0
By on January 14th, 2019

(Jan 16) Job Posting: Specialist, Climate Change and Health

The First Nations Health Authority is hiring a Specialist in Climate Change and Health.

If you are looking to make a difference in the Health and Wellness of BC First Nations, this is the perfect opportunity for you! Your high level of expertise and experience working with and for First Nations Communities on the health impacts of climate change have prepared you well for this role.

Education & Experience

  •  A University Degree with specialization in health sciences, humanities, social science, engineering, science, or other relevant discipline or an acceptable combination of education, training and professional experience.
  • 5 years of experience in climate change with preferably 2 years in the area of health impacts, with a focus on Indigenous populations.
  • Experience in working with Indigenous communities.
  • Experience in developing, implementing, and managing programs.
  • Experience in community-based, partner-led research, projects and
    initiatives, especially with Indigenous groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information and to apply see here.

Adaptation Community • Health Risks
0
By on January 14th, 2019

(Jan 30) 2019 Trends in Land Use, Sustainability, and Rural Planning Webinar

On January 30th (12:00 to 1:00pm PST), the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia is hosting a free webinar titled 2019 Trends in Land Use, Sustainability, and Rural Planning.

In this one-hour webinar, Angus McAllister (McAllister Opinion Research) and Carolyn Whittaker (Firelight) will summarize what they learned from their 2018 research study and public opinion poll.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Identify top trends and emerging issues in sustainable land use
  • Understand public values and opinions relating to land use, sustainability, and decision-making
  • Determine which words and terms resonate with the public (e.g. “sustainable” vs. “ecosystem-based”)
  • Understand regional challenges and priorities
  • List strategies and opportunities for engaging with the public, collaborating with other decision-makers, and charting a path forward

For information on the speakers and to register see here.

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories
0
By on January 10th, 2019

(Dec 2018) Cities Adapt to Extreme Weather

Cities Adapt to Extreme Weather: Celebrating Local Leadership is the third report published by the Institute For Catastrophic Loss Reduction in a series highlighting local governments across Canada that are taking steps toward preparing for the impacts of a changing climate. This report includes case studies of twenty communities that have developed comprehensive plans to reduce the risk of loss and damage from extreme weather events such as floods, wildfire, severe wind and other hazards.

The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction is an international centre of excellence in disaster risk reduction.They are the oldest and largest university-based disaster research institute in Canada. The Institute is affiliated with Western University and has been a champion for building disaster resilient communities for more than 20 years.

The following are links to the other two reports;

Cities Adapt to Extreme Rainfall

Cities Adapt to Extreme Heat

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories • Extreme Weather
0
By on January 03rd, 2019

(May 21-24) PIMS Workshop on Mathematical Sciences and Clean Energy Applications

The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences is hosting a four day workshop on mathematical sciences and clean energy applications. The workshop will include: first-hand accounts of mathematical scientists working in clean energy projects, kind and gentle introductions to clean energy systems and mathematical tools, graduate student presentations, and panel discussions on topics such as challenges in clean energy. The goal of the workshop is to inspire interest in further exploration and to nucleate collaborations between mathematical scientists and practitioners in clean energy. Mathematical scientists with no previous experience in clean energy research are welcome.

When: May 21-24 2019

Where: Earth Sciences Building, 2207 Main Mall, University of British Columbia

For more information and to register see here.

 

 

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories • Energy
0
By on January 03rd, 2019

(Feb 19-21 2020) Adaptation Canada 2020: Raising Our Game on Resilience

 

 

 

 

Canada’s national conference on climate change adaptation is coming to the West Coast!

ADAPTATION CANADA 2020 (February 19-21, 2020) will bring to Vancouver experts and leaders from diverse sectors, regions and jurisdictions to work on one of the most urgent issues of our time — how to build climate change resilience in our communities, ecosystems and economy.

This conference is a must-attend for people in all orders of government (federal, provincial, municipal and Indigenous), industry, academia and non-government organizations. If you want to learn from others and make new connections to ramp up your own resilience efforts, this is your conference!

