Biodiversity Boreal Climate change Conservation planning Freshwater Indigenous partnerships Natural resource development Peatlands

The National Peatland Strategy: Implementation Opportunities for British Columbia

Goodday, V., Tanguay, L., Radatus-Smith, N. & Harris, L

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To facilitate uptake of the National Peatland Strategy, opportunities for implementation at the federal level and in each province and territory have been identified. This document outlines opportunities for the province of British Columbia.

Key points

• Canada’s peatlands are of global importance, storing over 150 billion tonnes of carbon.
• Canada's provinces and territories have the primary responsibility for properly stewarding these climate-critical ecosystems.
• Top opportunities for the Government of British Columbia to achieve better outcomes for peatlands, and the communities and ecosystems that rely on them, include:
  
  • Developing a strong wetland policy framework that reflects the essential and irreplaceable values and services of peatlands, including a legislated objective to protect wetlands, including peatlands.
  • Closing legislative gaps to ensure peatlands are protected under water resources and forestry legislation, and accounting for the value and services of peatlands in infrastructure development and critical minerals planning and development.

The full strategy is available in both English and French.

Recommended citation

Goodday, V., Tanguay, L., Radatus-Smith, N. & Harris, L (2025). The National Peatland Strategy: Implementation Opportunities for British Columbia. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]. https://doi.org/10.19121/2025.Report.52386.p04.en