On June 5th, 1992 – a summer’s day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the international Convention on Biological Diversity received its first signature. Canada was the first country to put pen to paper and commit to national conservation of biodiversity, soon followed by 168 other countries. It has been 25 years since then and Canada’s National Targets are due for achievement in 2020.

The Convention text outlines the importance of international “conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits”. From this, each country developed their own national goals by creating action plans that address their specific environments and how to conserve them.

Canada’s National Targets are broken down into four categories (A through D) with sub-goals for each. First and foremost, Canada aims to plan and manage all land and water ecosystems in a means that supports conservation, at all levels of government.
Second, to reduce direct and indirect pressures on biodiversity through sustainable production and consumption of resources.
Third, to supply and disseminate education about biodiversity and ecosystems, including the promotion and respect of “aboriginal traditional knowledge”.
And finally, to inform Canadians about the value of nature and encourage active engagement in its stewardship.

Every four years a National Report on progress is submitted, the most recent was in 2014. It outlines 22 key findings followed by 100 pages that go further in-depth. Most of the key findings are positive, including 95% of aqua culture harvesting practices meeting sustainability criteria, an overall decrease in pollution in Canadian waters, the return of many bird populations that were previously on the decline, deforestation reduction and the conversion of 1000 square km into forest land.

However, many issues remain. Including the rapid ‘greening’ of Arctic tundra ecosystems, lake acidification across the country, 23% of the 70,000 known species in Canada still considered ‘at Risk’ or ‘Sensitive’, marine litter posing threat to aquatic life, and the rise of species-specific diseases such as White-Nose Syndrome in bat populations.

Given there are so many aspects to the Convention and its goals, it is difficult to discern what is perhaps of utmost concern. David Currie, an Ottawa University Biology Professor and co-author of 12 academic publications about biodiversity, explains what the important goals are and why they deserve particular attention.

“We need to rationalize the fact that one of the fundamental assumptions of our economy is not consistent with the fact that the earth is finite. We can’t grow forever in use of resources.” Currie said.

President Bush spoke to this during his 1992 address after returning from the Biodiversity Convention in Brazil. He said, “a growing economy creates the resources necessary for environmental protection and environmental protection makes growth sustainable over the long term.”

Economic growth is of particular importance in the current age of globalization, however it is imperative to have an understanding of the limitations of our natural planet in order to sustain growth. This balance can only be achieved through widespread education.

Of the 22 key points made in the 2014 National Report, education went unmentioned. Although the introduction of Environmental Studies and Sustainability degrees over the past 25 years indicates an increased incorporation of environmental education into our national curriculum, Currie says there is still important work to be done.

“When we think about human development, we should always be asking what will the impact be on the environment and what will we leave for our children? We are within sight of irreparable damage to the planet in many ways. And we have to have people know that this is something we need to pay attention to,” Currie said.

Documentation:

1. 2014 National Report, found online, outlined Canada’s progress.
https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/ca/ca-nr-05-en.pdf

2. Canadian Biodiversity National Targets, found online, explicated Canadian biodiversity goals.
https://www.cbd.int/countries/targets/?country=ca

3. 1995 Canadian Biodiversity Strategy, found online, original document outlining Canada’s approach to biodiversity.
http://www.biodivcanada.ca/560ED58E-0A7A-43D8-8754-C7DD12761EFA/CBS_e.pdf