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CLIMATE RESILIENT EDMONTON ADAPTATION STRATEGY AND ACTION PLANintroductionOur climate is already changing, both globally and locally. It’s affecting ourweather, environment, economy and health. Unless significant global efforts toreduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions occur, climate change will have seriousand continued impacts on Edmonton.more variable extreme weather events, and anoverall warmer and drier climate (see Chapter 3).Without action, these impacts can exacerbateexisting climate pressures on our economic, social,infrastructure, and environmental systems.The good news is that we can position ourselvesto be better able to withstand and adapt to thesechanges. We can create and follow a pathway thatwill help us manage the risks of climate change. Wecan increase our knowledge, adjust our lifestyles andadapt to changes that have already taken place. Thisdocument—Climate Resilient Edmonton: AdaptationStrategy and Action Plan—will help set Edmonton onthis path so that we can be prepared for and respondto anticipated climate change impacts.While climate change efforts are underway at bothnational and provincial levels, cities are often leadersin climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives.Edmonton is one of those cities. The City of Edmontonis already in the process of implementing ourCommunity Energy Transition Strategy, which aimsto reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Edmonton.Our Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategyand Action Plan is complementary to those efforts.It’s also part of City Council’s Initiative on EnergyTransition and Climate Resilience and the City ofEdmonton’s overall leadership on climate changeissues. The plan focuses on understanding how theclimate impacts we are already experiencing mayshift in the future due to ongoing climate change.It looks at what this means for our community andprovides insight into how we can build resilience forthose impacts.There is international recognition that climate changeis an urgent threat and that global pursuits are neededto reduce GHG emissions and limit global warming.Ninety-seven percent of actively publishing climatescientists agree that the world is experiencing achange in climate caused by humans (Cook et al.2016). Historical climate records also show the worldis warming at unprecedented rates. These climaterecords indicate that Edmonton is warming at a fasterrate than the global average. Scientists predict thatEdmonton will be exposed to higher temperatures,drier summers, more extreme precipitation events,How will Edmonton adapt to these effects of climatechange? We need to work towards becoming aclimate resilient city—a city in which our institutions,communities, businesses, and individuals have thecapacity to function, survive, adapt and thrive inresponse to any sudden and short disruption theymay experience. This plan will guide us, through itspaths, goals, strategies and actions.In 2016, we began an investigation to understandhow Edmonton’s climate has already changed andhow it might change in the future. We conducted anEdmonton-specific climate risk and vulnerabilityassessment. We also determined the potential risksand opportunities these changes could presentfor our communities. Climate Resilient Edmonton:Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan is the result ofthis work. With its foundation in science and evidence,it sets a pathway towards climate resilience. It’s ourway towards a bright future as we face the effects ofclimate change.As part of our research and knowledge gathering, wespoke with Edmontonians. They told us that they’reworried about the changing climate—a 2018 poll ofresidents indicates that 73% are concerned aboutclimate change and 72% think that we need to actnow to respond to climate change. Our residents arecritical to helping us become more adaptable andresilient, which is why we included their opinions informing a vision for our strategy.We also consulted with other stakeholders andsubject matter experts to develop this plan. Theknowledge these experts shared with us formed animportant part of our learning and evidence gatheringprocess.PAGE 1

