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The document argues that urban water and sanitation systems in Alberta face significant risks from increasing temperatures, precipitation shifts, and extreme weather events. To build resilience, it advocates for a 'multi-barrier' approach to robustness, the integration of redundancy through source water diversity and decentralized treatment, and the promotion of resourcefulness via low-impact development (LID) and green infrastructure. Specific recommendations for Calgary and Edmonton include conducting stochastic hydrology analysis on source watersheds, reviewing regulatory obstacles to decentralized water technologies, and exploring economic instruments like stormwater levies and water trading systems.

The document distinguishes between incremental adaptation, which improves existing practices, and transformational adaptation, which involves systemic structural changes to address the root causes of vulnerability. It argues that as climate risks in Alberta increase—including rising temperatures and more variable precipitation—cities like Calgary and Edmonton may need to adopt transformational approaches to avoid unsustainable development paths. The text outlines qualities of a resilient city, such as flexibility and integration, and uses the Netherlands' Delta Programme as a case study of a proactive, systems-based approach to flood management. It concludes with strategic, regulatory, and community recommendations to enable transformational change.

The document examines how urban ecosystems and green infrastructure provide critical environmental, social, and economic services that protect cities from climate shocks. It highlights projected temperature increases in Alberta and advocates for a resilience framework based on robustness, redundancy, and resourcefulness. The brief provides recommendations for municipal governments to integrate biodiversity into planning, use asset management for natural spaces, and engage citizens in environmental stewardship.

The document argues that Alberta's cities must move beyond historical climatic patterns to build resilience against more frequent and intense extreme weather events. It emphasizes integrating climate projections into emergency planning, investing in robust and redundant infrastructure, and fostering community resourcefulness through participatory engagement.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) supports the 2030 phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Canada and Alberta, citing significant reductions in premature deaths, healthcare costs, and mercury emissions, as well as an 8% reduction in national greenhouse gas emissions to help meet Paris Agreement commitments.

The report argues that CETA fails to be a 'gold standard' for the environment, citing weak enforcement of environmental commitments, the risks posed by the Investment Court System (ICS), and the potential for increased imports of carbon-intensive tar sands oil. It highlights a lack of transparency in negotiations and suggests that the agreement's regulatory cooperation and domestic regulation chapters could hinder the EU's ability to implement ambitious climate and environmental policies.

The report analyzes diverse resource management models—ranging from sovereign wealth funds in Norway to ecosystem service payments in Costa Rica—to derive a framework for benefit sharing. It emphasizes that successful long-term outcomes require clear leadership, strong legislative frameworks, institutional mechanisms for implementation, and the active inclusion of Indigenous populations in decision-making. The document contrasts successful models, such as Norway's GPFG, with cautionary examples like Alberta's Heritage Savings Trust Fund and Nigeria's oil sector, highlighting the risks of overreliance on non-renewable resources without strategic diversification and robust legal safeguards.

The report assesses the biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics of the northern Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB) in Manitoba, highlighting the economic value of its provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting ecosystem services. It identifies a lack of basin-wide planning and fragmented monitoring as key challenges. Drawing on case studies from the Fraser Basin, Mekong River Basin, and Quebec's Plan Nord, the document recommends establishing a multi-party, basin-level organization that includes Indigenous communities in shared decision-making, securing consistent funding through innovative mechanisms like trusts and user fees, and enhancing centralized data sharing and reporting to support sustainable development.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other health professionals argue that the Pacific Northwest LNG Project should be rejected because its environmental assessment fails to fully consider human health impacts. They highlight that the project's emissions would consume a significant portion of British Columbia's 2050 carbon budget, contradicting the Paris Agreement. Additionally, they cite evidence of local health risks from hydraulic fracturing, including groundwater contamination and reproductive toxicity, and express concern over the psychological distress ('solastalgia') and treaty rights violations affecting Indigenous communities, specifically the Blueberry River First Nations.

The Alberta Pesticide Survey Report details a public opinion poll conducted in August 2016. A majority of respondents expressed concern that pesticides used on lawns and gardens pose threats to children (66%), pets (68%), and the general environment (50%). Consequently, 62% of those surveyed supported a law to phase out the use and sale of all but the safest pesticides for lawns and gardens in Alberta, excluding agriculture, forestry, and mosquito control.

The report argues that an accelerated phase-out of coal power in Alberta would significantly reduce premature deaths, emergency room visits, and asthma episodes, while providing billions in socio-economic value. By extrapolating data from Environment Canada's Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS), the authors demonstrate that a stepwise transition proposed by the Pembina Institute would more than double the health benefits of the 2012 federal regulations between 2015 and 2035.

The report identifies natural gas-driven pneumatic controllers as the second-largest source of methane emissions in the US oil and gas industry. It concludes that mature, cost-effective zero-emission technologies are available and currently in use in the United States and Canada, with some jurisdictions in both countries implementing regulations to mandate their installation.

The document outlines the regulatory landscape of cosmetic pesticides in Canada, comparing 'white list' and 'black list' approaches and evaluating the effectiveness of mandatory bans over voluntary programs. It identifies key gaps in current legislation, such as exceptions for golf courses and lack of retail enforcement, while providing evidence of reduced pesticide concentrations in Ontario water bodies and decreased resident use in Toronto following the implementation of bans.

The report analyzes the landscape of cosmetic pesticide bans in Canada, evaluating the effectiveness of various provincial and municipal regulatory frameworks. It argues that the most protective laws utilize 'white lists' of approved low-risk pesticides, maintain a broad scope of coverage across all landscaping elements, and combine legal prohibitions with robust public education and enforcement. The document highlights significant gaps in jurisdictions like Alberta and British Columbia, while praising the comprehensive approaches of Ontario and Nova Scotia.

The document outlines a carbon offset mechanism designed to allow South African firms to reduce their carbon tax liability by investing in external GHG mitigation projects. It establishes a framework where offsets can provide a tax-free allowance of 5% or 10%, primarily relying on international standards like the CDM, VCS, and Gold Standard. The scheme is restricted to projects located within South Africa and those outside the direct scope of the carbon tax to prevent double counting. Administration is tasked to the Designated National Authority (DNA) within the Department of Energy, supported by an Independent Expert Committee and a national registry to track the transfer and retirement of credits.

The Health Collaborative, representing 15 health organizations, argues that phasing out coal-fired electricity in Canada by 2025 is essential for mitigating climate change and reducing severe public health risks. The document highlights that while coal provided only 10.6% of Canada's electricity in 2014, it accounted for 72% of the sector's greenhouse gas emissions. It details the health benefits of coal closures, citing Ontario's experience where the phase-out led to significant reductions in sulphur dioxide and fine particulate matter, as well as a 23% decrease in air-pollution-related premature deaths in Toronto between 2000 and 2010. The submission also emphasizes the danger of mercury emissions from coal plants, which are linked to neurodevelopmental impacts in children. The authors recommend a complete phase-out by 2025, the development of renewable energy, and the implementation of energy efficiency programs.

The briefing highlights research indicating that global sea levels could rise by several meters within 50 to 150 years if emissions grow, potentially submerging major global cities and displacing 20% of the world's population. It emphasizes that these impacts could occur even if the 2 degree C target is met. For Canada, the document details 2010 emission sources and advocates for a societal transformation, specifically noting that closing coal-fired power plants in Ontario and Alberta provides a rapid pathway for emission reductions and health benefits.

Friends of the Earth has sued the U.S. Coast Guard for failing to provide records of shipping incidents in the Salish Sea from 2009 to 2014. The organization argues that this data is essential for an ongoing vessel traffic risk assessment, particularly as pressure increases to export more oil via the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which could increase tanker traffic from one per week to one per day.

The document highlights a global consensus on the threats of climate change and the necessity of a massive energy transformation to limit temperature rises to below 2°C or 1.5°C. It notes that renewables became the second largest electricity source in 2014 and that costs for solar and wind technologies are falling rapidly. The briefing also emphasizes the health and economic benefits of decarbonization, specifically citing the potential for $300 million in annual health benefits from closing coal plants in Alberta and the growth of Canada's clean energy sector. Finally, it details Canada's 2013 emissions of 726 mega-tonnes and its targets to reduce these to 622 MT by 2020 and 524 MT by 2030.

A consortium of health groups, including the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, recommends that the Government of Canada phase out all coal-fired power plants within ten years. The letter argues that this action would substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide significant public health benefits, citing Ontario's successful phase-out between 2004 and 2014 as a model. The authors note that while Alberta has a phase-out plan for 2030, provinces such as Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia intend to use coal into the 2040s.