Global and National Targets
United for Biodiversity: Setting Global and National Targets to Save Life on Earth
In December 2022, the world came together for Nature and created a Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), committing to 4 goals and 23 targets to address the global loss of biodiversity. But what do these goals and targets mean and why do we need them?
Biodiversity – Essential to Our Existence
Biodiversity is the life we see all around us. According to the GBF, “Biodiversity is fundamental to human well-being, a healthy planet, and economic prosperity for all people, including for living well in balance and in harmony with Mother Earth. We depend on it for food, medicine, energy, clean air and water, security from natural disasters as well as recreation and cultural inspiration, and it supports all systems of life on Earth.” [1]
However, it has been clear for many decades that biodiversity all over the world is under threat – from competing land uses, pollution, climate change, population growth and other human activities.
- In the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risk Perceptions Survey, 50% of the top global risks over the next decade were environmental, with biodiversity loss ranked as 3rd most severe.[2]
- Canada’s grassland birds have declined nearly 60% since 1970.[3]
- In 2022, 841 species were assessed as ‘at risk’ by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.[4]
Setting Global Targets…
For the past 30 years, the world has banded together in an effort to save biodiversity and the benefits it provides. Almost 200 countries have committed to the goals and targets of the GBF, which describes the ambitious, agreed upon objectives for nature that will allow us to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, as we work toward a global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050. Countries also adopted a new framework to monitor and track progress towards these ambitious objectives and enhance their commitments around funding required to support this work. Creating goals and targets with measurable outcomes helps bring attention to the work being done to tackle the biodiversity crisis and drives the actions needed by governments, industry, and society to help achieve them. Target 3, the target for increasing the size and number of protected and conserved areas, is at the heart of the global commitments.
…And Creating National Targets
Countries have also committed to creating their own national strategies and action plans. Canada will work to implement the measures in the Global Biodiversity Framework through the creation of Canada’s Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, including how each of the global goals and targets apply in Canada and how we will work to achieve them.
But the work won’t end there. Biodiversity loss is a serious, global problem and a lot of work is needed to stop the loss and reverse it. More targets are also expected to come out in the future as the world makes progress, and as new biodiversity issues are identified. The government of Canada is currently working to protect and conserve 25% of our lands and oceans by 2025 and 30% by 2030. And people from all over the country – federal, provincial, and territorial governments; Indigenous governments, communities, organizations, and Indigenous Peoples; businesses; local governments, environmental organizations; and private citizens like you, are helping us move forward to save Canada’s nature and create a healthy environment for generations to come.
Find out more about how you can Become a Partner for biodiversity conservation!
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