Our Work

Safeguarding Biodiversity

What’s at stake

British Columbia is the most biodiverse province in Canada and is also home to the most species at risk of extinction. From breathtaking Southern resident orca families to mighty woodland caribou herds to towering old-growth forests, many iconic animals and plants are at risk of being lost forever.

Right now, B.C. does not have a provincial law to meaningfully protect endangered species or their habitats. This means that currently, companies are destroying the last homes of spotted owls, salmon and woodland caribou with little repercussion. This isn’t right. So, let’s change that.

The challenge

Despite having over 1,900 species and ecosystems on the brink, the current provincial system is comprised of a patchwork of laws that prioritizes industrial resource extraction over the health of the land, air and water. This means companies can destroy endangered species habitat like old-growth forests and clean rivers with barely a slap on the wrist. It also undermines Indigenous legal orders and governance which have maintained biodiversity for millennia.

However, things are about to change.

Thanks to years of public pressure, the B.C. government has developed a draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework outlining a path forward — including a provincial law co-developed with Indigenous Nations. This law will prioritize biodiversity and ecosystem integrity across all sectors.

But progress has stalled. The final framework is overdue. Every day more at-risk ecosystems and species are being irreversibly lost to industrial destruction. Will you join the thousands of people speaking up for biodiversity?

Did you know?

1,900+

species and ecosystems are listed as at risk in B.C.

No

provincial law exists that legally protects endangered species or their habitats in B.C.

1 wild spotted owl remains in B.C.

Thankfully, solutions do exist.

Here are four things we’re advocating for that can help turn things around:

Enacting provincial biodiversity legislation to protect at-risk species and ecosystems
Working alongside First Nations to double the area of protected lands in B.C. to 30% by 2030
Funding for communities to transition to sustainable economic alternatives
Keeping the federal North Coast Tanker Ban in place, which legally protects this biodiversity hotspot from oil spills

LEARN MORE

Here’s what Sierra Club BC is doing to make these biodiversity solutions a reality

Advocating for better biodiversity policies

Empowering local leaders to take action with their networks

Releasing hard-hitting scientific reports

Supporting Indigenous-led solutions

Raising public awareness

Educating youth about environmental stewardship

Re-connecting people with the web of life

Recent progress for biodiversity

Thanks to public pressure, B.C. has committed to implementing a province-wide law co-developed with Indigenous Nations that prioritizes biodiversity and ecosystem health.
First Nations, B.C. and Canada have committed to doubling protected land in B.C. to achieve 30% by 2030. This includes a $1 billion investment in conservation through the Nature Agreement.
Thanks to Indigenous leadership and public pressure, almost 300,000 hectares of new Indigenous-led conservation areas were announced in 2024, including protection for endangered caribou habitat in Klinse-za/Twin Sisters Park and old-growth forests in new conservancies in Clayoquot Sound.
Fourteen municipalities have supported pro-biodiversity resolutions through Sierra Club BC’s Move the Dial program.
In 2019, Canada enshrined a ban on crude oil tankers on B.C.’s north coast into federal law. This was a big victory for orcas, whales and all who rely on these coastal habitats. Sierra Club BC helped campaign on this issue for years.
In 2024, Sierra Club BC and Ecojustice won a federal court case in protecting migratory bird habitat. The ruling requires better protection of old-growth forests and other habitats important to migratory birds.
Sierra Club BC reached over one million people through our media stories on biodiversity and other environmental issues.