On December 19 th , 2022 the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was signed by 196 nations committed to taking urgent action against rapid biodiversity loss. All nations agreed to develop a biodiversity strategy to meet the goals and targets set out in the GBF, including the protection of thirty per cent of land and seas by 2030. The biodiversity strategy is the foundation of Canada’s renewed commitment to protect, preserve and regenerate nature, but as with climate policies we can expect a protracted fight with industry and some politicians to ensure our commitment to nature is being fulfilled.
Canada’s boreal wetlands are the ecosystem equivalent of Aladdin’s cave. These undisturbed wilderness areas are a treasure trove of biodiversity and a massive store of carbon that has been collected for thousands of years. They’re teeming with incredibly rich and vibrant life including birds, fish, mammals, insects, plants, soil, fungi and mosses.
Canada’s northern wetlands are the crown jewels in a rich tapestry of biodiversity and ecosystem services. One of Alberta’s largest wetland complexes is the McClelland Lake watershed, located in the heart of oilsands country north of Fort McMurray . The McClelland wetland complex is nestled between Suncor’s Fort Hills open pit mine and Imperial Oil’s Kearl mine, where 300,000 barrels of bitumen are produced each day in the excavated wasteland that was once a boreal forest.
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