Backgrounder: Update on Federal Climate Change Adaptation Actions

Across the country, communities need new infrastructure to grow, build more homes, and enable economic growth. By ensuring Canadians today and tomorrow have a safe and affordable place to live near work, and have a fast and affordable ways to get to work, we can make our communities more liveable. Fairness for every generation also means creating new opportunities in communities historically left behind—namely Indigenous communities—to ensure they can benefit from all of Canada’s potential.

A big part of making communities more liveable is helping Canadians who are experiencing record-breaking climate events including devastating wildfires and floods. The federal government recognizes the urgent need for even greater action to help Canadians adapt and build climate resilience.

In June 2023, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, released Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy (NAS).

To outline its role in implementing the NAS, the federal government released the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan (GOCAAP). It provides detail on over 70 federal climate change adaptation actions with investments of $6.6 billion since 2015. This includes $2.1 billion since fall 2022 to implement the NAS.

For example, as of May 2024, the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) has committed a total of $2.5 billion for 96 built and natural infrastructure projects across the country that help communities better prepare for, and withstand, the potential impacts of natural disasters, prevent infrastructure failures and protect Canadians.

The Government of Canada continues to take action on adaptation, including on addressing the most significant risks facing Canadians and communities, such as wildfires, flooding and extreme weather events.

Specifically, Budget 2024 proposed several new and renewed initiatives to address key climate risks including:

• Providing $145.2 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, for Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to work with First Nations to develop greater climate resiliency and deploy structural mitigation strategies that protect communities, homes, and essential infrastructure from climate disasters.
• Providing $15 million to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in 2025-26 to advance implementation of a national flood insurance program by 2025; and
• Providing $6.9 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $1.4 million ongoing for the Meteorological Service of Canada’s early warning system for extreme weather events, with a focus on floods and storm surges.

Recognizing the importance of leading by doing, the Government of Canada has also recently updated its Greening Government Strategy to increase the ambition and timelines by which federal departments are required to enhance their climate resilience, and to include climate resilience considerations in the procurement of high-value and critical goods and services.

Other key investments in climate change adaptation include:

• $530 million for the Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative, as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund, which is providing funding for community-based adaptation projects.
• $285 million for the Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative, which is supporting activities to transform the way Canada manages wildland fire.
• $3.8 billion, since 2018, to the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, which continues to invest in projects that help communities better prepare for, and withstand, the potential impacts of natural disasters, prevent infrastructure failures, and help keep Canadians safe.

The federal government is committed to realizing a climate resilient future by taking proactive action to protect all people living in Canada.

For more information, visit National Adaptation Strategy and Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan.