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Protecting nature also fights climate change, says federal environment minister

Apr 23, 2019 | 11:28 AM

Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna says there’s more than one way to fight climate change.

Speaking ahead of an international conservation conference, McKenna says protecting natural areas can go a long way toward mitigating the impact of global warming.

She says intact ecosystems lock carbon away from the atmosphere and protect communities from disasters such as flooding.

McKenna says the amount of Canadian land and water now under protection has doubled.

She says Canada remains on track to meet its goals to conserve 17 per cent of its land mass and 10 per cent of its seas by 2020.

She says co-operation with Indigenous groups will be crucial to meeting those targets.

The Canadian Press