Quebec's Plan Nature: we need to emphasize science-based targets and monitoring for biodiversity success

I went to Quebec City to attend a discussion on Quebec’s Plan Nature, a new strategic plan following the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework last December. I was joined by Jerome Dupras and we provided the perspective of the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science. We spoke to the great importance of science-based targets for biodiversity and the ecosystem services and the need to see targets as integrated whole rather than one at a time.

We also spoke to the need for strong monitoring science to gather the data needed to calculate the indicators and assess progress to Quebec’s biodiversity targets. It is crucial that we fill existing gaps in our understanding of biodiversity change across the province. We must provide the science to support decisions in light of the policy to be inscribed in the Plan Nature.

Conservation action will flow from different levels of government and a broad network of actors mobilizing their efforts to achieve conservation outcomes by 2030. This is a grand challenge for all of society. Time will fly, and so it is vital we start working together now.