Canada now one of the first countries to introduce a nature accountability bill, says Guilbeault

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says Canada could lead most of the world if Parliament passes new legislation meant to boost biodiversity.

«We're only the second country in the world to put in place the [Nature Accountability Bill] after Chile,» Guilbeault told CBC News. «Being only the second country in the world to do something certainly puts us ahead of the game.»

On Thursday, Guilbeault tabled Bill C-73 alongside Canada's 2030 Nature Strategy. The bill follows the passage of the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act in 2021.

Both the bill and the strategy come as the world grapples with climate change and a biodiversity crisis. Canada's most recent wildland species report found that one in five species in Canada face some level of extinction risk.

• More than 2,000 wild species face a high risk of being wiped out in Canada, report warns

The strategy notes that the responsibility to protect nature extends well beyond our borders because damage to Canada's ecosystem affects the world.

Canada, it says, is home to 20 per cent of the world's total freshwater, 25 per cent of its wetlands and nearly 25 per cent of its boreal forests. With the world's longest coastline, it is also home to one of the world's largest marine territories.

The bill compels the environment minister to establish and table in Parliament a national biodiversity strategy, to report on actions taken to achieve those targets and to establish an advisory committee. The next strategy and review is expected in 2030.

The strategy required under the new law will be an update to the 2030 strategy the government tabled Thursday. That current strategy includes 23 targets covering ecosystem restoration and conserving and protecting 30 per cent of Canada's