly Wildlands Advocate.
Q. What is one thing your organization believes needs to happen to stop biodiversity loss?
A. Biodiversity needs to be recognized for the inherent value, not only for the monetary advantages. Acknowledgement of the services it provides is also important. Understanding and speaking up for the inherent value of biodiversity is vital to halting and reversing biodiversity loss.
Q. Please share any calls to action that you would like to extend to caucus members.
A. We have several urgent calls to action that need your support:
Bison Conservation: We are urging the government to list bison as wildlife in Alberta, which will provide them with essential legal protections. Please join us in advocating for this important change. Action Alert: Bison Must Be Listed as Wildlife in Alberta.
Coal Mining in the Eastern Slopes: We are calling for coal mining to be denied in the Eastern Slopes to protect these critical ecosystems. Your voice is needed to help safeguard these areas from industrial development. Act Now: Send an Email to Deny Coal Mining in the Eastern Slopes.
Pronghorn Migration Protection: We are advocating for the protection of pronghorn migration routes, as recent developments pose a significant threat to these animals. Your support is crucial to ensure their safe passage and survival. Support Protection for Pronghorn Migration.
Your involvement in these actions can make a significant difference in preserving biodiversity. Thank you for your support!
A. Biodiversity means that in any ecosystem, all forms of life, be they plant, insect, microorganisms, birds, and animals, all live in cooperation in the divine design for which they were created. It is all about the interrelationship of all things. Each intricate part of the ecosystem relates to the robust health and functioning of the entire system.
Q. What sparked your interest in biodiversity?
A. I first became involved in biodiversity in the late 1980s when I was a founder and then Chair of the Ecology Action Centre’s Wilderness Committee. At the same time I was a member of the RCEN’s National Wilderness Caucus.
Q. What is one thing your organization believes needs to happen to stop biodiversity loss?
A. The RCEN Caucus was a huge collection of groups from across the country and we were responsible for moving legislation through the House of Commons to protect at least 12% of representative ecosystems across the country. This legislation was unanimously approved by all political parties.
The work to achieve the national conservation goals was undertaken at both the national and provincial levels. Here in Nova Scotia, we have a large percentage of private land holdings, so wilderness advocates here did a lot of work with private landowners as part of achieving our goals. We worked with both provincial and municipal governments, often meeting with the Minister of the Environment and local MLA’s to move the goal posts. When governments changed, I, as Chair of the Wilderness Committee would contact the new Minister and request a meeting with our Committee. He or she would then be briefed by the Committee on the status of the myriad of issue areas in progress so that momentum would continue without interruption. We also met with members of industry and with industry groups at large to discuss improvement in forest practices going forward. Since that time, the percentage of protected areas has risen from 4.6 percent in Nova Scotia in 1989 to 13 percent in 2024. We still have a long way to go to achieve the national conservation goal of 30 percent by 2030.
In the early stages of this work I had the opportunity to initiate federally the idea of including marine protected areas in the overall plan. In 1991, Jean Charest became federal Minister of the Environment. When I proposed this idea to him during a meeting in Halifax, he took it seriously. Marine protected areas soon became an integral part of protected ecosystems planning. It has been very encouraging to witness the creation of so many protected areas both on land and sea across Canada since those early beginnings.
Meeting with the federal Minister of the Environment was always an integral part of the Annual Gathering of the RCEN. As members of the National Wilderness Caucus my colleagues and I made sure that the current minister was staying on track with protecting more national wilderness areas and incorporating policies into all areas of environmental planning that would protect biodiversity in general.
