Whereas Vancouver Island communities are facing loss of irreplaceable natural habitat that is crucial to the survival of delicate coastal and land ecosystems, including wildlife and plant life; And whereas in December 2022, the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework GBF, including four goals and 23 targets for achievement by 2030: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the provincial government establish a working committee, with local government representation to establish a comprehensive set of urban planning and development guidelines that align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Frameworks goals and targets, and recommendations to implement this framework to regulate development at the local level in UBCM member communities and combat the loss of natural habitat in BC, with a goal of protecting 30 of natural environment and coastline.
Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship WLRS is working closely with the Ministry of Forests FOR to implement all 14 recommendations of the 2020 strategic review report A New Future for Old Forests. A key component of this work is leading the collaborative development of a Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework the Framework with First Nations. The Framework will set policy intent and serve as a catalyst for a paradigm shift in the way we think about biodiversity, helping to ensure our ecosystems and communities remain healthy and resilient in light of climate change and other threats. The Framework will create a vision and tools to support the prioritization of ecosystem health and the conservation of biodiversity and species at risk. It will help align ongoing initiatives that support ecosystem health and biodiversity e.g., Together for Wildlife Strategy, Watershed Security Strategy, support the commitment to achieving the goal of 30 protection of BCs land base by 2030, and will align with the Global Biodiversity Framework. The draft Framework includes a commitment to co-developing with First Nations new legislation and updates to existing legislation. It also includes a commitment to work with local governments and British Columbians as part of a whole of society approach, to support the conservation and restoration of biodiversity through the exiting Biodiversity Forum for Local Governments, previously known as the Species and Ecosystems at Risk Local Government Working Group, and other governance mechanisms. This Forum includes over 100 municipal, regional and provincial government representatives interested in exchanging information and advancing projects on the conservation of biodiversity. The draft framework was released on November 15, 2023. Consultation with First Nations and engagement with industry, local governments, and Non-Government Organizations was conducted via virtual webinars between November 15, 2023, and January 31, 2024. These included two local government specific sessions. The Framework will be finalized in spring 2024, followed by co-development of the related legislation.