The Yukon and federal governments said Wednesday they have charted a new path with an agreement to help protect and conserve nature.

The goal is to protect or conserve an additional six per cent of the Yukon’s wilderness, to reach 25 per cent by 2025.

Steven Guilbeault, the federal minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Yukon Environment Minister Nils Clarke announced the Canada-Yukon Nature Agreement — the first pact of its kind — to advance nature conservation and protection across the territory.

Ottawa will invest $20.6 million to implement the agreement and help protect nature.

“This will support Indigenous leadership in conservation; increased protection of sensitive habitats; and recovery actions for species at risk, such as the northern mountain caribou, the grizzly bear, and vascular plants, as well as the protection and conservation of new land in the Yukon,” both governments said in a statement.

The ministers announced the agreement at the COP15 conference in Montreal.

“The Governments of Canada and Yukon will collaborate with Indigenous peoples and governments to implement Canada’s first Nature Agreement and work toward its target outcomes,” the governments said.

“As the 15th United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity proceeds, Canada will continue to demonstrate a leadership role on biodiversity and nature conservation. Along with international partners, Canada is championing both the development of an ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework with clear targets and actions, as well as the important role Indigenous Knowledge plays in efforts to conserve and protect biodiversity and natural environments.”

Restoring, conserving, and protecting the natural safety net granted by biodiversity “takes ambitious actions,” the governments added.

The Yukon has already conserved approximately 19.1 per cent of its area for nature.

“Protecting and conserving habitat and species requires collaborating with partners, including Indigenous peoples, all levels of government, industry, and community stakeholders,” the statement said.

“It calls for transformative change, innovation, and proper accounting for the value of nature across all sectors. The Governments of Canada and Yukon are committed to working together to protect and conserve biodiversity, habitat, and species at risk in the Yukon.”

This strategy will contribute to the goal of protecting 25 per cent of land and fresh water in Canada by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030, the two governments said.

“The Yukon is one of those iconic landscapes that helps define what Canada is as a country, both in our collective imagination and in reality on the ground,” said Guilbeault.

“The Government of Canada is taking bold action to protect the natural environment that is our best ally in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.

“Together with the Government of Yukon, we’re protecting more sensitive habitats, supporting the recovery of species at risk, and restoring ecosystems across the territory,” Guilbeault added.

“Moving forward, the Canada-Yukon Nature Agreement will guide our actions, in partnership with Indigenous peoples, to conserve and protect nature in the Yukon.”

Clarke said the territory’s vast wilderness “is why many choose to call the Yukon home.

“Climate change impacts, loss of biodiversity and human impacts on the environment require bold action to protect our northern way of life,” he said.

“This partnership with the Government of Canada will support our work with Yukon First Nations, transboundary First Nations, and the Inuvialuit to protect our biodiversity, habitats, and species at risk, and to ensure the responsible and sustainable use of Yukon’s lands and resources for future generations.”

Yukon MP Brendan Hanley said the territory “is on the front lines of climate change and nature conservation.

“Our northern way of life depends on the land, and protection of the land is in our hands. The Canada-Yukon Nature Agreement marks a new chapter in the protection and conservation of the North and all the abundant life it supports.”