The Green Budget Coalition has released a comprehensive set of recommendations on how the next federal budget can meet the challenge of fighting the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

“Canadians want ambitious action on environmental priorities,” said David Browne, Green Budget Coalition co-chair and director of conservation for the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF), in releasing the coalition’s recommendations for Budget 2022.“The government has promised to act on many of our specific recommendations, most recently in its election platform and at COP26 in Glasgow. These commitments need to be implemented with funding in Budget 2022.”

CWF and 22 of Canada’s largest environmental and conservation organizations form the Green Budget Coalition. The Green Budget Coalition’s five feature recommendations address three critical environmental objectives:

Net Zero Emissions By 2050

1. Canada’s Renovation Wave

A Plan for Jobs and Climate: $10-15 billion per year for 10 years to enable the renovation wave, including deep retrofits for residential and commercial buildings, Indigenous communities, and skills and market development

2. Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Re-Orienting Public Finance

Recommendations to not introduce new fossil fuel subsidies, to phase out existing subsidies on an ambitious timeline, and to align all public finance with Canada’s climate commitments

Full Nature Recovery By 2050

3. Freshwater Management

$1.256 billion over five years to protect, manage and restore Canada’s freshwater resources

4. Permanent Funding for Protected Areas

$1.4 billion per year in permanent funding increasing to $2.8 billion per year by 2030-31 for managing terrestrial and marine protected areas

Environmental Justice

5. Office of Environmental Justice and Equity

$25 million over two years then $15 million per year ongoing to create a new Office of Environmental Justice and Equity

“With 56 per cent of freshwater fish species or unique populations at risk, CWF was the lead author on the recommendations for freshwater management and the protection of fish habitat. These recommendations support shoreline resilience, ensure sustainable water supply, improve water quality, maintain and restore freshwater fisheries and ecosystems, and generate community benefits,” Browne said. “Effective management of freshwater ecosystems is critical to sustaining biodiversity, the economy, and the people of Canada.”

CWF is also advocating for funding for the prevention and control of wildlife disease, environmentally sustainable agriculture, a native pollinator protection program, and a new biodiversity strategy for Canada.

What is the Green Budget Coalition?

The Green Budget Coalition, founded in 1999, brings together 23 leading Canadian environmental and conservation organizations to present an analysis of the most pressing issues regarding environmental sustainability in Canada and to make recommendations to the federal government regarding strategic fiscal and budgetary opportunities.