Climate Change Adaptation and Canadian Infrastructure: A review of the literature

This report summarizes current literature dealing with the challenge of adapting to climate change in Canada, with a particular focus on the country's infrastructure.

Published with support from the Cement Association of Canada, the report is intended to serve as a stimulus for further discussion around planned adaptation to climate change in Canada, with a particular focus on ensuring the viability of critical built infrastructure. The report explores climate impacts and risks to key infrastructure by region and by type. It also introduces a number of key policy, regulatory and financial tools for consideration.

The report concludes that:

• Climate change has the potential to substantially affect the lifespan and effectiveness of Canada's infrastructure, particularly our transportation, buildings, marine and water management infrastructure.
• Measures can be taken to limit costs and strengthen the resiliency of infrastructure. The report documents a number of key policy, regulatory and financial tools for consideration.
• While there has been a significant amount of research and planning done, most supporting policies and regulatory changes remain nascent, and investments have not yet fundamentally shifted.
• Recent climate events in Canada and abroad have galvanized calls for action at the local, regional and national levels, providing a key opportunity for industry actors to get engaged in the resiliency conversation now.