A budget “for a strong Quebec”, without investing in nature?

On March 25, 2025, the Quebec government's Ministry of Finance presented its 2025-2026 budget “for a strong Quebec”. Less than a year after the announcement of the Nature Plan, the Quebec government's vision seems to relegate the protection of Quebec's biodiversity and the resilience of its ecosystems to second place. Yet investing in nature also means investing in our economy, which is based on a healthy natural environment and the many ecosystem services it offers humanity. While there have been some good moves, there remains a lack of political courage.

Biodiversity: limited investment and integration

Biodiversity funding has been discreet and clearly insufficient to achieve the objectives of the Nature Plan, which must be guided by the ambition to halt and reverse the decline in biodiversity in Quebec by 2030.

Out of a budget of almost $12.3 billion, funding for biodiversity represents a tiny fraction, despite the fact that biodiversity, nature and the health of our ecosystems underpin the economy. While 5.4 billion is allocated to wealth creation, this overlooks the fact that biodiversity itself is an immense source of wealth.

Some of the amounts allocated to nature :

• 100 million for the continuation of the 2020-2030 Sustainable Agriculture Plan

• 60.3 million to implement the Bioalimentary Policy 2025-2030

• 52.1 million over 3 years for forest industry diversification and innovation

• 42 million for the Financière agricole du Québec's Sustainable Growth Investment Program

• 39.6 million to protect biodiversity throughout Quebec

• 36.5 million over 2 years for the renewal of the aerial biological insecticide spraying program

• 27.4 million for wildlife management and enhancement by aboriginal communities

While we recognize that it is valid and necessary to invest in Quebec companies, we still need to equip them to be part of the solution to the major issues facing our world and our economies. By adopting a short-term vision of profit, we weaken our long-term environmental, social and economic resilience, and miss the opportunity to prioritize structuring solutions. We seem to view nature as a cost, reducing expenditure in times of crisis, when we should see it as an investment.

Time is running out to implement the Nature Plan

Achieving the objectives of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Nature Plan 2030 requires substantial investment to translate its orientations into concrete, tangible and promising action, following a well-crafted, ambitious cross-sectoral action plan that mobilizes all sectors and levels of government.

Achieving our goals requires a cross-sectoral vision that recognizes that biodiversity is the foundation of our societies, our economy, our culture, our health and our well-being. This requires cross-sectoral investment that integrates biodiversity into every decision, including economic choices.

The failure to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2010-2020) has taught us that, while protecting 30% of the territory is necessary, integrating biodiversity into the remaining 70% - and into the sectors that exert pressure on that 70% - is crucial to achieving the targets.

Here's hoping for greater ambition in the next budget year.