Canada faces a tight deadline of four years to achieve its ambitious target of safeguarding 30 percent of its lands and oceans by 2030, a significant increase from the current level of protection. In an effort to expedite progress, Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled a new nature strategy on Tuesday, emphasizing two unconventional methods that have sparked interest: engaging businesses and investors to contribute private funds to conservation efforts and officially acknowledging “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECM), which are areas safeguarded by local communities and private entities.
The incorporation of these novel strategies could offer a substantial boost to conservation initiatives in Canada while alleviating the sole responsibility on Ottawa. However, experts caution that if not executed properly, these alternative conservation areas might merely exist on paper without delivering the necessary protection for ecosystems to flourish.
OECMs, predominantly utilized by smaller municipal bodies or Indigenous communities, seek recognition for projects that do not neatly fit into traditional conservation categories like provincial parks. These projects, such as safeguarding city water supplies or preserving hunting and fishing grounds for Indigenous groups, may not have conservation as their primary goal but achieve conservation outcomes nonetheless.
While OECMs have shown success, there is a spectrum of effectiveness, with some receiving criticism. Carney’s announcement marked the first official inclusion of OECMs in Canada’s conservation targets, aiming for at least eight percent of lands to be protected under these measures. Efforts are underway to ensure that OECMs are evaluated for their conservation efficacy akin to parks or other conserved areas.
Critics have raised concerns about OECMs allowing industrial activities like logging, particularly in British Columbia, where they are prevalent. Questions also loom over the long-term monitoring and accountability of these areas to ensure they continue providing environmental benefits as intended.
In addition to OECMs, Carney introduced a task force on natural capital accounting and nature financing to quantify the economic value of nature and attract private investments into conservation. While details on implementation are scarce, models leveraging philanthropic funding have been successful in protecting parts of the Great Bear Sea in B.C. Nevertheless, with the 2030 deadline looming, stakeholders are eager for more clarity on how private funding will be raised.
Critics like Lucero González express skepticism about the emphasis on private funding, suggesting it shifts control away from affected communities to those driving extractive industries. She underscores the importance of refocusing efforts on combating biodiversity loss and species extinction rather than fixating solely on numerical conservation goals.