Indigenous & Industry Leaders Support Economic Opportunities that Work for Nature

 

September 21, 2020

Times of unprecedented crisis present powerful opportunities to alter the arc of our economy and society. For many Canadians, that means embracing a more sustainable and equitable approach to prosperity. A recent poll conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights found over 70% of Canadians think it’s important to include nature conservation in economic revitalization. And a full 84% of Canadians want the federal government to invest in commitments to protect 30% of lands by 2030.

Canadians view conservation as part of building a better economy. And they favour innovative approaches that will usher in this future. Only 16% say they want to return to the pre-COVID economy. Seven in ten want to introduce either new approaches or fundamental change.

Several Canadian businesses and Indigenous leaders are coming together to support creative models that conserve lands and create economic opportunities at the same time. They are committed to sustainable prosperity across the Boreal—the largest intact forest left on the planet.

Now JP Gladu has announced he will serve as inaugural chair of the table. The former president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, Gladu is a respected national Indigenous business leader whose experience has seen him facilitate countless conversations and relationships around the world.

Gladu’s career path includes work with Indigenous communities and organizations, industry in all shapes and sizes, and governments alike. He has over 25 years of experience in the natural resource sector and thrives under any opportunity to enrich shared economic prosperity.

This approach to respectful partnership is at the heart of the new Boreal collaboration that’s now taking shape.

“The businesses and Indigenous leaders joining this table have a shared interest in sustainability,” said Gladu. “We want to encourage collaboration and we want to elevate economic opportunity that nurtures lands and cultures across the Boreal.”

Convened by the International Boreal Conservation Campaign with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, the group—including representatives from finance, energy, forestry, and Indigenous entrepreneurs—is discussing efforts such as increasing federal investment in Indigenous-led conservation. They recognize that proven models like Indigenous land use planning, Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas and Indigenous Guardians programs provide certainty for industry and support conservation-based economies.

They are also committed to empowering Indigenous-led economic models and reducing inequalities across Indigenous communities in the Boreal. And they are committed to addressing some of the most daunting environmental challenges of our time—climate change and plummeting biodiversity—through investments in Indigenous stewardship.

Many Canadians share these values. According to the Pollara poll, 72% believe the government should invest in Indigenous stewardship as part of the economic recovery. Support deepens when Canadians learn the economic and cultural benefits of Indigenous Guardians and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas. 

“Most Canadians agree Indigenous-led conservation is good for the economy,” said Gladu. “They see it as an important path forward. The pandemic has caused painful disruption, but it is also an opportunity to make positive change. And many businesses are committed to making change by supporting Indigenous leadership on the land.”