Canada supporting developing countries to adapt to climate change at COP27

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

News release

November 12, 2022 – Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

As the costs of climate change increase, so does the need for countries to be prepared, which is why Canada is taking action on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction both at home and abroad.

Today on Adaptation and Agriculture Day at COP27, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, highlighted Canada’s efforts to address the effects of climate change and support developing countries that often face the worst of its impacts. Canada’s climate finance helps low- and middle-income countries affected by climate change transition to sustainable, low-carbon, climate-resilient, nature-positive, and inclusive development.

Under Canada’s $5.3 billion international climate finance commitment, Minister Guilbeault, on behalf of the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, reiterated today Canada’s intention to fund a new $10 million initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that aims to promote climate-smart agriculture and agriculture biodiversity practices to help rural communities in Aswan, Beheira, and Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt, expand their capacity to adapt to climate change.

Canada recently committed $10 million to support the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative. This is part of Canada’s renewed commitment to help build and improve early warning systems in developing countries. By providing funding to the CREWS initiative, Canada is helping countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate and weather-related disasters gain access to authoritative weather and climate information and services. The funding will support the development of early warning systems to avert, minimize, and address loss and damage.

Today’s announcement builds on Canada’s commitment to allocate a minimum of forty percent of its $5.3 billion in international climate finance to adaptation and helping developing countries build resilience to climate-change impacts.

Canada also announced that we are joining the LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (LIFE-AR) that is putting people and communities at the center of climate adaptation efforts. Locally based and gender balanced initiatives such as this are at the core of Canada's approach to climate finance.

At home, the Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, and other key partners and experts to develop Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy. The Strategy is a whole-of-society blueprint for adaptation action, designed to establish common objectives and measure progress by setting clear targets for collective action to limit the effects of climate change throughout Canada.

Quotes

“Climate change is the biggest long-term threat of our generation and is affecting the frequency, duration, and intensity of severe weather events worldwide. Our investments in these important adaptation initiatives will help some of the world’s most vulnerable and at-risk populations. As climate-change impacts and extreme weather become an ever-increasing part of our lives, it is critical that we take urgent action. That is why the Government of Canada has made adaptation and climate resilience a priority.”

– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“Canada continues to take action to assist developing countries transition to climate resilient economies and societies. Through our international climate finance support, Canada is helping protect lives and livelihoods beyond our borders. We recognize that climate change and biodiversity loss do not respect borders, and that African countries, like Egypt, are at particular risk to their impacts.”

– The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

Quick facts

  • Investments thr ough Canada’s $5.3 billion international climate finance for developing countries from 2021–2026 will focus on clean energy transition and coal phase-out, climate-smart agriculture and food systems, nature-based solutions and biodiversity, and climate governance.

  • Prime Minister Trudeau first announced the renewed contribution of $10 million for CREWS at the United National General Assembly in September 2022.

  • To date, Canada’s funding for CREWS has supported projects in the Caribbean, Pacific, and Southeast Asia.

  • Canada’s contributions to CREWS helped thirty-five countries strengthen their early warning systems’ capacity. Of these, fourteen countries developed national strategies and frameworks for weather, water, and climate services, and more than 150 national meteorological and hydrological staff were trained in a wide range of areas, including impact-based forecasting, severe weather, flash floods, common alerting protocol, regional climate data, and analysis and projections.

  • Canada joined the Champions Group on Adaptation Finance in June 2022. The Champions Group is committed to working with developing countries to accelerate and improve access to adaptation finance.

  • Canada joins the US, Norway, Italy, the UK, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Finland, Denmark, and Austria in the Partnership Compact for the Least Developed Countries (LDC) 2050 Vision, in support of the LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (LIFE-AR). Canada will be hosting Adaptation Futures, the largest dedicated adaptation event in the world, in October 2023 in Montréal. It will attract leading decision‑makers, policy‑makers, scientists, and practitioners from across the globe to share knowledge on adaptation challenges and opportunities.

  • In Canada, insured losses for catastrophic weather events have tripled to more than $18 billion in the last three decades. Every dollar spent on adaptation measures saves $13 to $15, including direct and indirect economy-wide benefits.

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Contacts

Kaitlin Power
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
819-230-1557
Kaitlin.Power@ec.gc.ca

Media Relations
Environment and Climate Change Canada
819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
media@ec.gc.ca

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Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Facebook page

Haley Hodgson
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development
Haley.Hodgson@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
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