Matt Parry

1
Overview of federal climate change impacts and
adaptation activities

• Matt Parry
• Executive Director
• Environment Canada
• Prairie Regional Adaptation Collaborative Meeting
• February 16, 2012
• Regina, Saskatchewan

2
Table of contents

• Purpose to provide an overview of federal
  impacts and adaptation activities, including the
  Federal Adaptation Policy Framework
• Federal impacts and adaptation activities
• Development and key elements of the Framework
• Overview of 2011-2016 federal adaptation funding
• Contact information

3
The federal government has a long history working
on impacts and adaptation

• Research on physical impacts since 1978
  socio-economic impacts since 1984
• EC led a national assessment of climate change
  impacts and adaptation in the 1990s, the Canada
  Country Study (1998)
• NRCan coordinated the federal Climate Change
  Impacts and Adaptation Program from 1998 to 2006,
  which funded research and facilitated
  collaboration across the country
• In 2007, the Government invested 85.9M over four
  years in six adaptation programs through EC,
  NRCan, INAC, HC, and PHAC
• Recent federal products that provide an
  information foundation
• ECs climate change scenarios and impacts and
  adaptation research, including guidance for
  disaster management planning and infrastructure
  codes and standards
• NRCan-led national vulnerability assessment
  (2008)
• HCs Human Health in a Changing Climate
  assessment (2008)

4
The National Round Table on the Environment and
the Economy (NRT) Climate Prosperity program

• The NRT Climate Prosperity series features three
  (of six) reports on climate change impacts and
  adaptation
• Degrees of Change Climate Warming and the Stakes
  for Canada (December 2010) outlines the risks and
  benefits a warming climate poses to Canadas
  environment and economy and how Canadians can
  adapt
• Paying the Price the Economic Impacts of Climate
  Change for Canada (September 2011) explores
  economic impacts at the national level and for
  timber supply, marine coasts, human health, and
  ecosystems
• Currently working on a report on business
  resilience, which will include advice on how
  governments can encourage adaptation in the
  private sector (due out in spring 2012)
• Contact
• Jimena Eyzaguirre, Eyzaguirrej_at_nrtee-trnee.ca,
  613-947-1127
• Suzanne Loney, Loneys_at_nrtee-trnee.ca,
  613-947-0663
• http//nrtee-trnee.ca/climate/climate-prosperity

5
ECs role in helping Canadians adapt to climate
change includes the provision of science to
inform decision-making

• EC has a mandate to provide the science
  foundation for impacts and adaptation research
  and planning in Canada
• Historical / observed climate data
• Climate modelling and projections of future
  climate
• Climate change prediction and scenarios
• Climate information to ensure infrastructure
  resilience via updated codes and standards
• Water quantity and availability information
• EC provides this information to Canadians, other
  departments, other levels of government, and
  domestic and international organizations to
  inform decision-making
• EC also coordinates environmental policies and
  programs for the federal government, and is the
  federal policy lead on adaptation

6
Other departments also have an important role to
play in helping to ensure Canadians can adapt

• Other departments and agencies, especially those
  with explicit adaptation programs, are actively
  engaged with various stakeholders in applied
  adaptation practices and research
• For example, AANDC, HC, and NRCan work with
  community, public health, and professional
  practitioners
• AANDC helps enhance adaptive capacity in
  Aboriginal and northern communities
• NRCan has supported tool development in the
  planning and engineering communities (e.g.,
  training modules, vulnerability assessment
  protocols)
• HC helps enable public health professionals to
  detect, assess, and respond to climate
  change-related health threats
• Individual departments also have various ongoing
  activities relating to adaptation, usually
  involving the development of tools and best
  practices based on and tailored to their areas of
  expertise

7
The Federal Adaptation Policy Framework was
ratified with the passage of Budget 2011

• The Framework was developed to support internal
  federal adaptation planning and highlights the
  importance of incorporating climate risk into
  decision-making (i.e., mainstreaming)
• It sets direction on domestic adaptation at a
  high level
• Recognizes the federal role must be limited and
  focused
• Emphasizes advancing scientific information,
  tools that underpin adaptation decision-making,
  and sharing knowledge
• Assists in establishing priorities for future
  action
• Responds to Commissioner of the Environment and
  Sustainable Development (CESD) audit EC has
  informed the CESD (and other departments) of the
  Framework
• EC is developing guidance on how to conduct a
  departmental climate change risk assessment to
  advance the mainstreaming element of the Framework

8
Origins of the Framework

• The CESD made a number of recommendations on how
  to improve federal adaptation policy and
  activities
• Activities in climate science should be organized
  to make sure that federal departments and others
  obtain needed information
• Federal departments should clarify how they
  intend to manage their own adaptation efforts
• The Government should develop a federal
  adaptation strategy and action plan
• EC led the development of the Framework in
  consultation with over 20 federal organizations
• In recognition that impacts vary across
  department, as well as their knowledge of the
  subject and capacity to respond

9
Overview of the Framework

• The Framework helps guide the Governments
  efforts on adaptation
• Structures the governments role with respect to
  adaptation and assists it in establishing
  priorities for future action
• Applies to domestic policy and actions on
  adaptation
• Is an internal federal policy, with the option of
  future public announcements or further public
  policy development
• However, the Framework is not a comprehensive
  adaptation strategy. It does not
• Identify specific priorities
• Establish or prescribe quantified measures,
  targets, or timelines
• Establish internal or external coordination
  mechanisms