In 2018, Edmonton hosted the first everIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC)Cities and Climate Change Science Conference. Theevent established a global research agenda focusedon the science of cities and climate change. Thisongoing research and knowledge sharing betweenworld-wide cities will help inform future versions ofthis document.The Change for Climate Global Mayors Summit washeld alongside the conference. There, the EdmontonDeclaration was developed. It recognizes the expertconsensus that cities, towns and regions must play acentral role in adapting to and mitigating the effects ofclimate change to reduce GHG emissions, given thatmore than half of the world’s population live in urbanareas and produce more than 70% of energy-relatedGHG emissions. The Edmonton Declaration calls uponcities to take bold action on climate change. To date,over 3,000 cities have endorsed the declaration. Thisstrategy delivers on adaptation commitments fromthe Edmonton Declaration.Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategy andAction Plan is Edmonton’s Climate Change AdaptationPlan under section 615.5 of the City Charter. Thestrategy outlines how the City of Edmonton will planand invest resources to increase our communities’climate resilience, minimize the exposure of peopleand assets to the impacts of climate change, andtake advantage of new opportunities as they arise.It begins with an examination of climate changeadaptation and leads into an outline of the methodsEdmonton used for its adaptation planning. Anoverview of Edmonton-specific climate changescience and a brief discussion on the primary impactsthat predicted climate changes will have on Edmontonfollows. It’s capped with a synopsis of the adaptationactions needed to respond to those impacts.This document represents the first iteration ofEdmonton’s climate change adaptation journey. Itwill be a living document, to be revisited and updatedas new information becomes available and asadaptation planning and actions evolve. We inviteevery Edmontonian to join us on the path towardsEdmonton’s climate change adaptation and resilience.Qualities of a Resilient City(100 Resilient Cities)REFLECTIVE:FLEXIBLE:INCLUSIVE:People and institutions reflectand learn from past experiencesand leverage this learning toinform decision making.Refers to the willingness andability to adopt alternativestrategies in response tochanging circumstancesor sudden crises. This canbe achieved through newknowledge and technologies.Inclusive processes emphasizethe need for broad consultationand many views to create asense of shared ownershipof a joint vision to build cityresilience.RESOURCEFULNESS:Integrated processes bringtogether and align city systemsto promote consistencyin decision making andinvestments. Exchangeof information betweencomponents of the systemenables them to functioncollaboratively and respondrapidly.ROBUSTNESS:Urban physical assets aredesigned, constructed andmaintained in anticipation ofhigh-impact climate events.REDUNDANCY:Spare capacity is built intothe system to account fordisruptions and surges indemand. It also involvesmultiple ways of fulfillinga need or function.Citizens and institutions areaware of climate risks, able toadapt to shocks and stressesand can quickly respond to achanging environment.PAGE 2INTEGRATED:

CLIMATE RESILIENT EDMONTON ADAPTATION STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN1climate changeadaptation andresilience inthe edmontoncontextPAGE 3

1CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE IN THE EDMONTON CONTEXTClimate Change Adaptationand Resilience in theEdmonton ContextThe Earth’s climate is changing. While it has changed throughout the history of theplanet, the current rate of change is unprecedented (IPCC Fifth Assessment Report,Summary for Policymakers 2014). The earth’s temperature has risen approximately1.1 degrees Celsius ( C) since the late 1800s (NASA 2018). Most of the warming hasoccurred in the past 35 years. This warming trend is projected to continue throughoutthe next century onwards. The effects of global climate change can be seen in thewarming and acidification of oceans in addition to sea level rise; shrinking of icesheets and glacial retreat; decreased snow cover; and changes in the frequencyand intensity of extreme events (NASA 2018).Organizations and governments worldwide can take“mitigation” and “adaptation” actions in response toclimate change. Mitigation refers to actions taken toaddress the causes of climate change, namely actionsto reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases inthe atmosphere. Adaptation refers to actions taken toaddress the impacts of climate change and to respondto the local risks and opportunities climate changemay bring. The City of Edmonton’s CommunityEnergy Transition Strategy, passed unanimouslyby City Council and currently being implemented, isthe path forward for Edmonton to mitigate climatechange and reduce greenhouse gas emissionsproduced by our community. Climate ResilientEdmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan, setsa path to respond to the impacts Edmonton will facefrom a changing climate.typically have many of the planning and policy toolsavailable to address climate change impacts such asland use planning and zoning, design guidelines forinfrastructure and development, and emergencymanagement.While this adaptation strategy and action planfocuses on impacts to Edmonton, the City ofEdmonton recognizes that global climate changescould have specific impacts on Edmonton. Forexample these changes could impact the global foodsystem and increase climate migration. Determiningwhat these impacts might be will require furtherdetailed studies than what was conducted to informthis strategy. This strategy focuses on local impacts,but it will be important going forward to monitorglobal trends and gain a better understanding ofwhat global impacts will mean for Edmonton.While climate change is a global issue, impacts arebeing felt at a local scale and will differ depending onthe local context. To be successful climate changeadaptation efforts must be taken at a local scale,including government action. Local governmentsPAGE 4

