Quebec is taking advantage of the opening of the Conference of Parties (COP15) on biodiversity in Montreal to announce an investment of $650 million to ensure the protection of 30% of its territory by 2030.
Quebec Premier François Legault, accompanied by Environment Minister Benoit Charette, made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon.
According to François Legault, this plan is “the largest investment in land protection and biodiversity in the history of Quebec”.
The Prime Minister indicated that the “Plan Nature 2030” will be broken down into three axes:
- the first, “is to give Quebecers more access to nature”;
- the second is “to protect our threatened and vulnerable species”;
- and the third “is to support indigenous leadership in biodiversity conservation”.
The preservation of 30% of land and oceans is the key objective of COP15.
“I am first of all very proud that our government has increased the protected territory of Quebec from 10% to 17%. We are now number one in Canada for the absolute area of protected areas. And I am making a commitment today to reach the target of 30% protected areas by 2030,” said François Legault during a speech to delegates from 196 countries, but also in the presence of the Prime Minister. Justin Trudeau and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antònio Guterres.
During his speech, the Premier of Quebec highlighted the province’s “clean energy”.
“Hydro-Québec has just signed a major contract to export clean energy to New York State. This clean energy will allow New York State to eliminate the equivalent of GHGs [gaz à effet de serre] of a million cars. This is proof that states like Quebec can make a difference internationally, and for the planet. »
He also recalled that last June, Benoit Charrette designated 11 new plant species as threatened or vulnerable and that his government announced, on Monday, the designation of 27 new wildlife species as threatened or vulnerable.
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