Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Adapting to climate change faster will save Canada billions, new analysis says

Share
OTTAWA -

A new climate report warns that Canadians will see lower incomes and a choice between higher taxes or fewer government services if there isn't more effort to adapt to the changing climate.

its analysis of the costs of a changing climate suggest severe weather will cost $5 billion a year in direct damages by 2025 and $17 billion by 2050.

Those figures balloon when you add in economic losses when severe weather forces businesses to close, washed out roads and railways disrupt supply chains or extreme heat curbs productivity.

The report suggests that by 2025, severe weather will take a $25 billion bite out of the economy, and between $78 billion and $101 billion by 2050.

But adaptation research director Ryan Ness says that is only if governments don't do more to both cut greenhouse emissions and ramp up investments to make the country more resilient to severe weather.

The report says every dollar invested in adapting to climate change can save $5 to $6 in direct damage costs and another $6 to $10 in economic disruptions.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.