CLIMATE RESILIENT EDMONTON ADAPTATION STRATEGY AND ACTION PLANMITIGATION AND ADAPTATION DIAGRAMGREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONSCAUSE CLIMATE CHANGEMITIGATIONaction to reduceemissions thatcause climatechangeEnergy Transition Strategy and CivicOperations Greenhouse Gas ManagementPlanADAPTATIONaction to managethe risks ofclimate changeimpactsCLIMATE CHANGEIMPACTS EDMONTONClimate Resilient Edmonton:Adaptation Strategy and Action PlanPAGE 5

2METHODS2methodsPAGE 6

CLIMATE RESILIENT EDMONTON ADAPTATION STRATEGY AND ACTION PLANmethods: OverviewClimate change adaptation planning is complex, and requires analysis of climatescience and research as well as expertise in analyzing climate change impacts. The Cityof Edmonton has followed adaptation planning best practices including methodologyand commitments from the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives(ICLEI) Canada’s Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities program and the GlobalCovenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Edmonton has taken a broad approachin developing a climate change adaptation strategy for the community, including bothCity-owned and community assets and services. Table 1 identifies the asset and servicearea themes and descriptions included in this strategy development.TABLE 1. ASSET AND SERVICE AREA THEMES AND DEFINITIONSAsset and ServiceArea ThemeAsset and Service Area DescriptionPeopleHealth and Safety: The physical and mental health of Edmontonians, includingmortality (premature death) and morbidity (injuries, illnesses/disease, stressand anxiety) outcomes.Community and Culture: Heritage, cultural, amenity (including recreation) andplace-making (including access to food, education, transport, medical services)aspects of the community that affect the well-being or quality of life ofresidents.Emergency Management: The organization and management of resourcesand roles for dealing with all aspects of emergencies including preparedness,response and recovery (e.g. fire, ambulance, police, etc.).FoodThe growing of food and raising of animals for food and other uses within andaround the city, including related activities such as the production and deliveryof inputs and the processing and marketing of products, where relevant.WaterStormwater: The stormwater management system, including roads andsidewalks, stormwater pipes and natural drainage areas.Drinking Water: the withdrawal and treatment of raw water, and the supply ofpotable water to industrial, commercial and residential end-users.Wastewater: The collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater.PAGE 7

2METHODSInfrastructureBuildings and Property: Commercial, residential, industrial and public buildings(schools, hospitals, recreation facilities, etc.), as well as land and property.Waste Management: The collection, treatment and disposal of solid waste,including recycling facilities and landfills.Roads: The road network (including highways and bridges).Rail: The light rail transit (LRT) network.Air: Edmonton International Airport.Active Transportation: Biking and walking trails and infrastructure.Information and Communications Technology: Information and communicationsinfrastructure, including telephone lines, cable, fibre-optics and relatedinfrastructure.Electricity: The electricity system, including transmission lines, substationsand distribution lines.Fuel Supply: Infrastructure to support the supply of light and heavy fuel oils.PlacesNatural Environment: Natural areas such as the urban forest in the river valley,manicured parks, trees, terrestrial habitats and ecosystems, aquatic habitatsand ecosystems, air quality and soil quality.Built Environment: The planning and design of the city.EconomySmall, medium and large enterprises in both goods producing (e.g., construction,manufacturing) and service producing (e.g., finance, banking, insurance and realestate, wholesale and retail trade, tourism, etc.) sectors of the local economy.PAGE 8

