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The Waterloo Climate Institute equips municipal leaders with interdisciplinary skills to integrate climate action into infrastructure, planning and decision-making. As extreme weather events escalate across the world, communities are seeking the skills and tools needed to prepare. The University of Waterloo’s Climate Institute empowers business, government and civil society to respond effectively to the climate crisis. Through its new Municipal Climate Adaptation Certificate, the Climate Institute is advancing national climate leadership by helping municipal professionals, elected officials and Indigenous community members respond to climate risks with informed, practical and collaborative action.

Waterloo researchers launch strategies to help businesses plan for and invest in climate resilience.

Around the world, climate and disaster risks are disrupting production, transportation and market access, posing growing challenges for businesses, trade support institutions and governments. Boards and senior executives are increasingly being held accountable for managing climate-related exposures. At the same time, physical climate impacts are already influencing loan pricing, intensifying the financial sector’s direct exposure to climate risk.

From February 2 to 5, 2026, the Climate Institute convened nearly 300 participants for a national virtual forum, Designing Climate-Ready Education for the Next Generation of Professionals. This was the second national forum under the Accelerating Climate Education for the Next Generation of Professionals (ACE) project. 

A new technical brief from the Waterloo Climate Institute is helping Canadian municipalities tackle extreme heat by showing how natural infrastructure can protect public health, reduce climate risks, and boost economic productivity.

N-ZAP has released a new Climate Budgeting Guide designed to support Canadian municipalities and local governments in incorporating climate commitments into decision-making and budget allocation. The new guide makes it easier to use climate budgeting to put climate plans into action.

Amy Hall, a Masters of Climate Change Student interested in nature-based solutions for climate change problems reflects on her experience attending COP 28 virtually. She explores themes of biodiversity and regenerative agriculture as key efforts needed to progress on global climate action goals.

Jose DiBella, Adjunct Assistant Professor in Geography and Environmental Management and Waterloo Climate Institute delegate attended COP28 in Dubai in-person and shares his reflections regarding the success of the proceedings. A sprawling venue and over-subscribed pass system presented barriers for delegates to collaborate, however, Jose DiBella shares that COP28 remains a key element in a transition to low-carbon future 

The first Tourism and Climate Change Stocktake report has been released by the Tourism Panel on Climate Change (TPCC) timed with the UN COP-28 Climate Conference. Its 24 key findings aim to support policymakers and the tourism industry in accelerating planning and investment toward low-carbon and climate-resilient global tourism.

University of Waterloo climate change and sustainable tourism expert Professor Daniel Scott was the co-lead, along with Professor Susanne Becken of Griffith University in Australia. The TPCC is a network of over 60 leading international tourism and climate experts from over 30 countries.

Shahan Salim, a PhD a PhD candidate in the School of Public Health Sciences and a member of the Waterloo Climate Institute’s COP 28 delegation, has designed a platform to use data from low-cost air quality sensors to monitor and predict adverse outcomes related to air pollution exposure in low-income countries.

National Pan-Canadian Expert Collaboration on climate change and clean energy development has just been announced!

Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation and the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change are partners in the collaboration and will work closely with the institute to achieve its objectives. IC3 member and head of the Intact Centre, Blair Feltmate, will be a member of the new institute's Adaptation Expert Panel.