In a December 2020 speech at Columbia 颅University, the UN secretary general said: 鈥淭he state of the planet is broken. 颅Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal,鈥� adding: 鈥淢aking peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century. It must be the top, top priority for everyone, 颅everywhere.鈥�
A February 2021 UN Environment 颅Program (UNEP) report, 鈥淢aking Peace with Nature,鈥� is blunt: 鈥淗umanity鈥檚 颅environmental challenges have grown in number and severity 鈥� and now represent a planetary emergency.鈥� Noting 鈥渉uman well-being is critically dependent on Earth鈥檚 natural systems,鈥� the report identifies the three 鈥渟elf-inflicted planetary crises鈥� we must address simultaneously: the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies.
Yet we are failing to meet even the agreed-upon targets for climate change, protection of biodiversity, land 颅degradation neutrality, protection of oceans and marine resources and the safe management of chemicals and waste. As a result, says the report, the web of life 鈥� of which we are a part, and upon which we depend 鈥� is unravelling.
These human-driven ecosystem changes thus represent a threat to the stability and sustainability of our society and the 颅well-being of the global and Canadian 颅populations, as well as the well-being, indeed the continued existence, of many other 颅species.
So you would think the main federal 颅parties would make the theme of making peace with nature a core element of their election platforms 鈥� and you would be wrong.
To be sure, the parties all address 颅climate change, with varying degrees of serious but generally inadequate 颅commitment, have something nice to say about 颅protecting our lands and waters (although the word 颅biodiversity is 颅conspicuous by its almost total absence) and acting on some forms of pollution and in 颅particular addressing plastic wastes.
But none of the parties addresses the underlying problem, which is that our entire way of life and our economy are 颅unsustainable.
The central fact is that 颅globally, we use 1.7 times the Earth鈥檚 颅bio-capacity every year, and almost five times that much per person in sa国际传媒. In other words, as a country, we take almost five times our fair share of the Earth鈥檚 颅limited bio-capacity and resources, while disproportionately polluting the Earth.
The central challenge we face in the next couple of decades, then, is how we reduce our ecological footprint about 75 per cent, share the Earth more with those who have less (including other species) and yet ensure a good quality of life for all Canadians.
Continuing the 鈥渕aking peace鈥� 颅metaphor, the UNEP report outlines both a peace plan and a post-war rebuilding program. There are recommendations for 颅governments in three broad areas: Address Earth鈥檚 颅environmental emergencies and human 颅well-being together; transform economic and financial systems so they lead and power the shift toward sustainability; and transform food, water and energy 颅systems to meet growing human needs in an 颅equitable, 颅resilient and environmentally friendly manner.
But, notes the report, this will involve overcoming 鈥渧ested and short-term 颅interests鈥� 鈥� those who do very well out of the current system (such as the fossil fuel, chemicals, mining, forestry, 颅agricultural, automobile and consumer products 颅industries), and want to maintain the status quo.
Among the specific recommendations that challenge a business-as-usual approach are to 鈥渋nclude natural capital 鈥� and 颅environmental costs 鈥� in decision-making,鈥� end fossil fuel subsidies, and develop and use alternatives to GDP.
These, then, are some of the 颅transformative changes we need to see at the core of the platform of any party 颅aspiring to form the next government. And they need to start happening right now, because time is short 鈥� 鈥渢he coming decade is crucial,鈥� says UNEP. This is not something that can be put off for another election or two.
Any party with pretensions to caring about the well-being of young people and future generations, as well as the well-being of the Earth itself, would make these issues the core of their platforms.
Sadly, however, making peace with nature does not seem to be a top priority among sa国际传媒鈥檚 main 颅political parties, and thus not a priority for whomever forms the next government. This is the planet-sized elephant that the main parties are trying to ignore in this election.
Dr. Trevor Hancock is a retired professor and senior scholar at the University of Victoria鈥檚 School of Public Health and Social Policy.
