Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee members, for providing Canadian Business and Biodiversity Council the privilege to be here today and present to you some thoughts of the council members on habitat conservation in Canada.
The council is relatively new. It started in 2009. Its purpose is to help Canadian businesses understand and incorporate conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity, and the ecosystem services it provides into their long-term planning and everyday business activities. Today, this has been accomplished through a series of case studies on business best practices, the development of corporate and SME biodiversity conservation guides, workshops, surveys, and the adoption of a business declaration.
The council has gained national and global recognition for its accomplishment, and is currently the chair of the global business and biodiversity partnership. The parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity have for some time been exploring ways to enhance private sector collaboration in achieving the goals of the convention. The eighth meeting of the parties of the convention in Brazil, in 2006, initially identified the need for business involvement in biodiversity conservation. The CBBC has been active at both the COP 10 in Japan and COP 11 in India. In fact, we're planning to host a preparatory meeting in Montreal this October for international business interest, prior to COP 12 that will take place in South Korea in 2014. The council is positioning itself to provide Canada's private sector response to the COP decisions.
As well as contributing to the substance of the decisions themselves, we believe that healthy, natural habitats and ecosystems sustain Canada's economy, provide invaluable ecosystem services, and contribute significantly to the health and well-being of all Canadians.
Now I will answer the questions that were raised in your study here.
What types of stakeholders are involved in habitat conservation?
Broadly stated, all Canadians, including Canadian business, are stakeholders in habitat conservation. Industry will continue to play a key role in conservation of habitat in Canada. Over the past few decades there's been an increased expectation for industry to plan and integrate biodiversity conservation into business operations. The role of business in conservation is critical in addressing regulatory requirements, but also in optimizing the value of ecosystem services and in helping to achieve well-thought-out targets for conservation.
In fact, many progressive businesses in Canada are setting their own conservation targets, and in a transparent manner, challenging themselves to meet their own conservation expectations.
However, in order for business to become effectively involved in conservation activities, there needs to be a comprehensive and easily accessed source of data that is based on good science. Business does not only want to be active, but it wants to ensure it is effective and that work is done in areas where work is needed most.
Examples of projects that have taken place in Canada include the following. You have the OPG involvement with community partners to support regional ecosystems. You have Holcim's quarry rehabilitation program, which has restored more than 200 hectares at the Milton quarry to a fully functioning natural habitat, and is also leading an effort to develop an industry-wide standard for sustainable aggregate extraction. There's Syngenta, with its wetland habitat restoration program. You have Canada's peat industry, which has entered into a certification program for peatland restorations, and you have Suncor participating with universities for ways to restore—