Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation: A View from Canada Scotland and Climate Change Getting it Right: International Perspectives on climate change and the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill The Scottish Parliament 27 March 2009 Ian Burton Natural Resources Canada: National Assessment Environment Canada, Adaptation Impacts Research Division Ontario Ministry of the Environment and the Expert Panel Thea Dickinson, Burton Dickinson Consulting Ltd. Acknowledgements to:

From Impacts to Adaptation 2007: Canada in a Changing Climate

A Balanced Response to Climate Change: Mitigation  Reduce emissions & increase sinks of greenhouse gases to halt/prevent climate change  Change light bulbs to cap & trade program Adaptation  Respond to impacts of changing climate moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities  Water conservation to integrated water strategy

From Impacts to Adaptation 2007: Canada in a Changing Climate  First national-scale assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation in Canada since the Canada Country Study (1997) Goals:  Highlight advances made in understanding Canada’s vulnerability to climate change in past decade  Provide a knowledge foundation that informs adaptation decision-making and policy development in a non-prescriptive manner

Vulnerability greater owing to: high climate sensitivity of resources, limited economic diversification, more restricted access to services, strong linkages to the land. In North, rates of warming have been, and will be greatest in world - impacts already significant. Adaptive capacity is also being eroded by other stresses (social, political, cultural and economic). Resource-dependent and Aboriginal communities are particularly vulnerable to climate changes. This vulnerability is magnified in the Arctic. From Impacts...

Reduced glacier cover Permafrost degradation Earlier onset of spring Reduced snow cover Increased plant productivity Reduced ice cover Increased coastal erosion Lower lake and river levels Changing animal distributions Increased coastal erosion

Impacts of recent extreme weather events highlight the vulnerability of Canadian communities and critical infrastructure to climate change. Ice Storm (1998) $5.4 billion in estimated costs 945 injuries Wildfires (2003) $700 million in estimated costs evacuations Hurricane Juan (2003) $200 million in estimated costs 8 deaths Saguenay Floods (1996) $1.7 billion in estimated costs 10 deaths From Impacts...

With the “best case” emission scenario (B1 green line) global surface mean temperature continues to rise up to and beyond the end of the century. The Adaptation Imperative

Weather Disasters: Overall and Insured Losses

The Three Myths of Adaptation 1.Adaptation is only local and regional and environmental  No, it is also global and strategic. 2. Adaptation is antithetical to Mitigation  No, the better Adaptation requirements are understood the stronger the case for mitigation. 3. Adaptation is Defeatist  No adaptation builds social resilience.

Ontario Response  Establish Climate Secretariat in Premier’s Office  Establishment of an Ontario Expert Panel on Climate Change Adaptation.  Mainstreaming adaptation into all agencies:  Water  Natural resources/ecosystems  Infrastructure  Energy  Agriculture  Health  Emergency management  Education

Ontario Expert Panel Development of a long term Adaptive Strategy Enhancing Provincial Government Capacity Working with Communities/stakeholders Developing tools, incentives and regulations

Canadian Communities Guidebook Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainable development are often developed separately at the local government and community level. Recognition of the need to integrate climate risks into development priorities and decision making is the principal driving force behind the development of this project. The Guidebook provides a method for integrating adaptation and mitigation and sustainable development.

Further Information Natural Resources Canada - National Assessment  Environment Canada – Adaptation Impacts Research Division  Ontario Ministry of Environment  Contact us: Burton Dickinson Consulting Ltd. 

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