New Legislation for Protection of Biodiversity, Ecosystem Health and Species at Risk

Whereas in 2022 UBCM endorsed resolutions calling on the Province of BC to work in cooperation with First Nations to enact species at risk legislation and to work towards new legislation to protect and restore biological diversity and ecosystem health; And whereas in November 2022 the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council released the Wild Species 2020: The General Status of Species in Canada Report which documents an increased risk of extinction for 700 species in British Columbia in the last five years; And whereas in December 2022, Canada joined 195 countries in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework which aims to halt and reverse global biodiversity loss by 2030: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon the Province of British Columbia to urgently proceed with legislation, informed by new agreements and reports, co-developed with First Nations, that enables legal and financial mechanisms for the protection of biodiversity, ecosystem health, and species at risk in British Columbia.