Ontario’s Wealth, Canada’s Future: Appreciating the Value of the Greenbelt’s Eco-Services

The Greenbelt’s natural capital provides an estimated $2.6 billion in measurable non-market ecosystem services each year. These services include carbon storage, air quality protection, watershed functions, pollination, biodiversity, recreation, and agriculture. Together, they show how the Greenbelt’s natural systems and working lands support water quality, flood control, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and local food production across a rapidly growing region.

The Greenbelt’s natural systems and working lands provide at least $2.6 billion in annual non-market value, with wetlands and forests contributing the highest value per hectare.

Wetlands are estimated at $1.3 billion per year because of their role in flood control, water filtration, waste treatment, habitat, and recreation, while forests contribute $989 million per year through carbon storage, water regulation, pollination support, air quality protection, and recreation.

This valuation helps make visible the public benefits provided by the Greenbelt to the more than eight million residents of the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and offers a stronger basis for land-use planning, conservation, and long-term decision-making.

Key Findings

• The Greenbelt’s forests, wetlands, and soils combined store over 102 million tonnes of carbon worth $366 million per year.
• Each year, the Greenbelt’s tree canopy cover removes approximately 60 kilograms of pollutants per hectare, valued at $69 million per year.
• The total value of the Greenbelt watersheds is $409 million per year.
• The annual non-market value of ecosystem services from the Greenbelt’s agricultural lands is an estimated $329 million.

By assigning economic value to services that are often overlooked, the report strengthens the case for protecting the Greenbelt’s farmland, forests, wetlands, and watersheds as essential infrastructure for a growing region.