The University of Waterloo Climate Institute brings together the research community and partners to advance strategic research and capacity building priorities at the local, national, and international scales. Our work empowers business, government and civil society to respond effectively to the climate crisis.
Based at the University of Waterloo, the Climate Institute harnesses a unique combination of strengths and depth of expertise to enhance the impact and excellence of innovative interdisciplinary research and education, and to deal head-on with the complexity and interconnectedness of social, political and technological dimensions of climate change.
Our key focus areas:
RESEARCH
Strategic research development and management across priority research areas (deep decarbonization and sustainability transitions, climate risks, resilience and adaptation; and climate science, modelling and observation).
TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING
Supporting climate action through targeted professional development opportunities and the integration of climate education in academic programs.
KNOWLEDGE SHARING
Informing decision makers in policy, practice and innovation through tailored reports, briefs, facilitated workshops, data visualization, media engagement, and partnerships.
Learn more about the work at the Waterloo Climate Institute:
Municipal Climate Adaptation Certificate
Discover the Waterloo Climate Institute's new professional development opportunity, the Municipal Climate Adaptation Certificate. This forward-thinking initiative is funded by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and is designed specifically for municipal staff who are looking to strengthen their climate resilience skills.
News
New Policy Brief Calls for Action to Protect Ontario’s Christmas Tree Industry from Climate Change Risks
A new policy brief from the Waterloo Climate Institute and the Christmas Tree Lab, led by Prof. Kelsey Leonard, highlights the need for climate resilience measures for Ontario’s Christmas tree industry. To ensure the industry’s long-term sustainability, the brief proposes five key action areas for all levels of government: upholding cultural heritage, aligning crop insurance policies to tree farming, addressing climate-driven pests and diseases, integrating Christmas tree farms into climate policy, and promoting post-holiday tree recycling.
Building Ontario’s Climate Resilience: Insights from the 2024 Ontario Climate Risk Workshop
The Ontario Climate Risk Workshop, held on October 30–31, 2024, brought together a diverse group of voices, including academics, government officials, private sector representatives, Indigenous leaders, NGOs, and community members, to collaborate and identify localized solutions for addressing climate risk.
Simron Singh Launches New International Research Network on Industrial Ecology with University of Augsburg
The Waterloo Climate Institute is pleased to highlight member Prof. Simron Singh’s recent collaboration with the University of Augsburg in establishing a new international research network that aims to develop innovative strategies for climate adaptation.
Events
Hurricanes and earthquakes: An interdisciplinary, systems approach to understanding and managing disaster risk
On November 13th, SYDE will be hosting Prof. Rachel Davidson here at the University of Waterloo. Prof. Davidson is a core member of the Delaware Disaster Research Center, the first center dedicated to the study of disasters in the world.
Teaching with Climate Insight: Integrating Climate-Ready Housing and Infrastructure into your Curriculum
Join the Waterloo Climate Institute and ICLEI Canada’s Sheri Young for an interactive virtual tour of climateinsight.ca — a groundbreaking platform for exploring climate-ready housing and infrastructure across Canada.