B.C.'s draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework

The B.C. government is committed to protecting and conserving the province’s biodiversity and ecosystem health. Rich biodiversity and healthy ecosystems support us all and ensure that the natural environment, as well as communities and their economies, continue to flourish, especially in the face of climate change.

B.C.’s draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework sets out a common vision for the conservation and management of ecosystem health and biodiversity. As an overarching priority, the Framework formalizes a new and strategic direction for a more holistic approach to stewarding our land and water resources and making sure they are healthy and resilient for future generations.   

The Framework:

• Outlines B.C.’s intent, principles and actions that together set the direction for prioritizing biodiversity and ecosystem health across the province
• Lays out a path to maintain and enhance biodiversity and ecological integrity, and ensure healthy communities and economies for the future
• Works to align, integrate and enhance existing provincial and collaborative initiatives to steward biodiversity and ecosystem health
• Guides and informs the future development of legislation, policies, and actions required to support the ongoing transformation of our land and water stewardship approaches in collaboration and in partnership with First Nations and with involvement from all British Columbians
• Provides an approach that is adaptable to diverse ecosystems and cultures, and that also finds ways of achieving collective stewardship across the province

The Framework upholds and enables the articles set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) and the requirements and commitments of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration Act). This foundation supports three pillars:

1. Adopting a whole of government approach that demonstrates vision, leadership, and integration
2. Fostering and supporting a whole of society approach that includes broad input from the public
3. Adopting an open and transparent process through evaluation, reporting, and collective learning

The draft Framework was developed through collaborative engagement throughout 2023 with First Nations and other parties including industry, non-governmental organizations, local communities, municipal leaders and academia. Research and examples from Canada and from other parts of the world have also helped to inform the draft and the innovative ideas within it.

The Province is now consulting with First Nations Rights and Title Holders, and engaging with multiple natural resource sectors and industry, as well as local governments, on the draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework. Members of the public can access the draft Framework and provide comments no later than January 31, 2024 by contacting biodiversity.ecosystemhealth@gov.bc.ca.