PREPARE OR REPAIR: How climate-proofing public infrastructure pays off

The report finds that climate-driven hazards like extreme rainfall and heat stress will drive infrastructure costs to $14 billion per year by the 2050s and $19 billion by 2085 without adaptation. Proactive adaptation, requiring an average annual investment of $4.1 billion, could lower total costs by nearly $9 billion per year compared to no adaptation and over $4 billion compared to reactive adaptation. The analysis emphasizes that early action improves budget predictability and avoids cascading economic disruptions, though it notes that upgrades to existing assets must be supplemented by new protective infrastructure like dikes.

• Climate-driven hazards, specifically extreme rainfall, heat stress, and certain flooding effects, are projected to increase public infrastructure costs to $14 billion annually by the 2050s and $19 billion annually by 2085 in the most likely scenario if no adaptation occurs.
• Proactive adaptation to heat and extreme rainfall is estimated to reduce total annual costs by nearly $9 billion compared to a scenario with no adaptation, and by more than $4 billion compared to reactive adaptation performed at the time of asset replacement.
• A proactive investment strategy averaging $4.1 billion per year is projected to generate annual savings of up to $8.6 billion, increasing the proportion of climate-resilient assets from nearly zero today to approximately 25% by 2030 and over 70% by 2050.
• While proactive adaptation reduces costs, it does not eliminate them; infrastructure owners will still face average annual costs exceeding $6 billion, combining adaptation investments and unavoidable damage repairs.
• Upgrading existing assets is insufficient on its own; governments will need to invest in new protective infrastructure, such as dikes, to manage intensifying climate risks.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2026). PREPARE OR REPAIR: How climate-proofing public infrastructure pays off. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Prepare-or-Repair-Executive-Summary.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. PREPARE OR REPAIR: How climate-proofing public infrastructure pays off. 2026. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Prepare-or-Repair-Executive-Summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=PREPARE OR REPAIR: How climate-proofing public infrastructure pays off |date=April 2026 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Prepare-or-Repair-Executive-Summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitute2026prepare, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{PREPARE OR REPAIR: How climate-proofing public infrastructure pays off}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Prepare-or-Repair-Executive-Summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }