Extreme weather: how Ottawa can protect Canadians

The Canadian Climate Institute warns that Canada's current adaptation efforts are insufficient to meet the rising costs of extreme weather, which include a record $9.1 billion in insurance claims in 2024. The author contends that the National Adaptation Strategy lacks a systematic basis for resource allocation and that critical programs are at risk of expiration or budget cuts. The document advocates for a shift toward targeting the highest risks—such as flooding, wildfire, and extreme heat—and improving coordination with local governments and Indigenous-led adaptation to avoid future economic losses.

• Extreme weather is causing significant infrastructure damage and public health crises in Canada, including buckled highways and rail disruptions in Ontario, and numerous heat-related emergency room visits in Toronto.
• The financial burden of climate change is increasing, with 2024 marking the costliest year on record for extreme weather insurance claims at $9.1 billion. Without adaptation, heat and intense rainfall could increase public infrastructure maintenance costs by $14 billion annually by the 2050s.
• The National Adaptation Strategy is criticized for failing to measurably reduce risks and lacking an economic analysis to prioritize resources toward the most significant threats, such as flooding, wildfire, and extreme heat.
• Federal adaptation funding is currently precarious, with many programs expiring in 2027-2028 or lacking funds, while the government is conducting a cost-cutting drive ahead of the fall budget.
• Investing in adaptation provides high economic returns, with every dollar spent on key adaptations returning up to $15 in avoided costs and benefits, contrasting with the current cost of $25 billion per year in lost GDP growth due to climate change.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2026). Extreme weather: how Ottawa can protect Canadians. https://climateinstitute.ca/extreme-weather-how-ottawa-can-protect-canadians/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Extreme weather: how Ottawa can protect Canadians. 2026. https://climateinstitute.ca/extreme-weather-how-ottawa-can-protect-canadians/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Extreme weather: how Ottawa can protect Canadians |date=16 July 2026 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/extreme-weather-how-ottawa-can-protect-canadians/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianclimateinstitute2026extreme, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Extreme weather: how Ottawa can protect Canadians}}, publisher = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2026}, month = jul, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/extreme-weather-how-ottawa-can-protect-canadians/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }