The federal government announced over $7 million in funding for 12 climate-related projects across British Columbia.
Speaking in Port Coquitlam Thursday, Canada’s minister of energy and natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, says the projects come as part of a national $6.5 billion climate adaptation strategy, including a $41 million investment into climate-resilient coastal communities.
Wilkinson first announced the allocation of $1.4 million to develop a climate adaptation plan for the Port of Vancouver.
“As a Vancouverite, I know how central the port is for a local economy and the jobs that it supports, and we must ensure that, long term, its infrastructure and operations can withstand the effects of more extreme weather,” the minister said.
“When supply chains are disrupted due to the impacts of climate change, costs go up, and that impacts everyone.”
He explained that climate change is costing the average Canadian household $700 every year through higher grocery prices, supply chain disruptions, rising home insurance premiums, and local tax hikes to pay for disaster recovery.
In Abbotsford, the emergency planning secretariat will receive nearly $1.8 million to address the risk of flooding, sea-level rise, and erosion.
“When emergencies happen, it is important that local leaders, very much including First Nations, have the resources they need to act quickly in coordination with each other and with various orders of government.
ICLEI, a sustainability NGO, has also been awarded $1.6 million to address the risk of flooding, extreme weather, and sea-level rise on the southern coast of B.C.
“Those of us who have first-hand experience with the damage that climate change is causing our communities right here and right now, are tragically familiar with the danger it poses to our communities, our children, our economy,” said Wilkinson.
The minister made reference to the atmospheric river storm that rolled over coastal B.C. in mid-October, claiming four lives, flooding homes, and damaging local infrastructure.
“We are long past the point where it can be reasonably viewed as a political or a partisan issue.”
A complete list of the 12 projects can be found on the Natural Resources Canada website.