Search Climate Insights Directory

The document uses the example of international firefighters collaborating to fight Canadian wildfires as a metaphor for the necessary global cooperation required to address climate change and biodiversity loss. It highlights recent multilateral successes, such as the Convention of Biological Diversity COP15 agreement, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, and the UN Treaty of the High Seas, as evidence of a positive trend in environmental diplomacy. The author emphasizes the ecological importance of the boreal forest, which contains 20 percent of the world's carbon, and calls for continued partnership between governments, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society at the Seventh GEF Assembly.

Analysis of survey data from March 2018 to April 2023 shows that Americans are increasingly worried about extreme heat harming their local areas. Concern grew by 9 percentage points over five years, outpacing increases in worry about other climate impacts such as wildfires and droughts. A majority of Americans also recognize the link between global warming and extreme heat.

Analysis of U.S. public opinion shows a significant increase in worry about extreme heat harming local areas between 2018 and 2023, with heat now topping the list of climate-related concerns over wildfires, droughts, and flooding.

The report finds that while a majority of Americans believe allergy seasons have remained stable, 38% perceive them as becoming more severe, with the strongest perception of increase among those most concerned about climate change.

The document analyzes the Mijares river basin, noting that decreased summer rainfall is linked to land-use changes and is driving aridification. Through 'uncertainty dialogues' with stakeholders, the authors identify three critical barriers to sustainability: the unpredictability of rural abandonment, a lack of technical knowledge for profitable and sustainable forest management to prevent fires, and conflicting perspectives on water allocation between the upper and lower basin. The brief argues that addressing these uncertainties through coordinated dialogue is essential for implementing robust sustainability projects.

The Canadian Climate Institute emphasizes that while the federal government's National Adaptation Strategy provides a necessary framework for climate resilience, it requires significantly increased funding, better inter-governmental coordination, and robust accountability mechanisms to be effective.

The Canadian Climate Institute emphasizes the necessity of the federal government's national adaptation strategy to protect infrastructure and communities from wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. While the strategy sets national priorities and measurable goals, the Institute argues that current funding is insufficient and calls for stronger intergovernmental coordination and accountability mechanisms to translate the strategy into tangible results.

The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that wildfires in Quebec caused $1.28 billion in healthcare costs in Ontario alone from June 4 to 8, 2023, due to a significant spike in PM2.5 fine particulate matter exposure.

The document argues that reporting on extreme weather without mentioning climate change is incomplete and potentially inaccurate. It provides specific phrasing and examples for connecting various weather phenomena—such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and hurricanes—to global warming, while highlighting the role of attribution science in quantifying these links. It also recommends tools like the Climate Central 'Climate Change Index' and World Weather Attribution for real-time data.

The 2022 Forum on Natural Infrastructure Performance and Metrics, held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, examined how to scale nature-based solutions to address aging water infrastructure in Canada's Prairies. Participants identified that a stronger business case for natural infrastructure requires tailored metrics and data to make economic benefits visible in regulatory and funding decisions. The forum highlighted the urgency of addressing an investment deficit in crumbling water infrastructure to mitigate risks from flooding, drought, extreme heat, and wildfires.

The author discusses the immediate impacts of climate-driven wildfires in North America, specifically the health risks associated with particulate matter and the necessity of implementing binding emission reductions and adaptation strategies in Canada.

The paper examines the 2021 climate disasters in the Fraser Canyon region, specifically the destruction of Lytton, to highlight the fragility of Canadian infrastructure. It presents the Kanaka Bar Indian Band's strategies for water, food, and shelter security as scalable examples of climate adaptation and resilience.

The document examines the devastation of Lytton in 2021 and proposes a reconstruction framework based on 'physiological foundations' to ensure climate resilience. It highlights the Kanaka Bar Indian Band's proactive investments in site-specific weather monitoring, gravity-fed water systems, controlled-environment agriculture, and passive housing design as scalable models for 62,000 other high-risk Canadian communities.

The document examines the impact of the 2021 heat wave on five First Nations in British Columbia, highlighting how colonial housing policies increased vulnerability while community solidarity and traditional knowledge provided critical protection. It details specific regional impacts—from urban challenges in the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to the infrastructure dependencies of the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk Nation)—and argues for resilience planning rooted in Indigenous rights and localized data.

The document examines the 2021 extreme heat emergency's impact on five First Nations in British Columbia, categorised as urban (Tsleil-Waututh), rural (Kanaka Bar, Adams Lake, and Líl̓wat), and remote (Haíɫzaqv). It highlights how colonial housing policies created systemic vulnerabilities, while Indigenous kinship and cultural values provided protective resilience. Key findings include the severe disruption of food sovereignty, the failure of traditional water-based cooling due to rising temperatures, and the success of fuel-switching to heat pumps in remote areas. The report argues for trauma-informed, site-specific heat planning that moves beyond hazard-specific silos and integrates Indigenous knowledge.

The report finds that a strong majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring and is mostly human-caused, with 66% expressing worry about the issue. While many perceive significant risks to their local communities and the United States—particularly from extreme heat, sea level rise, and wildfires—most Americans rarely discuss the topic with friends and family. The findings also indicate a general rejection of fatalism, with 66% disagreeing that it is too late to act, although a significant gap remains in public understanding of the strength of the scientific consensus on human-caused warming.

The document highlights the rising economic burden of climate-driven disasters in Canada, noting that insured losses from 2010 to 2019 exceeded $18 billion. It asserts that climate change adds an average annual cost of $700 per household through higher grocery prices, insurance premiums, and taxes. The author calls for increased public investment in adaptation, citing that every dollar spent on adaptation yields $13 to $15 in economic returns and that climate-resilient road materials could save up to $5 billion nationally over coming decades.

The executive summary advocates for a shift from traditional 'grey' water infrastructure to natural infrastructure in the Canadian Prairies to combat climate vulnerabilities and infrastructure deterioration. It highlights the region's significant loss of wetlands and the need for policy and funding reforms to support nature-based solutions.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis finds that 48% of the rise in fire-danger conditions in western North America since 1901 and 37% of the cumulative burned forest area since 1986 are attributable to emissions from the 88 largest fossil fuel companies and cement manufacturers. In Arizona, over 10,000 wildfires burned nearly 2.5 million acres between 2017 and 2021, with the 2020 Bighorn Fire alone costing over $36 million. The document argues for holding these companies accountable and urges state governments to implement policies for forest health, community safety, and equitable resilience investments.

The document argues that major carbon producers are responsible for a significant portion of the increasing wildfire risk in western North America. It attributes 48% of the rise in fire-danger conditions since 1901 and 37% of the cumulative burned forest area since 1986 to emissions from 88 major fossil fuel and cement companies. In California, wildfires between 2017 and 2021 caused over $21 billion in economic damages and released an average of 53 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent annually. The report calls for corporate accountability, legal access to justice, and state-level policies to reduce emissions, improve forest health, and protect vulnerable communities.