To sign up for updates on Adaptation Canada 2020 see here.

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories
0
By on January 03rd, 2019

(Jan 10) Climate Futures Series: The Science, Impacts and Solutions to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees

Which path to halting climate change?

On January 10th The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, Climate Futures Initiative and SFU’s Faculty of Environment are hosting the Solutions talk of the Climate Futures Series: The SCIENCE, IMPACTS and SOLUTIONS to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees.

This talk will explore how the limited amount of carbon dioxide that we can still emit while limiting global warming to safe levels can be translated into emissions pathways that inform the climate change debate and climate policy about choices that are made today.

Presenter: Joeri Rogelj, Lecturer, Grantham Institute at Imperial College London
Respondent: Mark Jaccard, Professor, SFU
Moderator: Kirsten Zickfeld, Associate Professor, SFU
When: Thursday, Jan. 10 from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Where: Room 1900, SFU Harbour Centre Campus Vancouver, 515 West Hastings Street in Vancouver

For more information and to register see here.

 

 

 

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories • Energy
0
By on December 17th, 2018

Low Carbon Resilience: Best Practices for Professionals – Final Report

ACT is excited to announce the release of the final report and deliverables for our year-long project exploring low carbon resilience (LCR) best practices for professionals.

We also present a joint statement signed by the following national professional associations and endorsed by national municipal climate resources provider, ICLEI Canada, in support of advancing LCR in and across their respective fields:
Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA)
Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP)
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC)
Canadian Water & Wastewater Association (CWWA)

As the 2018 IPCC Special Report makes clear, the need to advance mitigation and adaptation is now more urgent than ever before, and historical standards are no longer adequate to inform future planning. Climate change poses significant risks to all professional reliance models, which increasingly need to include climate change mitigation and adaptation as part of advisory and consulting services. It is therefore crucial to advance an integrated approach while mainstreaming integrated climate action into all planning and decision-making. The integration of the two streams of action (mitigation and adaptation) in research and practice is increasingly referred to as “low carbon resilience” (LCR).

This project focused on the key role professionals play as change agents in climate action, and what is needed for all sectors to advance uptake of LCR-based practices. The case studies, tools and resources presented in this report were developed in consultation with professional representatives across Canada through meetings held in early spring and late fall of 2018 – at the local level in BC, with SFU ACT’s Professional Advisory Council (ACTPAC); at the provincial level, with the BC Professional Associations Adaptation Working Group (PAAWG), hosted by the Fraser Basin Council; and with national professional associations in Ottawa, co-hosted with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Groups engaged span a range of professions, including engineering, law, agriculture, energy and utilities, forestry, flood management, accounting, water & wastewater management, real estate, development, policy, planning, health, insurance, architecture, and biology.

Key project deliverables were developed as brief handouts illustrating different applications of low carbon resilience, which can be accessed for printing here:

Low Carbon Resilience Briefing Note: The briefing note for decision-makers introduces the concept of LCR, and outlines advantages and co-benefits that can be gained by adopting the LCR approach.
Low Carbon Resilience Conceptual Process Model and Diagram: The LCR Conceptual Process Model outlines how key steps in climate adaptation and mitigation planning processes might be aligned to achieve integrated action. The following LCR Diagram further provides a high-level overview and further considerations related to integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation into planning processes.
  Low Carbon Resilience Planning Example – OCP (Official Community Plan) and CCP (Comprehensive Community Plan) Processes: This case study illustrates how LCR might be incorporated into existing planning processes such as OCPs and CCPs, and demonstrates that synergies and trade-offs between reducing emissions and building resilience can be mainstreamed into planning at the community scale.
  Low Carbon Resilience Tool Example – BC’s Energy Step Code: This case study illustrates how low carbon resilience (LCR) might be incorporated into an existing tool, the BC Energy Step Code. It demonstrates that synergies and trade-offs between reducing emissions and building resilience can be achieved at the building scale, and highlights how practitioners using the code might increase efficiency and effectiveness by considering future climate in building design and operation.
Low Carbon Resilience Case Study – North Vancouver Rain Gardens: This case study provides an example of a municipal-level ecosystem-based approach to sustainable land and water use that demonstrates LCR benefits.
  Low Carbon Resilience Case Study – Christus Spohn Hospital, Corpus Christi, Texas: This case study provides an example of an LCR-based approach to building design and development.
  Low Carbon Resilience Case Study – Municipal Climate Planning, City of Hamburg: This case study provides an example of an LCR-based approach to local government climate action planning.

