Changes To Canada’s Climate Now ‘Irreversible,’ Federal Report Says

A new government report says the impacts of climate change in Canada are now largely irreversible and average temperatures are expected to rise by at least 3.5 C by the end of the century.

The report is the second released by Environment and Climate Change Canada examining changes to Canada’s climate and was authored by nearly two dozen government and climate science experts.

It says even if the world reaches net-zero emissions by 2075, Canada will see nearly a 50 per cent increase in the area burned by wildfires, and glaciers in Western Canada are expected to lose more than 75 per cent of their mass.

Under current policies, average temperatures in Canada are expected to rise five degrees by the year 2100, with a 50 per cent chance winter temperatures will increase by more than 10 C in much of Nunavut.

Ryan Ness, the adaptation research director at the Canadian Climate Institute, says Canada is falling behind on adaptation work to prepare for these changes.

He says the country needs to do more to protect communities from the increased risk of wildfires and floods in the years to come.