Side Event

Implementing the CBD: Experiences in Canada

Organizer
Government of Canada, Environment Canada, Biodiversity Convention Office

Date and Time
7 September 2005 13:15 - 14:45

Meeting
Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on the Review of Implementation of the Convention (WGRI 1)

Implementation of the CBD in a large and diverse nation such as Canada involves numerous government and private sector actors, and a variety of approaches. Biodiversity conservation has emerged as an important consideration for Canada’s natural resource-dependent economy. Sub-national governments, which manage land and natural resources within the Canadian confederation, are implementing their own biodiversity strategies. A panel will discuss: • Quebec’s biodiversity strategy, in place for ten years, which involves a number of ministries, includes clear objectives and actions, and has been revised in light of experiences to date; • an innovative new biodiversity monitoring program in Alberta, developed as a partnership between government, research institutions, academia and industry; and • actions taken to integrate biodiversity into Canada’s national forest strategy and into on-the-ground forestry operations, including through tools such as certification. The session moderator will describe how Canada’s national biodiversity strategy has encouraged these diverse approaches, and how it is evolving to encompass national priorities and shared outcomes.