ACT gratefully acknowledges the support of the Vancouver Foundation and the Real Estate Foundation of BC  for this project overall, and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)  for the survey on continuing professional development.

ACT News • Climate Change • Featured
0
By on December 17th, 2018

National Professional Associations Support Integrated Climate Action

JOINT STATEMENT FROM CANADA’S NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: ADVANCING INTEGRATED CLIMATE ACTION

October 29th, 2018

PREAMBLE

The recently released IPCC SR1.5 report is unequivocal: we are beginning to experience the impacts of climate change, and it will take “rapid, far reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society” to keep global warming below the crucial threshold of 1.5°C. As professionals, we have the opportunity and responsibility to address both climate change mitigation (emissions reduction) and adaptation (responding to the impacts we cannot avoid). Our associations have a crucial role to play in advancing ethics, awareness, practices and policies that support integrated action on climate change, due to our prominent roles in many aspects of the development and management of resources, ecosystems and communities.

As such, we acknowledge that climate change is causing a variety of unavoidable impacts, many of which are projected to increase in duration, magnitude and severity. In the years ahead, these impacts will affect the outcomes of professional decisions made today. There is widespread recognition that we must plan ways to adapt, and that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial if we are to minimize the risks – both types of actions are urgently required. Typically, mitigation and adaptation have been addressed separately; however, every opportunity to mitigate or adapt must be explored. Can an adaptation solution incorporate mitigation? Can a mitigation solution incorporate adaptation? Can thinking that incorporates both action streams as one process lead to transformative approaches?

Integrating these perspectives in a “Low Carbon Resilience” (LCR) lens to guide decision-making and best practices, where appropriate, can save time and resources, increase returns on investment, and generate economic, environmental, social, and health co-benefits. Ensuring the two streams of action are coordinated and cross-evaluated can also help to avoid risks and unintended consequences associated with advancing them separately.

WHEREAS, WE:

  • Recognize the ethical and practice implications of climate change for all professionals
  • Expect our members to build upon their current science-based, knowledge-driven approaches to better incorporate the best available climate science into professional decisions and actively consider integrated action on adaptation and mitigation
  • Acknowledge that it is necessary to stay up to date on current and past practices, with the aim of better informing our members on best practices in light of climate change
  • Accept that innovation to address climate change may involve some uncertainty or risk
  • Recognize our civic responsibility to provide strong leadership in our communities and spheres of influence around pressing issues such as the need for integrated climate action

THEREFORE, OUR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS COMMIT TO:

  • Enacting or advocating for professional and ethical standards and codes of practice that explicitly incorporate responsibilities for advancing integrated climate action
  • Working to advance shared understanding and ownership among our members of our individual and professional responsibilities for integrated climate action within our spheres of influence
  • Providing leadership in the public sphere to advance understanding and support for integrated climate action among the public, decision-makers and stakeholders
  • Reviewing and commenting on policies and legislation to promote and enable innovative practice for integrated climate action
  • Improving access to timely education and training for our members, in climate change science, best practices, tools, implementation and approaches to integrated climate action
  • Cooperating with all levels of government and other organizations to advance integrated climate action, through for example: leadership; developing information, standards, guidelines and policies; implementing pilot projects; and awareness building
  • Advocating for and enabling effective monitoring and reporting processes for accountability on integrated climate action
  • Working with all levels of government, insurers and other parties to address shared risks arising from climate change, including identifying incentives for professionals to innovate and share the costs and benefits of adaptive management
  • Advancing interdisciplinary capacity for integrated climate action through collaboration between associations, and enabling collaboration amongst our members

