THUNDER BAY – The federal government needs to invest in Indigenous-led “nature-based solutions” to address climate change, says Jason Rasevych.
Rasevych is president of the Anishnawbe Business Professional Association (ABPA), a non-profit organization serving the First Nations business community within Treaty 3, Treaty 5, Treaty 9 and the Robinson Superior and Robison Huron treaty areas.
At a Nature United conference in Ottawa, the association called for the federal government to allocate at least $1 billion of its Indigenous loan-guarantee program to “Indigenous-led nature-based climate solutions.”
The government needs to work with communities on climate change solutions and expand the opportunities for Indigenous Protected Conservation Areas, an ABPA news release said.
“This is very important to Northern Ontario,” Rasevych said in a phone interview.
“It's very important to Indigenous communities and peoples and also plays an important intersection with the natural resource sector that we've developed over the last century in mining and forestry.
“And this is what we're after here: a stronger commitment from government and from the public and all public companies and also private investors to see more prioritization and resourcing go towards Indigenous-led nature-based solutions.”
According to the ABPA, increased private investment in nature-based climate solutions can be achieved through several strategies, including public-private partnerships, market development for carbon offsets, innovative financing and regulatory support.
“By leveraging these strategies, Canada can attract more private investment to support sustainable and impactful nature-based climate solutions,” said the ABPA release.
Indigenous leadership is crucial to sustainable change worldwide as Indigenous peoples are the inherent rights holders to about 80 per cent of the planet’s remaining biodiversity, Raseyvich said.