In the face of record-breaking climate events – from wildfires to extreme heat waves to floods – across the country, the Government of Canada today launched its National Adaptation Strategy for engagement and final consultation, The National Adaptation Strategy includes the following components:

1. Overarching direction: to increase resilience to the impacts of climate change
2. Key objectives: disaster resilience, health and wellbeing, nature and biodiversity, infrastructure, and the economy and workers.
3. Implementation Plans: the Strategy will be implemented through a series of action plans that outline immediate priorities, enable accountability, and focus investments for the next five years.

The following guiding principles will help direct and inform decisions on adaptation actions:

• Respect jurisdictions and uphold Indigenous rights
• Advance equity and environmental justice
• Take proactive, risk-based measures to reduce climate impacts before they occur
• Maximize benefits and avoid maladaptation

The Government also announced today its action and investment plan for the immediate future, The funding includes

• $1.6 billion in new federal funding commitments to help protect communities from coast to coast to coast
• a commitment to the Green Municipal Fund to help communities deploy funding in climate-focused projects to specific municipal needs of the future
• enhancing the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to build more new structural and natural infrastructures to increase the resilience of communities
• developing the tools and data services Canadians need to access the right information and support experts with climate modelling and assessments

The strategy is now open to the provinces, territories, and National Indigenous Organizations for a final 90 days of engagement on the Strategy’s goals and specific measurable targets and objectives.

To read the full Strategy, click here

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Manning Environmental Law is a Canadian law firm based in Toronto, Ontario. Our practice is focussed on environmental law, energy law and aboriginal law. 

Paul Manning is a certified specialist in environmental law. He has been named as one of the World’s Leading Environmental Lawyers and one of the World’s Leading Climate Change Lawyers by Who’s Who Legal. Paul is also ranked by Lexpert as one of Canada’s Leading Practitioners in Environmental Law.

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