At a glance, the seven priorities outlined in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s mandate letter to his cabinet ministers may seem entirely disconnected from environmental concerns.
Issues such as housing, economic growth, national security and immigration may appear to be separate from climate change or biodiversity loss. But that idea is both artificial and costly.
Integrating environmental considerations is essential for success and for avoiding unnecessary costs, delays and risks as the government focuses on those seven priorities.
Priority 1: Establishing a new economic and security relationship with the United States and strengthening our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world
As the U.S. retreats from environmental stewardship, Canada must chart a different course – just as it is doing with trade and economic policy. In a world of increasing extreme weather, resource scarcity and biodiversity loss, ignoring environmental priorities is not just irresponsible. It’s strategically unsound.
Through its many multilateral environmental agreements, Canada has numerous opportunities to demonstrate that environmental leadership is inseparable from economic and geopolitical credibility.
For example, as a key architect of the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework, Canada is well-positioned to show how environmental stewardship can strengthen economic and security partnerships and create strong linkages between them and the nature and climate agendas.
Embedding climate and nature as principled partners into our trade and diplomatic strategies will deepen ties with forward-looking allies, open access to green markets and enhance our credibility in shaping global standards.
Priority 2: Building one Canadian economy by removing barriers to interprovincial trade and identifying and expediting nation-building projects that will connect and transform our country
For nation-building projects to succeed, they must avoid undermining the values that underpin Canada’s contribution to global sustainability, such as globally significant forest ecosystems that store massive amounts of carbon, sustain irreplaceable biodiversity, protect freshwater and support community well-being.
The best way to streamline development is through strategic forethought – proactively identifying where infrastructure and resource development are both ecologically viable and worthy of investment. We must choose projects that actively contribute to Canada’s climate commitments while steering away from projects that undermine them.
The current approach – waiting for proponents to bring forward ideas in the absence of overall strategic guidance – limits impact assessment to mitigating risks at the individual project level. This reactive model ignores broader ecological and social contexts, inviting cumulative impacts, especially when these projects open new frontiers in ecologically and culturally sensitive regions.
This outdated process is ripe for the kind of transformative change that the prime minister says he wants. A modern nation-building agenda must improve how ecological values, Indigenous governance and climate considerations are reflected in decision-making. That means anticipating and managing cumulative impacts over time – not reacting after damage is done.
Priority 3: Bringing down costs for Canadians and helping them to get ahead
One of the most effective ways to reduce long-term costs for Canadians is to protect the natural ecosystems that quietly deliver essential services, such as clean water, food security, climate regulation and disaster-risk reduction.
Meanwhile, the costs of inaction are mounting. Wildfires, floods and droughts cost Canadians billions annually and drive up food, insurance and housing costs.
Protecting Canada’s carbon-rich peatlands – 25 per cent of the world’s total – is among the most cost-effective climate actions available. In urban areas, conserving biodiversity-rich spaces reduces flood risk, moderates temperatures and improves the quality of life.
Scaling up Indigenous-led conservation techniques protects ecological life-support systems while advancing cultural revitalization, local economies and resilience. Protecting nature isn’t a cost. It’s a savings plan.
Priority 4: Making housing more affordable by unleashing the power of public-private co-operation, catalyzing a modern housing industry and creating new careers in the skilled trades
Building affordable housing takes more than just bricks, sewers and permits. It requires creating complete, livable communities, including access to clean water, protection from flooding and extreme heat, proximity to nature and respect for areas important for biodiversity.
Sprawling developments that consume green space, destroy habitat for species already at risk and accelerate climate change will not improve affordability or livability. In fact, they often increase long-term costs for municipalities and residents alike.
Substantial evidence points to urban development that makes room for nature leading to healthier people, more resilient communities and in many cases lower infrastructure costs. Compact, nature-positive design reduces the need for new roads and utilities, curbs fossil fuel use and helps communities adapt to climate extremes.
Priority 5: Protecting Canadian sovereignty and keeping Canadians safe by strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces, securing our borders and reinforcing law enforcement
Nowhere is the link between environmental change and national security more visible than in the Arctic where climate change is rapidly reshaping the region. Exercising sovereignty in the North means more than asserting presence. It means understanding and managing change in ways that protect both people and ecosystems.
As ship traffic through the Arctic Ocean increases due to longer ice-free periods, Canada has an opportunity to lead in setting high standards for environmental protection and marine safety. That includes steering vessels away from sensitive locations such as whale calving areas and reducing underwater noise in one of the planet’s quietest and most ecologically unique environments.
These are not just environmental measures. They are acts of sovereignty.
Priority 6: Attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy, while returning our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels
If Canada wants to lead in building a future-ready economy, it must value and invest in the people who care for the land, waters and communities that sustain us. That means broadening our concept of talent beyond high-tech sectors to include environmental stewards, Indigenous guardians and community-based sustainability leaders.
Indigenous-led approaches are delivering results from climate adaptation to ecosystem restoration. Including Indigenous knowledge in decision-making is more than reconciliation. It’s a strategic advantage.
Priority 7: Spending less on government operations so that Canadians can invest more in the people and businesses that will build the strongest economy in the G7
Smarter governance doesn’t mean spending less on everything. It means investing in what works. Collaboration, prevention and stewardship consistently deliver long-term value.
One of the most underused tools for reducing government costs is the knowledge and innovation already being generated by Canada’s non-profit, academic and Indigenous sectors. These groups are often on the front lines of environmental stewardship, community resilience and policy innovation. Yet, their insights are too often overlooked in favour of advice from well-resourced lobbyists.
Tapping into this broader knowledge base can lead to more effective, lower-cost policies that deliver long-term value for Canadians.
The dominant economic mindset, which prioritizes short-term economic returns, must be broadened to include the intrinsic and strategic value of protecting biodiversity and addressing climate change. Canada’s ecologically intact natural areas are not just ecological treasures. They are economic assets that reduce disaster risk, support health and provide the foundation for sustainable growth. Carney’s seven priorities have the potential to be truly transformative, but only if environmental and climate integrity are embedded in every decision. Failure to do so could lead to stranded assets and mounting disaster costs, as well as represent an existential risk to Canada’s long-term economic stability.
