Climate change Peatlands

Assessing Peatland Law and Policy Across Canada: Is Canada Fulfilling Its Critical Stewardship Role?

Goodday, V., Harris, L. & Tanguay, L.

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This policy brief from The National Peatland Policy Project outlines the policy gaps impacting the protection of Canada's globally important and carbon-rich peatland ecosystems.

Key points

Canada plays a critical role in global peatland stewardship. Canada contains roughly one-quarter of the world’s peatlands, including some of the world’s largest remaining intact peatland complexes.

Recognizing the role of Canada’s peatlands in global climate change mitigation and international calls to ensure strong national and sub-national policy for peatlands, there is the need to examine the applicable policy framework in Canada to determine whether it supports the protection and stewardship of Canada’s vast peatlands and their globally important carbon stores.

As part of our National Peatland Policy Project, we are studying the legislation and policy applicable to peatlands in Canada, at the provincial, territorial and federal levels. This brief highlights initial findings of our systematic review and presents recommendations for immediate action.

Recommended citation

Goodday, V., Harris, L. & Tanguay, L. (2024). Assessing Peatland Law and Policy Across Canada: Is Canada Fulfilling Its Critical Stewardship Role?. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]. https://doi.org/10.19121/2024.Report.51028