Canada’s Force of Nature Strategy Drives New Momentum Towards a Nature-Positive Economy

Nature is fundamental to Canada’s identity and prosperity — providing clean air and water, supporting biodiversity and protecting communities from climate impacts. With today’s launch of Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature, the federal government is recognizing that safeguarding ecosystems is essential to building a stronger, more resilient and economically secure country.

The strategy includes a $3.8‑billion investment and a plan to meet Canada’s climate, biodiversity and Indigenous stewardship commitments — including protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030. It blends proven partnerships with new tools to mobilize private capital, close the financing gap and advance a resilient, nature‑positive economy. This vision reflects the views of 93% of Canadians who see nature as one of our most valuable economic assets.

“Canada is demonstrating leadership by recognizing that our economic well-being is inseparable from the health of our natural world,” said Hadley Archer, Executive Director of Nature United. “When we account for the value of nature, we make better decisions for people, communities and the economy. By investing in the lands and waters that support us, we can confront the climate and biodiversity crises while strengthening economic resilience for generations to come.”

The strategy’s three pillars — Protect Nature, Build Canada Well, and Value and Mobilize Capital for Nature — offer important pathways to advance this work. Within each, we see real potential to drive progress on our recommendations and strengthen Canada’s nature‑positive future:

• Nature United welcomes major new commitments toward Canada’s 30% by 2030 targets, including $1.63 billion for conservation and Indigenous‑led stewardship, funding for the Seal River National Park Reserve, and investments in Indigenous Guardians Programs and species‑at‑risk recovery. The Seal River Watershed — one of North America’s last intact watersheds — holds exceptional ecological and cultural significance, and our decade of work in Boreal Manitoba has shown how Indigenous‑led stewardship can protect and strengthen these vital landscapes.

• Strengthening how Canada measures and values nature is equally critical. New measures to better account for healthy, intact ecosystems — including improved mapping and environmental data — will guide smarter decisions, unlock investment and drive nature‑positive outcomes. We also applaud the government’s recognition of nature‑based solutions as essential for climate resilience. With thoughtful implementation, these steps can supercharge finance for nature and scale nature‑positive business models already benefiting businesses, communities and the environment across Canada.

• Canada’s decision to establish an Expert Taskforce on Natural Capital Accounting and Nature Financing is another major advancement. This body — which we have recommended — will help integrate natural capital accounting into fiscal planning, recognizing conservation, restoration and natural infrastructure as true capital investments.

“In Canada, nature’s ecosystem services amount to at least $3.6 trillion per year — more than double our 2018 GDP,” says Shaughn McArthur, Director of Government Relations at Nature United. “Properly accounting for the value of nature — and ensuring natural assets appear on balance sheets — is essential to creating policies that can attract investment at the scale needed to close the financing gap.”

“Through networks such as Canada’s Nature Advantage, we’re already seeing how collaboration across industries can unlock investment and accelerate nature‑positive business models that benefit communities, businesses and ecosystems.”

The Force of Nature strategy drives new momentum towards protecting, restoring and improving Canada’s natural wealth, while building a more resilient economic future for all Canadians. Forest managers, producers and Indigenous land stewards are ready to help drive a truly nature‑positive economy. As this work advances, the best outcomes will come from collaboration across jurisdictions, including the provinces and territories, whose engagement is vital to long‑term success.

Nature United is committed to helping drive this collective effort forward, ensuring that a nature‑positive economy delivers lasting benefits for communities, ecosystems and future generations.