Dismantling Ontario's environmental safeguards and sidelining science could drive endangered species to extinction

'Species protection cannot be subject to political discretion,' says World Wildlife Fund Canada

TORONTO, April 25, 2025 /CNW/ - Ontario's dangerous move to dismantle provincial environmental protections will put wildlife and nature at greater risk, as it removes science-based decision-making, harmfully redefines "habitat" and gives the government the power to exempt certain  developments from any regulation.

Dubbed the "Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act," Bill 5 is the latest in a series of attacks on environmental safeguards, including 2019's so-called "pay to slay" amendment to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and 2020's hollowing out of the Conservation Authorities Act.

Bill 5 further threatens Ontario's biodiversity by significantly weakening protections for more than 270 species at risk of extinction, ranging from wolverines to piping plovers, while significantly increasing industrial pressures on ecologically sensitive areas.

It would repeal the ESA, considered a benchmark piece of legislation, replacing its arms-length, science-based accountability with a defanged Species Conservation Act. This new act gives the government — not scientists — power to make discretionary decisions regarding species at risk, while also reducing the focus on recovery and relying on a self-registration approach that could dramatically weaken government oversight on degradation and destruction of wildlife habitats.

Making matters worse, the proposed creation of "Special Economic Zones" can circumvent environmental legislation entirely, allowing developers to disregard damage to nature and wildlife caused by their work.

These proposals could also undermine the fundamental rights of local and Indigenous communities to free, prior and informed consent when it comes to projects on their territories, an essential safeguard for equitable and sustainable development.

Protecting nature isn't just an environmental imperative, it's a smart economic investment, with ecosystem services like clean water, pollination and climate regulation contributing billions of dollars to Ontario's economy each year.

"Bill 5 is an unprecedented rollback of biodiversity protections in Ontario. Repealing the Endangered Species Act strips away the cornerstone of the environmental legislation that leaves a crumbling foundation for future recovery of endangered species in the province," says James Snider, Vice-president of Science, Knowledge and Innovation at WWF-Canada. "This is not red-tape reduction; it's environmental deregulation with no accountability at the cost of species extinctions and long-term ecological collapse."

WWF-Canada calls on the Ontario government to reconsider this environmentally calamitous decision and uphold its duty to future generations through strong protections for species at risk that safeguard wildlife and nature.

About World Wildlife Fund Canada

WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit wwf.ca.

SOURCE World Wildlife Fund Canada

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