Biodiversity: A Nation's Commitment, an Obligation for Ontario - Conclusion
Conserving biodiversity is our shared responsibility. Communities, businesses, municipalities, and the federal government each have important contributions to make to halt the loss of biodiversity. However, the Government of Ontario has an irreplaceable role and it cannot be absent from the table. It is imperative that the provincial government guide Ontario’s response to this urgent crisis.
The conservation of biodiversity touches so many areas of what the Government of Ontario already does: taking ownership and having a plan is not only good for biodiversity, it is also an efficient and effective use of government resources. It is not necessarily about doing new things; it is about doing what we already do, but better.
The Government of Ontario needs to ensure that its ministries are aware of the obligations they have under the Convention for Biological Diversity. A united approach across government, led by the Ministry of Natural Resources, would allow for different government programs to build on each other’s efforts and successes for a common goal. No one ministry can tackle this challenge alone.
How we deal with the biodiversity crisis today will be the legacy that we leave behind. We must not be out of step with the efforts underway now around the world to tackle one of the greatest challenges of our time. The Government of Ontario needs a strategic plan of action to conserve, protect, and recover our province’s biological diversity.
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| Next section: Appendix 1: Strategic Goals and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets |
| This is an article from a Special Report, Biodiversity: A Nation's Commitment, an Obligation for Ontario to the Legislature from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. |
Citing This Article:
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 2011. "{{{articletitle}}}." Biodiversity: A Nation's Commitment, an Obligation for Ontario. Toronto: The Queen's Printer for Ontario. 17.
