The lesson of the Jasper wildfire is spend less on fighting climate change, more on adapting to its effects

By Blair Feltmate and Anabela Bonada – University of Waterloo
The Globe and Mail
August 1, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

With extreme weather hitting all regions of Canada … Canadians might assume that substantial federal resources have been devoted to preparing for extreme weather. They assume wrong. Environment and Climate Change Canada rolled out a newly minted National Adaptation Strategy in 2023. The NAS presented 26 targets that focus on limiting the impacts of wildfire, flooding and extreme heat. …the problem with the NAS is funding. A good plan, with limited resources, does not go far… Does Canada have the money to finance adaptation? The answer is yes, but this requires rebalancing climate investments. …The federal government spends 22 to 1 on mitigation and adaptation. This ratio is greatly lopsided and explains why funding for adaptation to counter extreme weather is in short supply. Canada must readjust climate financing to make funding for adaptation and mitigation more equitable. …What is the optimal ratio of investment dollars dedicated to mitigation and adaptation? The Insurance Bureau of Canada suggests an amended ratio of 50:50 [A Globe and Mail subscription is required to access the full story]

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