The federal government’s approach to safeguard over $100 billion worth of critical infrastructure from the detrimental effects of climate change is facing significant deficiencies, particularly with three key departments lagging behind. Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Jerry V. DeMarco, conducted an audit of the federal government’s Greening Government Strategy, concluding that urgent action is needed to protect federal assets and services as Canada experiences warming at a rate double the global average.
The audit revealed that a considerable number of the federal government’s 1,623 critical assets, including bridges, buildings, vehicles, and harbors, are at high risk due to the impact of climate change. However, only a small fraction of the assets identified as vulnerable have climate resilience plans in place, with only three percent having such strategies implemented.
Launched in 2017, the Greening Government Strategy aims to achieve net-zero government emissions by 2050 while enhancing climate resilience by 2035. The strategy involves evaluating department-controlled assets for vulnerability to climate change and implementing measures to strengthen them against climate-related challenges such as extreme weather events, wildfires, and natural disasters.
Despite the oversight provided by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the audit highlighted significant gaps in ensuring government departments implement climate resilience strategies. The audit specifically scrutinized the performance of key departments, National Defence, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which collectively own 67 percent of federal assets. Although risk assessments were conducted on vulnerable assets, proactive measures to enhance resilience were lacking.
Moreover, the audit found that since the initiation of the Greening Government Strategy, no dedicated funding had been allocated by the Treasury Board to support climate resilience activities within departments and agencies. The lack of interim targets, outdated guidance, and incomplete tools hindered progress monitoring and led to varying approaches by departments, impeding the overall advancement of climate resilience initiatives.
The audit emphasized the importance of timely progress in climate resilience efforts, citing potential annual damage costs to government infrastructure due to climate change, estimated to be between $3 billion and $8 billion by 2030 and potentially reaching $6.2 billion to $13.5 billion by 2050. Delays in proactive measures could significantly escalate costs to Canadian society as climate-related events become more frequent and severe.