Eleven Quebec universities have signed the Nature Positive Pledge to halt biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems across their campuses and have become founding members of an international movement that includes 117 universities worldwide.
The Nature Positive Universities Alliance is a joint initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Oxford University as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The universities that sign the pledge recognize that institutions of higher education and research have a vital role to play in biodiversity.
The universities will conduct a baseline assessment of their biodiversity footprint, set attainable and quantifiable targets, develop an action plan and use their influence to achieve the targets, and report annually on their progress.
Taking a lead role in restoring nature will manifest through the management of their own campuses and operations, their teaching and research activities, their partnerships and their efforts to raise awareness in the broader community.
Quebec’s universities are located at the northern limit of many plant and animal species of the Americas, so they have an important role to play in the conservation of natural habitats and habitat connectivity, and in supporting the adaptation of biodiversity to new conditions.
Participating schools include, The École de technologie supérieure, HEC Montréal, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, McGill University, Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, Université du Québec à Montréal, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Université du Québec en Outaouais, and Université Laval.