WE CALL ON INDIGENOUS, LOCAL, PROVINCIAL, TERRITORIAL AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO:

  • Provide meaningful leadership domestically and internationally, including advocating for integrated climate action and upholding commitments in the Paris Agreement
  • Employ a mix of adaptation and mitigation options, implemented in a participatory and integrated manner (in line with the IPCC Special Report 1.5, Section D3)
  • Invest in developing and maintaining data and research on climate change, integrated climate action, related activities, policies and promising practices, and enable access and uptake across sectors and professions
  • Create policies and programs that enable integrated climate action, and invest in innovation and capacity building for advancing this approach
  • Work with professional associations in areas of overlapping interest and capacity, such as development of policies and information, and outreach to professions and sectors
  • Review and recommend updates to federal and provincial codes and standards and requirements to enable integrated climate action by all levels of government and other actors

Signed by,

DÉCLARATION COMMUNE D’ASSOCIATIONS PROFESSIONNELLES CANADIENNES : POUR UNE ACTION CLIMATIQUE INTÉGRÉE

29 octobre 2018

PRÉAMBULE

Le rapport récemment publié par le GIEC sur les conséquences d’un réchauffement planétaire de 1,5°C est sans équivoque : nous commençons à ressentir les impacts du changement climatique et il faudra des changements rapides, profonds et sans précédent dans tous les aspects de la société pour maintenir le réchauffement planétaire en dessous du seuil déterminant de 1,5°C. En tant que professionnels, nous avons la possibilité et la responsabilité de mener de front l’atténuation du changement climatique (réduction des émissions) et l’adaptation (prise en compte des impacts que nous ne pouvons éviter). Nos associations ont un rôle capital à jouer dans l’avancement de la déontologie, la sensibilisation, les pratiques et les politiques sur lesquelles repose une action climatique intégrée, du fait de leur rôle majeur dans de nombreux aspects de la mise en valeur et de la gestion des ressources, des écosystèmes et des collectivités.

En conséquence, nous reconnaissons que le changement climatique cause un en-semble d’impacts inévitables dont beaucoup, selon les projections, vont s’amplifier en termes de durée, d’ampleur et de gravité. Dans les prochaines années, ces impacts affecteront les incidences des décisions professionnelles prises aujourd’hui. Il est largement reconnu que nous devons planifier des façons de nous adapter et qu’il est capital de réduire les émissions de gaz à effets de serre si nous voulons réduire les risques – les deux types de mesures sont nécessaires et urgents. Le plus souvent, l’atténuation et l’adaptation sont envisagées séparément; cependant, chaque occasion de réduire et de s’adapter doit être étudiée. Est-ce qu’une solution axée sur l’adaptation peut inclure l’atténuation? Est-ce qu’une solution axée sur l’atténuation peut inclure l’adaptation? Est-ce qu’une façon de penser qui intègre les deux types de mesures dans une même démarche peut ouvrir la porte à des approches transformatives?

Intégrer ces perspectives dans une approche de « résilience sobre en carbone » pour orienter les décisions et les meilleures pratiques, lorsque possible, peut per-mettre de mieux utiliser le temps et les ressources, rendre les investissements plus rentables et entrainer des retombées positives pour l’économie, l’environnement, la société et la santé. Veiller à ce que les deux axes d’intervention soient intégrés et évalués en fonction l’un de l’autre aide en outre à éviter les risques et conséquences involontaires associés à une approche centrée sur un seul de ces axes.

ATTENDU QUE NOUS:

  • Reconnaissons les implications déontologiques et pratiques du changement climatique pour tous les professionnels.
  • Attendons de nos membres qu’ils développent leurs approches actuelles fondées sur la science et axées sur la connaissance pour mieux incorporer les meilleures connaissances scientifiques disponibles dans leurs décisions professionnelles et envisagent activement des mesures combinant l’adaptation et l’atténuation.
  • Reconnaissons la nécessité de nous tenir au courant des pratiques actuelles et passées, dans le but de mieux informer nos membres sur les meilleures pratiques compte tenu du changement climatique.
  • Acceptons que l’innovation pour lutter contre le changement climatique peut comporter des risques et des incertitudes.
  • Reconnaissons notre responsabilité civique d’être des chefs de file solides dans nos collectivités et nos sphères d’influence en ce qui concerne des problèmes pressants comme la nécessité d’une action climatique intégrée.

PAR CONSÉQUENT, NOS ASSOCIATIONS PROFESSIONNELLES S’ENGAGENT À:

  • Adopter et promouvoir des normes professionnelles et déontologiques et des codes de pratique qui incorporent explicitement la responsabilité de faire progresser une action climatique intégrée
  • Faire en sorte que nos membres aient la même conception des responsabilités de chacun ainsi que de nos professions en ce qui concerne l’action climatique intégrée et le même engagement à la promouvoir au sein de nos sphères d’influence
  • Jouer un rôle de chefs de file dans la sphère publique pour favoriser la com-préhension de l’action climatique intégrée et son soutien au sein du public, chez les décideurs et chez les parties concernées
  • Examiner et commenter les politiques et la législation pour promouvoir et rendre possibles les pratiques novatrices pour une action climatique intégrée
  • Améliorer l’accès de nos membres, en temps opportun, à l’éducation et la formation sur le changement climatique, les meilleures pratiques, les outils et la mise en œuvre et les approches en matière d’action climatique intégrée
  • Coopérer avec tous les ordres de gouvernement et les autres organisations pour faire progresser l’action climatique intégrée, entre autres en faisant preuve de leadership, en préparant de l’information, des normes, des lignes directrices et des politiques, en réalisant des projets pilotes et en faisant de la sensibilisation
  • Recommandant et rendant possibles des processus de suivi et de rapport efficaces pour favoriser la responsabilisation en matière d’action climatique intégrée
  • Travailler avec tous les ordres de gouvernement, les assureurs et les autres parties concernées pour composer avec les risques communs découlant du changement climatique, entre autres en trouvant des mesures d’incitation pour encourager les professionnels à innover et à partager les coûts et les avantages d’une gestion adaptative
  • Faire progresser la capacité interdisciplinaire en matière d’action climatique intégrée par le biais de la collaboration entre associations et faciliter la collaboration entre nos membres

NOUS EN APPELONS AUX GOUVERNEMENT AUTOCHTONES, LOCAUX, PROVINCIAUX, TERRITORIAUX ET NATIONAL POUR QU’ILS:

  • Fassent preuve de réel leadership au Canada et sur la scène internationale, entre autres en faisant la promotion de l’action climatique intégrée et en tenant les engagements pris dans le cadre de l’Accord de Paris
  • Combinent des options axées sur l’adaptation et d’autres axées sur l’atténuation, en les mettant en œuvre de manière participative et intégrée (dans la lignée de la Section D3 du Rapport spécial du GIEC sur les conséquences d’un réchauffement planétaire de 1,5 °C)
  • Investissent dans l’élaboration et la tenue à jour des données et des re-cherches sur le changement climatique, l’action climatique intégrée et les activités, politiques et pratiques prometteuses connexes et favorisent l’accès et l’adoption dans l’ensemble des secteurs et des professions
  • Créent des politiques et des programmes qui rendent possible l’action climatique intégrée et investissent dans l’innovation et le renforcement de la capacité pour faire progresser cette approche
  • Travaillent avec les associations professionnelles dans les domaines où leurs intérêts et leurs capacités se recoupent, comme l’élaboration de politiques et de matériel d’information et la sensibilisation d’autres professions et secteurs
  • Étudient et recommandent des mises à jour des normes et codes fédéraux et provinciaux ainsi que des exigences pour permettre une action climatique intégrée par tous les ordres de gouvernement et les autres protagonistes

Signed by,

ACT News • Adaptation Community • Climate Change • Featured
0
By on December 14th, 2018

(Dec 13) ACT’s Executive Director, Deborah Harford on CBC’s The Current

On December 13th, the Executive Director of ACT, Deborah Harford was invited to speak with CBC’s The Current about challenges our society faces in the special edition 11 Years: A Blueprint For Climate Action. Deborah spoke to the need for an immediate focus on solutions, benefits and opportunities.

