Canada released its first-ever national climate adaptation strategy in new federal funding commitments to help protect vulnerable communities against the mounting impacts of climate change on Thursday.
Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy: Building Resilient Communities and a Strong Economy for engagement and final consultations include C$1.6 billion ($1.2 billion) in new federal funding commitments to a whole-of-society approach to climate adaptation. The government delivers 70 actions to address Canada’s immediate and future climate risks.
Canada is no exception in facing increasing climate impacts. According to the Canadian Climate Institute, by 2025, climate impacts will slow Canada’s economic growth to equal 50 per cent of projected Gross Domestic Product growth, which is $25 billion annually.
Furthermore, by 2030, the average annual losses from disasters will reach C$15.4 billion.
“The fight against climate change has reached our doorstep. We must not only reduce the emissions that cause climate change, we must also adapt to the changes that are upon us. Adaptation is a cost-effective and positive investment in the present and future. Taking measures to adapt can save lives, avoid damage to communities, reduce economic shocks to supply chains, and spur innovative technologies and jobs. Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy, guided by the best available science and informed by diverse views and perspectives, gives us a world-leading and unified path forward.”
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
The aim is to reduce these losses and strengthen climate adaptation through federal funding and commitments. According to the government, every dollar spent on adaptation measures saves up to C$15, including both direct and indirect economy-wide benefits. Therefore, investing in adaptation now will have significant economy-wide benefits later.
“Canadians in every region of the country are already feeling the effects of climate change, and the costs of these impacts are projected to rise to $25 billion by 2025 and to the range of $100 billion annually by 2050. Inaction is not an option. Through the National Adaptation Strategy, we will advance key resilience and adaptation measures to mitigate these changes, preserve livelihoods and protect our communities and the critical infrastructure we depend on. The result will be a stronger, safer, and more prosperous place to call home.”
– The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources
The Strategy focuses on five key priority areas:
- improving health and well-being
- building and maintaining resilient public infrastructure
- protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity
- supporting the economy and workers
- reducing the impacts of climate-related disasters
More than C$8 billion of additional funding builds on existing commitments to adaptation, disaster response and resilience.
The funding includes the following:
- a commitment to the Green Municipal Fund to help communities deploy funding in climate-focused projects to specific municipal needs of the future
- enhancing the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to build more new structural and natural infrastructures to increase the resilience of communities
- Developing the tools and data services, Canadians need to access the correct information and support experts with climate modelling and assessments
The Strategy results from extensive engagement over the past two years consulting with provinces, territories, municipalities and National Indigenous Organizations, which will now have 90 days to comment.
“It was inspiring to see people and communities in Atlantic Canada come together to support one another in recovering from Hurricane Fiona—an effort that continues in many parts of the region. Working together is key to addressing challenges of this scale, and that’s why Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy proposes a whole-of-society approach to adaptation in this country. Today’s announcement is building on this momentum to help protect communities from coast to coast in the years ahead.”
– The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency