Quebec will spend $200 million on nature conservation initiatives in southern Quebec, Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks Minister Benoit Charette announced Friday.
This investment could be used to fund new protected areas on private lands, including through tax incentives, or conservation programs administered by environmental organizations, a ministry statement said.
These funds will come from the $650 million Nature 2030 Plan announced by Premier François Legault at the opening of the 15e United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15), December 6.
Quebec is committed to protecting 30% of its territory by 2030, particularly in the south of the province, “where biodiversity is rich and where the pressures exerted on ecosystems are the greatest”, recalls the press release.
“Thanks to several initiatives, the Quebec network of protected areas on private land has been improved in recent years, and it will be even more so in the coming years with this unprecedented investment,” added Minister Charette, quoted in the press release. .