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Climate groups say federal work on climate adaptation is not enough
🇨🇦 Canada /Environment & Climate

Climate groups say federal work on climate adaptation is not enough

From Global News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Canada's national climate adaptation strategy, launched in 2023, has not demonstrably reduced risks from wildfires, flooding, or extreme heat, according to the Canadian Climate Institute.
  • The federal government claims its strategy has increased public awareness and preparedness, hitting short-term targets.
  • Critics argue the government's progress report is overly optimistic, lacking evidence of actual risk reduction despite numerous programs and initiatives.

Three years after launching its national climate adaptation strategy, the Canadian federal government claims Canadians are more aware of climate risks and better prepared for extreme weather. However, an analysis by the Canadian Climate Institute suggests little evidence that these efforts have actually reduced the risks Canadians face.

The progress report shows that the federal government’s been doing quite a number of things. Lots of programs and initiatives and projects.

— Ryan NessRyan Ness, director of adaptation for the Canadian Climate Institute, commented on the federal government's progress report on its climate adaptation strategy.

The government's strategy, finalized in 2023, aimed to prepare communities for extreme weather and a warming climate, estimating significant long-term savings for every dollar spent on adaptation. The progress report highlights the government's activities and claims it met short-term targets, such as ensuring 92% of Canadians are aware of household risks and 30% have taken steps to respond.

But there’s little evidence that any of it is actually reducing the most important risk that Canada is facing right now.

— Ryan NessRyan Ness, director of adaptation for the Canadian Climate Institute, criticized the effectiveness of the federal climate adaptation strategy.

But Ryan Ness, director of adaptation for the Canadian Climate Institute, described the report as "overly optimistic." He stated that while the government has implemented many programs, there is "little evidence that any of it is actually reducing the most important risk that Canada is facing right now." Ness pointed to Canada experiencing its two worst wildfire seasons on record since the strategy's release, with vast areas burned in 2023 and 2025.

The issue is that the data is largely anecdotal. It describes a program that was done here or an investment that was made over there. It doesn’t take the big picture of (whether) things (are) actually getting better in Canada.

— Ryan NessRyan Ness, director of adaptation for the Canadian Climate Institute, explained the limitations of the data used in the government's progress report.

Ness explained that the strategy lacks prioritized actions and clear pathways for community resilience. He noted that while individual projects may have had positive impacts, the data is largely anecdotal. "It doesn't take the big picture of (whether) things (are) actually getting better in Canada," he said, questioning if fewer people are dying from heat, homes are flooding less, or wildfire evacuations are decreasing over time.

Are fewer people dying from extreme heat? Are fewer homes getting flooded every year? Are the losses and number of evacuations from wildfire getting less over time?

— Ryan NessRyan Ness, director of adaptation for the Canadian Climate Institute, questioned the actual impact of the climate adaptation strategy on reducing risks.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Global News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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