For the full episode see here.

ACT News • Adaptation Stories • Featured
0
By on December 11th, 2018

(Dec 10) COP 24 Update

Just a week after the naturalist Sir David Attenborough spoke passionately from the “People’s Seat” in Katowice, Poland at COP 24, the United States government officials are defending the fossil fuel industry.

While addressing the climate change conference from the “Peoples Seat,” which represents the link between the public and policy makers, Sir David said: “Right now, we are facing a man-made disaster of global scale. Our greatest threat in thousands of years. Climate Change.”

This point was echoed by Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, during the opening ceremony stating that climate change is “a matter of life and death” for many countries.

Later in the week President Trump’s international energy and climate adviser, Wells Griffith, held a panel discussion defending the coal, oil and gas industry. In the discussion Mr Griffith said “the United States has an abundance of natural resources and is not going keep them in the ground,” after protesters interrupted chanting “Shame on you!” and “Keep it in the ground!” Griffith went on to explain that “we strongly believe that no country should have to sacrifice their economic prosperity or energy security in pursuit of environmental sustainability.”

Ian Fry, the lead negotiator for Tuvalu (an island nation highly likely to be impacted by sea-level-rise) has called the United States and Saudi Arabian government’s official indifference to the United Nations report “truly disturbing,” referring to the ‘welcoming’ of the recent IPCC report on 1.5C temperature increase.

The US administration is aware of the fact damages caused by climate change could reach “hundreds of billions of dollars” by the end of the century to the American economy, with extreme events affecting everything from health to infrastructure in the coming decades. Climate change impacts have all been highlighted in the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released by the U.S. Global Research Program. Their actions in Poland indicate an extraordinary indifference to this catastrophe and the effect it will have on Americans.

For more reporting on COP 24 see the BBC page here and for a summary of the Fourth National Climate Assessment see here.

Adaptation Community • Energy
0
By on December 11th, 2018

(Dec 5) CleanBC- our pathway to a more prosperous, balanced and sustainable future

 

 

 

 

 

On December 5, 2018, the B.C. government released Clean BC – our pathway to a more prosperous, balanced and sustainable future. It builds on recent announcements, such as mandating 100% of new cars to be zero-emission vehicles by 2040; providing rebates for efficiency upgrades including insulation and heat pumps; signing a memorandum of understanding with business on a low-carbon economy; and intervening in court to support carbon pricing across Canada.

CleanBC highlights four pathways to a cleaner BC. Each includes significant actions that help us to use energy more efficiently and prevent waste, while making sure the energy we do use is the cleanest possible. It also sets out an effective blueprint to build a cleaner economy.

The B.C. government is also developing a provincial climate change adaptation strategy for release in 2020 to prepare for climate risks that are now unavoidable. The Province is building the foundation for a new adaptation strategy by working to understand the key risks facing British Columbia. Key steps include developing a Strategic Provincial Climate Risk Assessment framework and completing a strategic assessment of provincially significant climate-related risks.

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories
0
By on December 06th, 2018

(Dec 12/14) Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Platform Webinars

Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Platform has two upcoming webinars we are pleased to share:

1. Introducing the Canadian Centre for Climate Services: Climate data, resources and support for adaptation planning
December 12, 2018; 1:00 –2:00 PM ET
Registration

The Canadian Centre for Climate Services (CCCS) is the Government of Canada’s authoritative source for climate data and information and offers resources to help Canadians understand and plan for climate change. The CCCS is an important part of Canada’s efforts to combat climate change and increase resiliency to its impacts under Canada’s climate action plan. This webinar will provide an overview of the CCCS program and services, introduce the concept of climate services, and include a live demonstration of the new CCCS website (www.canada.ca/climate-services).

