A new report reveals that Canada’s network of protected and conserved areas is a primary driver of national economic resilience and public health.
A new report from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) reveals that Canada’s network of protected and conserved areas is not merely an environmental safeguard, but a primary driver of national economic resilience and public health. As of December 2024, Canada has protected 13.8% of its land and freshwater and 15.5% of its oceans. The 2026 study, Widely Enjoyed but Inadequately Valued, argues that these natural assets provide multi-trillion-dollar benefits that remain largely absent from official government balance sheets.
The report’s economic modeling identifies a profound return on investment for conservation spending. In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Canada’s protected areas contributed an estimated $10.9 billion to the national GDP. This economic activity supported 150,000 jobs and generated $6.6 billion in labour income.
The multiplier effect of park-related spending is significant: for every dollar the federal government spent on these areas, $3.62 was generated in visitor spending. Furthermore, tax revenues from these activities, totaling $1.4 billion annually, returned approximately $0.62 to public coffers for every dollar of government outlay.
Economic benefits are notably concentrated in provinces with well-established mountain or coastal park systems. Alberta and British Columbia led the country, each seeing approximately $3.6 billion in total expenditures related to protected areas during the study period.
A central pillar of the CPAWS report is the quantification of natural capital, the tangible value of ecosystem services and carbon storage. Using the federal government’s 2025 social cost of carbon ($271 per tonne), the report calculates that the 51,400 gigatonnes of carbon stored within Canada’s protected soils, forests, and seagrasses are worth an estimated $51.1 trillion.
The report notes that 93% of this carbon is held in soil, particularly within peatlands and wetlands. Protecting these areas is framed as a low-cost, immediately actionable climate solution compared to industrial carbon capture technologies.
Beyond carbon, the report highlights the recurring value of ecosystem services such as water filtration, pollination, and flood regulation. For National Parks alone, these services are valued between $156 billion and $588 billion per year. However, the report cautions that these figures are conservative, as they exclude the value of provincial, territorial, and private conserved lands.
The 2026 data reinforces a growing body of evidence linking nature access to reduced healthcare pressures. A pan-Canadian ParkSeek survey cited in the report found that 87.5% of respondents feel spending time in protected areas improves their mental well-being, while 83.3% reported improvements in physical fitness.
The report suggests that nature access could serve as a cost-effective supplement to formal healthcare, particularly as Canada faces rising costs for chronic disease management. However, significant inequities remain. The study found that individuals with lower household incomes (below $40,000) or a lack of access to a vehicle perceive fewer benefits, largely due to structural barriers to entry.
The report emphasizes that the most successful conservation models in Canada are increasingly Indigenous-led. The Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia is highlighted as a global blueprint for conservation finance. By utilizing a $120 million endowment to attract $316 million in new sustainable investment, the region transitioned from industrial conflict to a diversified economy based on ecotourism and renewable energy.
Other successful models highlighted in the report include:
As Canada pursues the global 30 by 30 target (protecting 30% of land and water by 2030), CPAWS offers several key policy recommendations:
The report concludes that prioritizing conservation is not merely an environmental expense, but a strategic investment in Canada’s future social and economic stability.
Invert Insights.
💡 Canada has a structural advantage in natural resources that relatively few countries can match. This advantage comes from a combination of geology, geography, freshwater, forests, energy reserves, and political stability, all of which make Canada a critical supplier to the global economy. The findings of this research further solidify the case that investment in Canadian natural resources will bring further long-term economic stability for the country, in addition to the countless benefits for our planet and our personal health.
💡 As we know, degrading ecosystems can destabilize entire sectors and financial systems. Restoring or replacing ecosystem services is significantly more expensive than protecting them in the first place. This fact is compounded by the pressure that many industries rely directly on the stability of our natural ecosystems, like agriculture, forestry, fisheries, construction, and tourism. Nature protection functions like insurance for economies, lowering long-term liabilities from disasters, resource scarcity, and infrastructure damage, while creating opportunities for growth.
💡 Access to a thriving natural environment isn’t just a nice-to-have, it is a fundamental pillar of human biological and psychological health. When we talk about natural capital assets, we are essentially talking about our external life-support system. Ensuring we have access to forests, fresh water, and healthy soil provides benefits like boosting immune function through natural compounds, ensuring mental restoration, and providing nutrient-dense food. These elements work together to filter our air and water while suppressing stress hormones like cortisol. Ultimately, this environmental life-support system is the foundation for both preventing chronic disease and maintaining peak cognitive health.
