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On June 27, 2023, the Government of Canada launched its National Adaptation Strategy, which it set out in a comprehensive (and aesthetically pleasing) framework plan.
The plan identifies various goals and focus areas for future climate adaptation-related initiatives and investments, and establishes four principles to guide decision-makers in designing and implementing adaptation policies:
Respecting local, provincial, territorial, national, and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments’ climate adaptation efforts, and upholding Indigenous rights;
Advancing equity and environmental justice;
Taking proactive, risk-based measures to reduce climate impacts before they occur; and
Maximizing adaptation benefits while avoiding “maladaptation”.
Finally, the plan illustrates its priorities in pyramid form:
At the top: action plans outlining immediate priorities;
In the middle: near-term targets for immediate efforts, as well as medium-term objectives to be achieved by 2030; and
At the base: longer-term goals to be reached by 2050.
This, according to the government’s news release summary, creates a framework to “reduce the risks of climate-related disasters, improve health outcomes, protect nature and biodiversity, build and maintain resilient infrastructure, and support a strong economy and workers.”
In terms of implementation, the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan presents a range of federal government action and funding commitments, such as up to $284 million over five years for wildfire prevention and mitigation activities, and establishing a centre for Wildland Fire Innovation and Resilience.
Provinces and territories are expected to contribute their own adaptation initiatives, with the federal government promising to facilitate increased “coordination, cooperation, and exchange of best practices between different orders of government.”
The federal government will also look to work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities over the next two years to develop and advance an Indigenous Climate Leadership Agenda that reflects Indigenous climate priorities.
The government, in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, plans to monitor and evaluate implementation of its adaptation strategy over time and provide an updated version by 2030.
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