2. Case Studies on Climate Change in Floodplain Mapping
December 14, 2018 1:30 PM ET
Registration

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories • New Technologies
0
By on December 06th, 2018

(Dec 3) Forty leading climate scientists and experts call for stronger B.C. climate targets

On December 3rd, in advance of the release of the B.C. government’s climate plan (December 5th), forty leading climate scientists and experts wrote a letter asking the province to strengthen climate targets, introduce a binding climate test for energy projects and end subsidies for fracked LNG as part of its climate strategy.

The scientists include Dr. James Hansen, Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon, Dr. Kirsten Zickfeld (SFU) and Dr. Damon Matthews. The letter was sent Sunday to Premier John Horgan, Minister of Energy and Mines Michelle Mungall, and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy George Heyman. The provincial clean growth strategy is expected to be shared during COP 24, the UN Climate Change Conference which kicked off in Katowice, Poland this week.

The scientists are calling for B.C.’s climate targets to be revised to a fifty per cent reduction by 2030 compared to 2007 and zero emissions by 2050, consistent with the recent Special Report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and establishing five-year interim targets for each sector of the economy. They have requested a binding climate test in environmental impact assessments to ensure new industrial projects do not undermine B.C.’s ability to meet 5 year sectoral targets. In addition, the scientists are calling on the government to stop subsidizing LNG Canada due its significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reject plans that would lock B.C. into more fossil fuel extraction and associated emissions for decades to come.

 

 

 

 

 

For a copy of the letter see here, and for more information on the CleanBC plan see here.

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories • New Technologies
0
By on November 30th, 2018

(Dec 4) Applying the Climate Lens Resilience Assessment in a BC Context Webinar

December 4th (10:00am to 11:00am PST)

The Federal Government recently introduced a Climate Lens assessment for those seeking funding for new major public infrastructure projects. Listen to François Levesque of Infrastructure Canada and Dirk Nyland of the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure delve into the resilience assessment component of the Climate Lens. This webinar will take you from a high-level look at the resilience assessment to an on-the-ground example of a BC project to demonstrate how the assessment can be applied for small-scale projects.

To register for the webinar see here.

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories • New Technologies
0
By on November 30th, 2018

(Nov 26) The Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change Hiring Director

The Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3) is hiring a Director. This position is central to maintaining and advancing the University of Waterloo (UW) as a leading centre for research and knowledge mobilization on the impacts of global climate change and the transition to a decarbonized and climate-resilient society in Canada and around the world.

The Director will have a full understanding of the scope of IC3 activities and will have a leading role in the development and implementation of strategic plans and partnerships to advance the mission of IC3. The Director is responsible for aspects of overall business leadership, management of relationships with members and other key stakeholders across campus, external partnership development, promotion of research activities and knowledge mobilization, oversee day-to-day operations, and support of UW’s leadership in climate change education and training.

For more information on the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3) and to apply for this position see here. 

 

 

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories
0
By on November 30th, 2018

(Dec 4/6) Workshops to Develop Agricultural Adaptation Strategies for Kootenay & Boundary

New regional adaptation strategies are being developed to help Kootenay and Boundary agricultural producers prepare for climate change. Farmers in the East Kootenay, Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary regional districts have been invited to participate in the strategies’ planning process on Dec. 4, in Creston and Dec. 6 in Greenwood.

The process brings together agricultural producers and specialists, along with local and provincial government representatives. Participants will learn about the latest climate change projections for the Kootenay and Boundary regions and will discuss the likely impact on agricultural production. Attendees will also brainstorm actions to help producers adapt to climate change impacts, such as extreme weather, drought, wildfires, excess moisture and flooding as well as the changing risks associated with pests, diseases, weeds and invasive species.

The Kootenay and Boundary regional adaptation strategies will be released in spring 2019 to guide the development and implementation of collaborative projects that support agricultural adaptation to climate change. The regional agricultural adaptation projects will be supported with $300,000 in funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

For more information and to register for the workshop see here.

Adaptation Community • Adaptation Stories • Crops & Food Supply
Page 1 of 7612345...102030...Last »