Preparing for climate change is critically important due to its far-reaching impacts on the well-being of our communities.
In 2020, Ontario launched its first-ever climate change impact assessment to help government and public and private institutions better understand where and how climate change is likely to affect communities, critical infrastructure, economies and the natural environment so we can make more informed decisions on planning and investments to keep our communities healthy and safe.
Work on the Provincial Climate Change Impact Assessment (PCCIA) was undertaken by the Climate Risk Institute and over the past three years, the Institute engaged with more than 140 subject-matter experts and Indigenous organizations.
I would like to personally thank the Climate Risk Institute, their partners and all other organizations involved for their tireless and invaluable work to advance and deliver climate risk assessment, adaptation planning, policy evaluation and resiliency.
Since receiving the assessment, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has worked across ministries to respond to the risks identified in the report, investing in strategies and programs such as:
- Ontario’s flooding strategy and flood hazard identification at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
- Climate-related financial disclosure rules being developed by the Ontario Securities Commission and Green Bonds at the Ontario Financing Authority, both agencies administered by the Ministry of Finance
- Provincial Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment at Emergency Management Ontario, Treasury Board Secretariat
- Climate risk and resilience assessments for significant projects by Infrastructure Ontario, which reports to the Ministry of Infrastructure, and
- Programs to improve Lake Ontario wastewater and stormwater discharges; to protect green space; and improve, restore and expand wetlands to build resiliency at the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
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