Environment and Climate Change Canada
Federal department responsible for weather forecasting, air quality, climate change policy, wildlife and pollution management.
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Cadre pancanadien sur la croissance propre et les changements climatiques : plan canadien de lutte contre les changements climatiques
Le Cadre pancanadien sur la croissance propre et les changements climatiques, lequel constitue le plan du Canada visant à réduire les émissions dans tous les secteurs de l’économie, à stimuler la croissance économique propre et à accroître la résilience aux répercussions des changements climatiques. Il s’agit du premier plan de lutte contre les changements climatiques de l’histoire du Canada comprenant les engagements collectifs et individuels des gouvernements fédéral, provinciaux et territoriaux, et ayant été élaboré en collaboration avec des représentants nationaux des Premières Nations, des Inuits et de la Nation métisse, le grand public, les ONG et les entreprises.
Drivers and Impacts of the Record-Breaking 2023 Wildfire Season in Canada
The 2023 wildfire season in Canada was unprecedented in its scale and intensity, spanning from mid-April to late October and across much of the forested regions of Canada. Here, we summarize the main causes and impacts of this exceptional season. The record-breaking total area burned (~15 Mha) can be attributed to several environmental factors that converged early in the season: early snowmelt, multiannual drought conditions in western Canada, and the rapid transition to drought in eastern Canada. Anthropogenic climate change enabled sustained extreme fire weather conditions, as the mean May–October temperature over Canada in 2023 was 2.2 °C warmer than the 1991–2020 average. The impacts were profound with more than 200 communities evacuated, millions exposed to hazardous air quality from smoke, and unmatched demands on fire-fighting resources. The 2023 wildfire season in Canada not only set new records, but highlights the increasing challenges posed by wildfires in Canada.
Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change : Canada's plan to address climate change and grow the economy
The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change is Canada’s plan to reduce emissions across all sectors of the economy, stimulate clean economic growth and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. It is the first climate change plan in Canada’s history to include collective and individual commitments by federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and to have been developed through engagement with national representatives of First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation, the general public, NGOs and businesses.
The 2023 wildfire season in Québec: an overview of extreme conditions, impacts, lessons learned, and considerations for the future
The 2023 wildfire season in Québec set records due to extreme warm and dry conditions, burning 4.5 million hectares and indicating persistent and escalating impacts associated with climate change. This study reviews the unusual weather conditions that led to the fires, discussing their extensive impacts on the forest sector, fire management, boreal caribou habitats, and particularly the profound effects on First Nation communities. To mitigate future extreme wildfire seasons, the study suggests changes in forest management practices to increase forest resilience and resistance, adapting industrial structures to changes in wood type harvested, and enhancing fire suppression and risk management strategies. It calls for a comprehensive, unified approach to risk management that incorporates the lessons learned from the 2023 fire season and accounts for ongoing climate change. The study underscores the urgent need for detailed planning and proactive measures to reduce the growing risks and impacts of wildfires in a changing climate.