Open Letter to Prime Minister Carney: The Clock is Ticking on Canada’s 30 by 30 Commitment

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National conservation leaders warn Canada risks falling behind on its promise to protect nature as key federal funding expires

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OTTAWA, Ontario, March 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Carney, Sandra Schwartz, National Executive Director of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Megan Leslie, CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada, Emily McMillan, Executive Director of Nature Canada, and Patrick Nadeau, President & CEO of Birds Canada, are urgently calling on the federal government to renew and strengthen funding for Canada’s landmark 30 by 30 commitment. This promise to protect 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030, central to the government’s environmental agenda, is at risk as essential funding is set to expire in just weeks. The letter highlights the pressing need for immediate action to prevent the stalling of conservation efforts and to ensure that the federal government delivers on its pledge to nature and to Canadians.

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Dear Prime Minister Carney,

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Your government has made a historic commitment to protect 30 percent of Canada’s lands and waters by 2030. A commitment that has become the centerpiece of your environmental agenda. It was articulated in the Liberal platform during the 2025 federal election and reaffirmed in the Speech from the Throne. Despite this, in just a few short weeks, the federal funding required to deliver on that promise is set to expire.

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The clock is ticking and Canada is running out of time.

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The lack of renewed funding has led to uncertainty for the people working to protect the land and ocean we rely on. It has stalled conservation work already underway and put important rural jobs at risk. Failure to act now would waste years of public investment and leave communities and Indigenous partners without the support they were promised.

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Silence, at a moment like this, is deafening.

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You have spoken clearly about the need for honesty in a world order that is under strain. You have identified the role and responsibility of middle powers like Canada to align our actions with our values rather than simply “go along, to get along”.

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Nature protection is a test of that leadership. Canada cannot credibly champion sustainable development, economic resilience and global cooperation while stepping back from one of its most visible and widely supported commitments. Canadians care about nature and are not willing to sacrifice the attention and investment it needs. It is intrinsic to who we are as a nation¹, with repeated public opinion evidence² showing that Canadians value nature conservation as a source of national unity and identity.

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Nature cannot wait.

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Across the country, biodiversity loss is accelerating, climate impacts are intensifying, and the gap between promise and progress is widening. At the same time, the economic case is unequivocal: nature is foundational infrastructure. Canada’s protected and conserved areas generated $10.9 billion in GDP in 2023–24, supported 150,000 jobs, and returned $1.4 billion in tax revenue to governments. Healthy ecosystems underpin jobs, community resilience, supply chains, food systems, and long-term prosperity. Businesses cannot thrive on a degraded planet, and governments cannot build durable economic strength while underfunding the systems that sustain it.