In my private work as an Environment and Health Expert, and in my work with grassroots environmental groups, I am considered a pioneer in the subject of the interrelationship between environment and health. As such, at all levels of my work, I view environmental challenges through the lens of health. On the local level here in Halifax, I was doing a lot of work on health issues at the same time as the body of work on wilderness preservation. Several of our health related projects which were driven by human health concerns have had a very positive impact on the health of urban ecosystems and biodiversity. Two significant projects come to mind. The first was working to develop Scent-free policies here in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). Such policies were needed because many people were becoming highly chemically sensitive and were becoming negatively affected by fragrance chemicals. Scent-free policies were developed in cooperation with City Council and the provincial department of health, hospital administrators, etc. They have been widely embraced and are in effect in our hospitals, through Capitol Health, and are commonplace in government offices, in schools and universities, physician and dental offices, and sometimes even include church congregations.These policies have expanded to communities across the province. Fragrance chemicals can be toxic, are unregulated and considered proprietary information by the industries that produce them. Runoff from these substances and also their volitilization into the air, have a huge impact on human health through the air we breathe but they also affect our waterways and soils. The diversion of these from our indoor air and from ecosystems aids in the health of our human populations and the environment and biodiversity at large.
Another initiative that was undertaken by a coalition of health-oriented groups with which I was active here in Halifax has had a great impact on biodiversity. That is the development of pesticide-free bylaws. Groups like Real Alternatives to the Toxins in the Environment (RATE), the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia (EHANS) and Citizens for a Safe Learning Environment (CASLE) banded together, under the leadership of RATE and worked diligently to develop a Pesticide Free Bylaw in HRM. This was one of the first in Canada, paving the way for other jurisdictions to follow suit. It became province-wide in Nova Scotia and has been responsible for the reduction of tons of pesticides from entering our waterways and ecosystems in general.
This involved a lot of work with municipal officials, provincial MLA’s, lawn care business owners, hospital administrators and schools and universities. It involved a tremendous amount of public education and dialogue that has been successful in supporting human health and the health of our urban ecosystems. Children can play freely in urban parks, joggers and walkers and their pets can enjoy their exercise without encountering pesticide exposures. Dandelions are no longer considered a scourge on private and city properties. Urban vegetable gardening has become more widespread.
Q. How do you personally contribute to raising awareness about biodiversity and sustainable practices?
A. Over the past four decades of my involvement with the RCEN I have been active on a broad range of environmental issues through my work on many Caucuses: Climate Change, Biodiversity, Toxics, Water, Health, Atmosphere and Energy, Environmental Assessment and Mining. As stated earlier, I always see the issues through a health perspective. I have been able to share best practises from our Nova Scotia experience with colleagues across the country by networking within the RCEN Caucuses and likewise have been able to share best practises from environmental groups in other provinces with groups back here in Nova Scotia.
I have drawn attention here to the subject of chemical pollutants because of their dire effect on biodiversity. The is constant proliferation of new chemical substances and the volume of these chemicals flood the marketplace through all manner of consumer products. Likewise they are used extensively in agriculture, forestry practices, mining, oil and gas and other industrial projects. They continue to contaminate ecosystems and pose a dire, cumulative threat to all living things.
Q. What do you believe is the biggest threat to biodiversity?
A. It is not just vital, but imperative, that governments, industry and humanity at large come to grips with the need to dramatically reduce this ever increasing volume of chemicals released into the environment. Since 2010, I have been raising the subject of global reduction of chemicals at national and international conferences, and at meetings with my colleagues and all levels of government and industry. This subject must be a central focus in facing the triple threat of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss head-on. In my view, this is a unifying and crosscutting challenge that must be grappled with globally. It is central to what I do as an individual to work toward developing new policies and practises that protect biodiversity.
You can learn more about Sheila’s work by visiting her website.
RCEN supports ENGOs and individuals by providing valuable networking, communications, and resource-sharing services. From coast to coast, we collaborate on bold, positive, and future-focused solutions to the climate crisis. Our Biodiversity Caucus, in particular, plays a pivotal role in linking local and global efforts to protect and enhance biodiversity. By joining the Biodiversity Caucus, you can directly contribute to implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), raising awareness, building capacity, and encouraging proactive action.
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