What is Climate Change?

Climate change is a significant change in the distribution and variability of the earth’s weather patterns driven by human-induced changes to the greenhouse effect. The last major shift in the climate was at the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 15,000 years ago, when the planet experienced a ~five degree increase in temperature over 5,000 years. More

Tips: How to protect your home from changing weather patterns

Changing weather patterns are causing more frequent and severe storms that increase the chance of water entering into your home. The best way to deal with water damage is to prevent it from happening. Here are some tips on how you can protect your home…inside and out. More

The Climate Change Adaptation Project (CCAP) is an innovative initiative established by Intact Financial Corporation and the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo. Focused on climate change adaptation, the project offers a 360-degree, multi-dimensional perspective which brings together government, industry, academia, First Nations, NGOs and the legal community to identify environmental and socioeconomic climate change impacts to deliver concrete solutions today. It’s a forward-looking approach to understand and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.

The project is a “Made in Canada” response to a changing world which integrates Canadian research, influencers and supporters to develop adaptation solutions - an action plan for Canada.

Why is the Climate Change Adaptation Project so unique?

CCAP incorporates several unique characteristics that distinguish its approach to identifying and resolving Canada’s major climate change challenges.

The project:

  1. Embraces a “Made in Canada” approach to address national climate change challenges through the involvement of experts on Canadian issues
  2. Focuses on practical policy outcomes directed to municipal, provincial and federal governments
  3. Identifies adaptation challenges and policy solutions using a unique interdisciplinary and cross-sector process
  4. Leverages Canadian businesses, NGOs, government, First Nations, academic leaders and the legal community to connect and influence policymakers
  5. Prioritizes challenges and protects Canadians from climate change risks, while taking advantage of opportunities

Did you know?

Canada's emissions of greenhouse gases, major contributors to climate change, rose 25% between 1990 and 2005.*

Driving a mid-size car about 5,000 kilometres results in about one tonne of emissions.*

In 2005, human activities released the equivalent of 747 megatonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in Canada. 1 megatonne = 1 million tonnes.*

In 2005, energy production and consumption accounted for more than 80% of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.*

Fossil fuels are burned to move people and goods. In 2005, transportation activities accounted for 27% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.*

Energy makes up one-fifth of Canada's merchandise exports.*

As worldwide demand for energy has surged since 1990, GHG emissions from the production of exported energy have jumped 146%.*

Canada has about 0.5% of the world's population, but contributes about 2% of the total global GHG emissions.*

Canada has warmed in recent decades. The trend between 1948 and 2007 shows a 1.4 °C increase in annual temperatures in Canada.*

Temperature increases between 1948 and 2007 have been greatest in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia.*

Glaciers in the Rocky Mountains are receding and thinning, resulting indecreases in flow during the critical driest months of the year in some rivers.*

Of the 853 glaciers inventoried in 1975 in the North and South Saskatchewan River basins, 328 have disappeared completely.*

The spread of the mountain pine beetle in the central interior of British Columbia has coincided with warmer winter extremes.*

By 2007, 13 million hectares of British Columbia was infested by the mountain pine beetle.*

Canada has experienced heavier precipitation, intense wind storms and less predictable weather patterns over the past five years.*

The winter of 2009 was ranked in the top 10 "wettest winters" between 1948 and 2009.*

As of July 1, 2009, the median age of Canada's population was 39.5 years, up 0.2 years from the same date last year and up 3.1 years from 1999.*

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