Today, Minister of Environment Nils Clarke tabled the 2021 State of the Environment report. The report brings together scientific and technical data from across government organizations and helps identify trends about the health of the Yukon’s environment.
The 2021 report includes information available up until the end of the 2020 calendar year and helps illustrate some of the effects of climate change occurring across many aspects of the environment in the Yukon. The Yukon is experiencing the continued effects of climate change with substantial decreases in sea ice year after year and increasing precipitation and temperatures.
The annual report is an information-rich resource for environmental researchers, industry and businesses, and other government agencies.
The 2021 Yukon State of the Environment report shows environmental trends affecting everything from water quality to forest health in the territory. The state of our environment is something that is important to all of us. By paying close attention to the impacts of climate change and the actions we can take to prevent it, we will better protect our environment for future generations to come.
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The Yukon has been preparing state of the environment reports since 1995.
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The report provides information about areas such as climate change, air, water, land, fish and wildlife.
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There have been a number of significant changes observed with the Yukon’s environment, both positive and negative. For example, 33 per cent of waste was diverted from the Whitehorse landfill through recycling and composting in 2019. On the other hand, the spawning escapement goal for the Yukon River Chinook Salmon was not met, with an estimate of just under 31,000 fish reaching their spawning grounds in the Yukon. This was the second time the spawning escapement goal was not achieved since 2013.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca
Saskrita Shrestha
Communications, Environment
867-332-2688
saskrita.shrestha@yukon.ca