10
Objectives

• Canadians understand the relevance of climate
  impacts on their quality of life
• Canadians adapt to a changing climate by taking
  action to reduce negative consequences and to
  take advantage of new opportunities
• Canadians have the necessary tools to adapt
  effectively
• Including, for example, decision-support systems,
  maps, data and information, and guidance
• The Government as an institution is resilient to
  a changing climate
• Need better understanding of climate change
  implications for federal policies and operations
• Significant federal infrastructure and resources
  at risk

11
Federal Role

• Generating and sharing knowledge
• Providing information needed to support achieving
  objectives
• Identify and fill priority knowledge gaps,
  disseminate information
• Building adaptive capacity to respond and helping
  Canadians take action
• Decision tools, assessing impacts and adaptation
  options
• Collaborative action across multiple sectors and
  jurisdictions
• Pool and manage risks
• Integrating adaptation into federal policy and
  planning
• Identify and respond to risks and opportunities
• Fulfill fiduciary responsibilities
• Demonstrate leadership by example
• Wide range of domains some directly impacted by
  climate (e.g., agriculture), others indirectly
  (e.g., immigration)

12
New programs were developed in the context of the
Federal Adaptation Policy Framework

• In 2010, EC led an interdepartmental process
  involving 10 departments and agencies to develop
  adaptation program proposals to replace programs
  that sunset in March 2011
• Proposals were closely tied to a clear federal
  role outlined in the Framework, and are
  consistent with where the Government is best
  positioned to act
• Advancing scientific information and tools that
  underpin adaptation
• Capitalizing on federal strengths not replicated
  outside Government
• Supporting the integration of climate change
  considerations into ongoing risk management
  procedures (mainstreaming)
• Programs based on knowledge gaps and organized
  around four themes science, health, the North,
  and economic competitiveness

13
Budget 2011 announced funding to improve our
understanding of climate impacts and to support
adaptation planning and decision-making

• In November 2011, the Minister of the Environment
  announced the Government will spend 148.8
  million over the next 5 years on 10 adaptation
  programs from 9 departments and agencies
• Expands the number of departments and agencies
  involved and increases the overall level of
  federal funding for adaptation
• ECs Climate Change Prediction and Scenarios
  program will
• Enhance global and regional climate models and
  develop and improve climate change scenarios
• Additional work will focus on the development of
  specialized information on climate extremes for
  infrastructure design, codes and standards
• Contact
• Marjorie Shepherd, Marjorie.Shepherd_at_ec.gc.ca,
  416-739-4230
• Greg Flato, Greg.Flato_at_ec.gc.ca, 250-363-8233

14
Federal adaptation programs 2011-2016 (148.8M)

• Climate Change Prediction and Scenarios Program
  (EC, 29.8M continuation of an existing
  program)
• Aquatic Climate Change Adaptation Services
  Program (DFO, 16.6M new program)
• Understanding Climate-Driven Ecological Changes
  in Canadas North (PCA, 2.4M new program)
• Heat Alert and Response Systems (HC, 8.5M
  continuation of an existing program)
• Climate Change and Health Adaptation for Northern
  First Nations and Inuit Communities (HC, 10M
  continuation of an existing program)

15
Federal adaptation programs 2011-2016 (continued)

• Preventative Public Health Systems and Adaptation
  to a Changing Climate (PHAC, 12M continuation
  of an existing program)
• Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program for
  Aboriginals and Northerners (AANDC, 20M
  continuation of an existing program)
• Integrating Adaptation into Codes and Standards
  for Northern Infrastructure (SCC and AANDC, 3.5M
  new program)
• Enhancing Competitiveness in a Changing Climate
  (NRCan, 35M continuation of an existing
  program)
• Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative
  (TC, 11M new program)

16
Contact information

• For more information please contact
• Matt Parry, Executive Director, Policy
  Development, Strategic Policy Branch, Environment
  Canada, Matt.Parry_at_ec.gc.ca, 819-934-0257

17
Annex
Conceptual overview of the Federal Adaptation
Policy Framework
18
The Federal Adaptation Policy Framework

• Vulnerability

Canada is resilient to a changing climate by
successfully adapting to the challenges and
opportunities, and ensuring the health, safety,
and security of Canadians and Canadas
environmental, social, and economic wealth in a
long term and sustainable manner.
Vision
1. Canadians understand the relevance of climate
change and associated impacts on their
quality of life. 2. Canadians have the necessary
tools to adapt to climate change effectively. 3.
The federal government, as an institution, is
resilient to a changing climate.
Objectives

• Generating and sharing knowledge
• Building adaptive capacity to respond and helping
  Canadians take action)
• Integrating adaptation into federal policy and
  planning (mainstreaming)

Federal Role

• Nature of Impact climate change sensitivity
• Appropriate federal action
• Unique federal role and responsibility
• Unique federal capabilities
• Timeliness of action
• Effectiveness of action
• Mainstreaming ability
• Collaboration potential

Criteria