A WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO CLIMATE ADAPTATION

The paper argues that Canada faces an 'implementation deficit' in climate adaptation, where high-level commitments have not translated into concrete action due to poor interdepartmental coordination and a lack of systematic mainstreaming. It proposes several policy options to embed adaptation into government decision-making, including the use of statute law, central policy directives, the creation of a dedicated adaptation policy unit, and the enhancement of ex ante appraisal tools.

• Canada has experienced a widespread 'implementation deficit' in climate adaptation, characterized by a gap between high-level policy commitments and concrete initiatives. Audits from 2017, 2018, and 2021 highlighted that federal departments and agencies lacked direction on coordinating efforts and showed weak evidence of integrating adaptation into corporate risk management.
• Provincial governments in Canada, specifically Ontario and British Columbia, have also struggled with adaptation coordination. In Ontario, the lead ministry lacked the authority to coordinate other agencies, while in British Columbia, mainstreaming was described as being 'in its infancy'.
• The author suggests that Canada should consider a national climate change adaptation law to facilitate the implementation of its National Adaptation Strategy. Such legislation can codify expected behaviors, impose obligations, and limit the discretion of actors to do nothing.
• Establishing a central adaptation policy unit within a central agency (such as the Privy Council Office or Treasury Board Secretariat) is recommended to resolve barriers like inter-departmental competition and ambiguous accountability. The paper notes that Canada is an outlier among OECD countries, as many others already have dedicated units for this purpose.
• The paper identifies five strategies for mainstreaming adaptation: programmatic, intra- and inter-organizational, managerial, regulatory, and directed. Canadian governments have relied primarily on programmatic and inter-organizational approaches, but the author argues for a shift toward managerial, regulatory, and directed strategies to increase effectiveness.
• Ex ante appraisal tools, such as environmental impact assessments and Infrastructure Canada's 'Climate Lens', can proactively integrate adaptation. However, the 'Climate Lens' tool was reportedly weakened in 2021 by the removal of requirements for detailed information and professional attestation.

APA

Henstra, D. (n.d.). A WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO CLIMATE ADAPTATION. Canadian Climate Institute. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A-whole-of-government-approach-to-climate-adaptation.pdf

Chicago

Henstra, Daniel. A WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO CLIMATE ADAPTATION. Canadian Climate Institute, n.d. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A-whole-of-government-approach-to-climate-adaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Henstra |first1=Daniel |title=A WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO CLIMATE ADAPTATION |publisher=Canadian Climate Institute |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A-whole-of-government-approach-to-climate-adaptation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{henstrandwholeofgovernment, author = {Henstra, Daniel}, title = {{A WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO CLIMATE ADAPTATION}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A-whole-of-government-approach-to-climate-adaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }