Climate Change

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25. Resiliency to the Impacts of Climate Change
26. Climate Resilient Codes and Standards
27. G7 Sustainable Urban Development
28. Housing, Affordability, and Climate

Resiliency to the Impacts of Climate Change

Issue / Question

Infrastructure Canada’s approach to climate change resilience

Suggested response

• The Government of Canada is showing leadership in protecting Canada’s infrastructure, communities and housing from the threats posed by climate change.
• Wildfires and floods displace communities and damage critical infrastructure. Ensuring our infrastructure can withstand the effects of climate change is vital to keeping people safe, maintaining economic growth, and protecting our existing stock of housing.
• Since 2018, we have delivered the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, through which we have approved and announced over $2.45 billion towards 96 public infrastructure projects that will prevent infrastructure failures due to climate change. We also committed to incorporating climate resilience objectives into all our future infrastructure funding programs.
• We are investing in innovative research to develop and update climate-resilient codes, standards, and guidelines so infrastructure built today can withstand climate conditions now and into the future. We are preparing to launch new tools and support services to help communities make climate-smart infrastructure decisions.

Background

• Proactive investments in climate resilient infrastructure are vital to protecting communities as the impacts of climate change become more intense and frequent across the country. Climate resilient infrastructure is built and natural infrastructure assets and systems that are situated, planned, designed, built, operated and maintained to protect communities or to withstand and sustain service in the face of climate change.
• The Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) ($3.8 billion in federal funding over 12 years until 2033) has positioned Infrastructure Canada (INFC) as a major funder for the construction of new public infrastructure and/or modification or reinforcement of existing public infrastructure that prevents, mitigates, or protects against current and future climate-related risks and disasters. DMAF is expected to commit its remaining funding through its most recent intake that closed in July 2023.
• INFC’s Natural Infrastructure Fund was launched in July 2022 to support natural and hybrid infrastructure projects to further Canada’s commitment to climate change resilience while contributing to national biodiversity goals and targets. Projects have been fully assessed and applicants will be informed of the result of the assessments in due course.
• Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy (NAS), released in June 2023, sets forth a shared path for a more climate-resilient Canada. INFC is uniquely positioned to advance the goals and objectives of the NAS as it prepares to deliver its next generation of infrastructure investments, such as: 
  • making sure all infrastructure systems are climate-resilient and undergo continuous adaptation to adjust to future impacts to deliver reliable services to all by 2050; and,
• ensuring all new federal infrastructure investments are informed by resilience objectives to ensure that what we build today can withstand future climate conditions.
• Moving forward, all new INFC investments will apply resilience requirements, such as: resilience assessments; climate-informed design data; and the application of guidelines, standards, and codes according to asset and hazard type.
• INFC is planning to launch a suite of decision-making tools, resources, and support services, including an online open-access climate toolkits platform, to help infrastructure owners and investors develop projects that are resilient to climate change impacts and contribute to Canada’s path to net-zero emissions.

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Climate Resilient Codes and Standards

Issue / Question

Infrastructure Canada’s role in developing codes, standards and guidelines for climate-resilient infrastructure design and builds.

Suggested response

• Housing and infrastructure must be built to last. Using climate-informed codes and standards helps ensure our infrastructure can provide services to Canadians, both now and in the years to come.
• Infrastructure Canada has invested $160 million to support world-leading research that advances climate resilient infrastructure codes, standards, and guidelines in partnership with the National Research Council and the Standards Council of Canada.
• The development and adoption of climate-informed codes and standards needs to be done right and it needs to happen quickly. This requires action by provinces and territories. We encourage them to urgently adopt the latest climate-resilient codes and standards.
• At Infrastructure Canada, we are working to accelerate uptake of climate-resilient codes and standards through our infrastructure programs. All infrastructure projects will need to be designed to the best available climate-informed codes, standards, and guidelines.

Background

• Construction codes are an essential means to incorporate climate considerations into infrastructure design and new builds. While national codes for buildings, fire, plumbing, energy, electricity, and highway bridges have existed for some time, incorporating climate considerations into the codes is relatively new. Developing new national codes requires considerable research, consultation and collaboration and must be adopted by each province and territory. The process starts with research, followed by developing guidance and standards that once demonstrated can be incorporated into a code.
• Many provinces and territories have not yet adopted the latest versions of the building, fire, plumbing, and energy codes, while almost all have adopted the latest electrical and highway bridge design codes. While adoption is lagging, many PTs have committed to expediting the adoption of the 2025 codes, within 18 months of its release, which is anticipated to be early in 2026.  
• Under the Government’s National Adaptation Strategy (NAS), Infrastructure Canada (INFC) has committed to:
  • Incorporating climate resiliency considerations into three national codes by 2026, i.e., national building, electrical, and highway bridge design.
• Ensuring robust guidance, standards, and codes for top climate risks for key public infrastructure systems are available for adaptation by 2030.
• Factoring climate resilience into all new federal infrastructure funding programs starting in 2024.  
• The next versions of the building and highway bridge design codes are expected to include future climate design values to guide climate-resilient infrastructure design.
• INFC has been working with the National Research Council and the Standards Council of Canada to produce the necessary research, guidelines, standards, and codes to factor climate risks into infrastructure design and builds. To date, over 65 climate-informed codes, standards, guidance, and decision-support tools have been produced and another 50 are in development. The standards and guidance will lay the groundwork and provide assurance to support eventual adoption into the national codes.
• While national codes are the ultimate end game, guidelines and standards can impact infrastructure design. For example, INFC provided funding to create the National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires, a comprehensive and practical guide on hazard/exposure assessment, property protection, community resilience and emergency planning. INFC is engaging with PTs to promote voluntary uptake of climate-resilient codes, standards, and guidance as an essential means to reducing climate impacts on communities.

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G7 Sustainable Urban Development

Issue / Question

Canadian involvement in the G7 Sustainable Urban Development agenda.

Suggested response

• Our engagement with G7 partners on supporting better and more sustainable urban planning helps us to stay abreast of innovative and transformative international best practices and share our own with our partners. This collaboration helps us to advance our housing and infrastructure goals for Canadians. 
• Canada will continue to work within and contribute to this forum in 2024 under the Italian presidency, including through the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Sustainable Urban Development from November 17 to 19, in Genoa, Italy.
• Canada will continue its work with other G7 members to share best practices around sustainable urban development. This work aligns directly with the Government of Canada’s commitment to invest in complete, livable, and sustainable communities.

Background

• The former Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Dominic LeBlanc, represented Canada at the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Sustainable Urban Development from July 7-9, 2023, in Takamatsu, Japan. The Meeting consisted of three dedicated sessions on each of the key themes introduced by Japan: net-zero and resilient cities, inclusive cities, digitalization in cities, as well as a special session on Ukraine. Minister LeBlanc shared Canada’s perspectives on each of the key themes and provided a presentation on Canada’s approach to advancing net-zero and resilient cities.
• The G7 Sustainable Urban Development policy track provided Canada with the opportunity to exchange with G7 counterparts and experts from the United Nations (UN)-Habitat, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Urban 7 on key sustainable urban development themes that cut across Infrastructure Canada’s mandate.
• These discussions underscored the value of sustainable urban development and showcased federal policies, programs and investments that support communities across the country. Participation also recognized Canada’s commitment to advance the implementation of existing international frameworks and agreements such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular, Goal 11: to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
• The G7 Sustainable Urban Development policy track is a theme that touches not only on Infrastructure Canada’s mandate, but also the mandate of other federal departments.
• Infrastructure Canada officials continue to work with their G7 counterparts through the Sustainable Urban Development Officials (SUDO7) forum.
• As the 2024 G7 President, Italy has announced that they will hold a Sustainable Urban Development Ministerial Meeting November 17-19, in Genoa, Italy. Canada will continue to work closely with its G7 counterparts in this forum to advance mutual priorities in sustainable urban development. You recently met with your German counterpart, Klara Geywitz, and exchanged best practices and affirmed your support for several elements of the Sustainable Urban Development agenda, notably effective and sustainable urban planning; innovation in housing and urban design and transformative industrial strategies in support of these ends; and promoting more resilient, and inclusive and livable communities. At the same time, you noted that the Canadian G7 Presidency will have its own priority-setting process, with focused priorities, led by Global Affairs Canada.

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Housing, Affordability and Climate

Issue / Question

Infrastructure Canada’s approach to housing, affordability, and climate.

Suggested response

• Housing, affordability and climate are intersecting challenges. Infrastructure Canada is committed to increasing housing supply and improving affordability while reducing emissions and supporting climate resilient communities.
• Investments through the Canada Community-Building Fund ($2.4 billion per year indexed at 2%) and predictable public transit funding (averaging $3 billion per year starting in 2026-27) will support the development of transit-oriented communities, helping to combat congestion and emissions.
• We are also addressing the affordability of existing homes by investing in energy efficient and low-carbon retrofits.
  • The Canada Greener Homes Loan has provided approximately 71,000 interest-free loans to date.
• CMHC’s Canada Greener Affordable Housing program offers low interest‑ and forgivable loans to help affordable housing providers complete deep energy retrofits on multi-residential buildings.

Background

• Increasing the energy efficiency and climate resilience of housing will reduce costs over the life of a building and improve long-term affordability. The cost of electrifying a new single-family home is 1% higher than a natural gas home, and overall will lower energy costs (except in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario where natural gas is currently cheaper). There are also approaches to building multi-unit residential buildings with electric heating that are more cost effective than using natural gas.
• The Government recently announced its Housing Plan that included a proposal to invest $903.5 million in a new Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program to support energy efficient retrofits for low to median income homeowners and renters, to renew and improve existing energy efficiency programs that offer tools to building owners and continue developing national approaches to home energy labelling.
• Investing in transit-oriented communities is an important part of INFC’s approach to addressing housing and climate co-benefits. Transportation was the second largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada (22% in 2021). Investments made through the Canada Community-Building Fund and predictable public transit funding will be leveraged to advance housing outcomes.
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Canada Greener Homes Loan program, launched in June 2022, offers interest-free loans of up to $40,000 for 10 years to help Canadians make their homes energy efficient. To date, $1.67 billion in loan commitments (representing roughly 71,000 loans) have been provided, with an approximate 90,000 loans expected to be committed by end of summer (2024). Approximately, 45% of the committed loans include the installation of a heat pump.
• CMHC’s Canada Greener Affordable Housing provides $1.1 billion in low-interest repayable and forgivable loans to help affordable housing providers complete deep energy retrofits on existing multi-unit buildings through both pre-retrofit funding for planning activities as well as capital costs of retrofits. The program targets deep retrofits, i.e., 70% reduction in energy and 80‑100% reduction in GHG emissions. Following two successful intake windows for pre-retrofit funding where demand far exceeded funding available, CMHC has committed to over 280 projects as part of this offering.  Demand for Retrofit funding has been steadily increasing as proponents complete the pre-retrofit work required to apply and to date CMHC has approved 7 projects for a total of 363 units and $58M in funding.
• In fall 2024, the government intends to release the first phase of the housing design catalogue which will include up to 50 low-rise housing designs — including accessory dwelling units, single-family homes, and multiplexes — for use across Canada. The next phase of the catalogue will include mid-rise and modular designs. The design catalogue initiative will serve as a tool to accelerate housing approvals. It is also an opportunity to help build familiarity and comfort among builders, local governments, and residents with low-carbon innovations in housing design and development.

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