August 11, 2021 (OTTAWA): On Monday, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a dire ‘code red for humanity’ warning that, due to past inaction, extreme weather will only get worse.
Today, the federal government released the National Adaptation Strategy Consultation Report as well as a commitment to finalizing a national strategy by fall 2022.
Following the release of both the IPCC warning and the federal government report, Craig Stewart, Vice-President, Federal Affairs, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), issued the following statement:
“Given the ‘code red for humanity’ warning, today’s federal government announcement on adaptation is extremely timely and critical – Canada needs to accelerate work on climate defence with the best minds our country has to offer. IBC has joined a growing chorus of voices encouraging the federal government to take action now to create a culture of preparedness and build a more disaster-resilient country.
A National Adaptation Strategy that sets clear targets and performance measures for action is a foundational step in protecting Canadians from the flood, wildfire, heat, wind and hail events already growing in frequency and severity according to the IPCC.
IBC is a member of Climate Proof Canada, a broad coalition of forward-thinking organizations and groups that is calling on all levels of government to prioritize climate defence and better protect people and communities from the present and worsening effects of climate change.”
In consultations with a wide range of stakeholders in early June, Environment and Climate Change Canada heard that a National Adaptation Strategy should establish clear and evidence-informed objectives, targets and indicators that can measure progress and help strengthen the business case for adaptation. Also, a National Adaptation Strategy for Canada should drive real and effective action by prioritizing and advancing comprehensive, inclusive and systematic approaches to adaptation.