CLIMATE RESILIENT EDMONTON ADAPTATION STRATEGY AND ACTION PLANPHASE 1PHASE 2PHASE ’s Science and Evidence Based Approach Engaging various local and regional stakeholdersand subject matter experts at more than tenDue to the important and complex nature ofthis work, community stakeholder and partnerperspectives were needed to steer this work.The City of Edmonton partnered with communitystakeholders in the development of Climate ResilientEdmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan,using a multi-stakeholder approach to climatechange adaptation planning. This included: A strategy stakeholder committee made up ofsubject matter experts who represented thestrategy’s asset and service areas themes. Thecommittee was formed at the beginning of thiswork and met throughout the planning process toprovide input, analysis and subject matter advice onall aspects of the work.workshops to assess the levels of risks andvulnerabilities that climate change may have onidentified asset and service areas. Conducting an economic analysis to provide anunderstanding of an overall measure of economiccost of climate change to Edmonton, in the absenceof additional planned adaptation. Hosting a workshop to identify potential economicopportunities that may arise for Edmonton becauseof climate change. Learning from the first ever IPCC Cities and ClimateChange Science conference. Over 50 organizations participated by sharingtheir knowledge and expertise in assessing climatechange risks and opportunities. Partnering with the City of Calgary to commissiona series of papers to understand the qualities ofclimate resilient cities.Edmonton’s adaptation strategy development can begrouped into three phases: investigation, directionsetting and taking action. Conducting climate change adaptation andresilience case studies.INVESTIGATION PHASEThis phase involved identifying pathways to a climateresilient Edmonton. It was informed by the knowledgegained and evidence gathered in the investigationphase, as well as through direction from other keyguiding work, including:This phase involved research and analysis, including: Conducting a current state assessment ofEdmonton’s level of risk to current climateconditions using the C40 Cities Climate LeadershipGroup’s climate hazard taxonomy. Understanding how Edmonton’s climate haschanged over the past 100 years. Developing future climate change projections andscenarios (see Chapter 3). Assessing Edmonton’s climate change risks andvulnerabilities (see Chapter 4).DIRECTION SETTING PHASE The City of Edmonton Charter Regulation whichrequires the City to establish, review and updatea plan for adapting to the effects of climatechange. The climate change adaptation plan mustbe based on an assessment of the exposure, riskand vulnerability of systems within Edmonton toeffects of climate change over the short, mediumand long term.PAGE 9

2METHODS The Edmonton Declaration, which commits localgovernments (from an adaptation perspective) to:reviewed and updated at least every five years,to ensure that the best available science andevidence is being used in adaptation planning.Ongoing measurement and reporting of Edmonton’svulnerabilities is required to assess the success ofadaptation actions and to determine any changesto vulnerabilities. A monitoring plan and evaluationprocess that reviews the implementation andprogress of Climate Resilient Edmonton: AdaptationStrategy and Action Plan will be developed.» Undertake climate risk and vulnerabilityassessments to guide their planning andinvestment decision, increase climate resilienceand minimize the exposure of people and assetsto the impacts of climate change.» Establish formal, science-based policy anddecision-making processes within theirorganizations. Edmonton’s 2050 Vision and Council’s StrategicPlan (2019-2028), which contains the climateresilient goal:» Edmonton is a city transitioning to a low-carbonfuture, has clean air and water and is adapting to achanging climate. Public input to further define a vision for a climateresilient Edmonton.City staff and key collaborators were consulted todevelop the action plan and the strategy stakeholdergroup was engaged to evaluate identified actions. Themain output of this phase of work is this document.TAKING ACTION PHASEThis phase will be the ongoing implementation ofthe work to date. To be successful, implementationwill require engagement with residents andimplementation partners. The strategy will beAs part of the science and evidence based approach,several climate variables and associated impactswere considered in the assessment. Two types ofclimate related impacts were included in Edmonton’sassessment: sudden onset and slow onset. Suddenonset are discrete, short term events that typicallylast minutes, hours, or days (UNFCCC 2012). Theseevents already occur, however climate change isaltering their frequency, intensi

plan will help to provide citizens with a sense of security that leadership is committed to addressing future changes in climate, even in times of uncertainty. Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan is the first climate change resilience plan for Edmonton. Due to the complex nature of this strategy,