Adapting Infrastructure to Climate Change: The role of Codes, Standards and Related Instruments – a policy perspective APEGGA 2008 Conference Infrastructure Integrity- Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Session Edmonton, April 18, 2008 By Michael Mortimer Program Manager, Built Environment Standards

2 Discussion outline Introduction Civil Infrastructure - overview Implications of Climate Change Codes and Standards – Key concepts What makes “North of 60” unique? NRTEE’s Climate Change Adaptation in the North Study Specific Findings  Governance & Accountability  Information & Content  Economic and Regulatory policy  Capacity to adapt in Northern communities Question and answer session

3 Civil Infrastructure - Overview The services provided by civil infrastructure works touch all of us in many ways… Services Shelter Safety and security Aesthetics Heat, Light and Power Mobility for people, goods and services Health and recreation Wealth creation Categories Homes & Buildings Transportation networks Energy networks Water, Waste, & Storm water networks Industrial structures Communications networks Landfills and waste depots Culture and recreational facilities

4 Climate Change Impacts on Infrastructure Direct impacts:  Changes in seasonality and type of precipitation  Intensity of precipitation  More coastal and river flooding  Sea level rise  More freeze-thaw cycles  Melting permafrost Indirect impacts:  Changes to peak energy demand  More frequent and severe water shortages  Reduced service levels or product quantity/quality  Critical failures

5 Implications for Codes, Standards and Related Instruments (CSRI)  CSRI rely on climate information to determine design loads  Historical climate values are no longer reliable predictors of future climate conditions  Future-looking, site-specific climate data is needed to upgrade CSRI  Many codes and standards still use historical data  Environment Canada starting to address issues and current shortfalls in climate data but much more work is required

6 Implications for Codes, Standards and Related Instruments (CSRI) cont’d  Possible options for “upgrading” Canadian based CSRI:  Use climate information based on most recent trends  Choose and apply variables associated with future scenarios  Encourage the use of local climate knowledge  Creative approaches will be needed to upgrade US and international CSRI used in Canada

7 Adaptation responses differ and are local -Needs vary between communities and regions; urban vs. rural; densely populated vs. remote; north of 60 vs. south of 60 -Climate change must be considered in combination with other factors; climate change cannot be considered in isolation

8 What makes ‘north of 60’ unique  Unique bio-physical Climate issues  Permafrost  Rate of warming much greater than in other Canadian regions  Understanding rate of underground temperature changes is a key issue in the North  Climate regions are diverse even within the North  Loss of reflectivity of the snow (i.e., reduced albido) and increased precipitation  Sea ice  Many classes of infrastructure have similar problems because of the above

9 What makes ‘north of 60’ unique  Unique Community issues  Isolation  Population density ‘critical mass’  Limited inland mobility and access  Increased access via sea  Sea level rise; coastal erosion has a more acute impact in North (risks ‘wipe out’ of entire communities)  Unique Economic issues  Reliance on single industry in many cases  More emphasis on Northern economic development means increased pressure on Infrastructure systems that are already weak

10 Northern Codes & Standards study Part of a larger initiative by the National Round Table on the Environment and Economy (NRTEE) on Climate Change Adaptation Policy – variety of projects undertaken Mechanisms investigated:  Codes and standards  Insurance and finance  Disaster management Final report expected to be released in June IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

11 Situation Summary: Codes & Standards (CSRI) Entrenched system yet, must respond to changing needs in 21 st century Re-thinking of CSRI core objectives and priorities occurring across both topics and jurisdictions Climate change only one of many change- drivers Updating process often slow, multi-year Change is evolutionary, incremental; sufficient? IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

12 Objective How do CSRI enable or inhibit adaptive capacity-building? Infrastructure categories considered:  Buildings  Transportation  Containment structures (tailings ponds)  Energy IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

13 Basic Principles Definitions “CSRI”  Codes  Standards  Examples of related instruments Broad landscape and complex interrelationships Representation and committee balance options Has implications for priority-setting and development of content IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

14 Content of CSRI Alternatives  Prescriptive approach  Performance-based approach Has implications for assignment of accountability and risk transfer Content must be locally relevant regardless of origin IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

15 Content of Codes & Standards Ultimate Goal Promote proactive management of risks related to Climate Change Challenges  Prescriptive approach predominates  Prescriptions not always applicable to North  Professional judgement often used (good!) but…  Consistency of approach varies IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

16 Governance & Accountability issues Liability considerations CSRI intended to help manage risk & apportion accountability for risk amongst stakeholders Abandoned mines/de-commissioned tailing ponds used as an illustrative example IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

17 Mine tailing ponds example

18 Governance & Accountability issues Abandoned mines example Key consideration - Accountability for risk of failed structures and resultant consequences Challenge Climate change opens up new risks Opportunity Move to permanent closure versus monitoring in perpetuity IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

19 Information and content issues Key Considerations Permafrost degradation Changing intensity and duration: snow loads, precipitation Challenges Limited historical data Limited permafrost data Existing information is very general; needs to be specific at the local level No central source for data – knowledge is disparate, fragmented IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

20 Information and content issues Opportunities Improve the capacity of agencies responsible for climate data development/analysis Data needs  Forward-looking rather than historical perspective  Sufficiently detailed for region and site-specific use  More robust; provide fact-based, tested evidence to drive precautionary measures, improve confidence of predictions Improved means to disseminate data & share knowledge IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

21 Information and content issues Example: Anecdotal perceptions of ‘Southern bias’ Challenges Northern data not as robust as in other regions Content sometimes not relevant to the North Opportunities Nurture pan-Northern, circumpolar, international collaboration IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

22 Economic and Regulatory policy Challenge  Data and processes not always ‘locally relevant’ Opportunities  Move to performance approaches where feasible  Provide incentives to innovate and/or  Adjust risk-sharing arrangements IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

23 Capacity to adapt in the North Challenges  Risk of infrastructure failures due to Climate Change could impede Northern development Opportunities  Pan-Northern and cross-sectoral approach  Develop Northern-focussed technical institutes to bring researchers together; pool/share knowledge  Annexes and chapters to address unique Northern conditions IntroductionKey conceptsFindings

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