News

The Government of Canada has announced new federal funding of over $585,000 for a research project that will examine how much flooding will cost in the future and how public policy can contribute to Canada’s resilience to climate change. This project, completed as a partnership between l'Université du Québec à Montréal, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), the Université Laval and the University of Waterloo, builds on Dr. Daniel Henstra and Dr. Jason Thistlethwaite’s previous work with Canada's Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has announced $15.8 million to six University of Waterloo research projects to identify solutions to environmental challenges. The research led by seven Waterloo Climate Institute members will support building a sustainable net-zero emissions in Canada by 2050.

From a series of airborne radar surveys and modelling, a team of researchers led by Dr. Christine Dow, professor in the school of Geography and Environmental Management and a Waterloo Climate Institute member, discovered the 460-km river under the Antarctica ice sheet that could be the missing link to climate models. Their findings show the base of the ice sheet has more active water flow than previously thought, which could make it more susceptible to changes in climate.

The High-altitude Aerosols, Water Vapour and Clouds (HAWC) mission received $200 million of Canadian Space Agency (CSA) funding to create transformative new satellite instruments for measuring changes in the atmosphere. Waterloo Climate Institute member, Dr. Chris Fletcher, is part of a scientific consortium developing satellite technology for the mission to better understand climate change and helping pave the way for space-age climate science.

On September 19, the University of Waterloo launched the Sustainable Futures initiative – a collaboration that brings together the Waterloo Climate Institute, the Water institute, and the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy to accelerate holistic approaches to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a focus on the interconnections between energy, climate and water.

Waterloo launches a new initiative to accelerate a sustainable future for the benefit of the environment, the economy, and society. Bringing together the Waterloo Climate Institute, the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Water Institute, the Sustainable Futures initiative will accelerate holistic approaches to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a focus on the interconnections between energy, climate and water.

The Waterloo Climate Institute has ratified a new strategic plan that will chart our course for the next five years. With this new direction, we are pleased to introduce a new logo that reflects the growth of the institute and communicates our collective strengths and purpose.

This summer’s fires, floods and heat waves have reinforced what we already know — the effects of climate change are happening now and the need for action is urgent. But what steps should be taken to mitigate and adapt are often not well understood. This is where the interactive game Illuminate can fill this knowledge gap. Rethinking how youth learn about climate change, the game is aimed at helping students in grades 4 to 12 understand the science, the risks and (most importantly) the solutions to climate change.

Daniel Henstra, Waterloo Climate Institute member, professor in the Department of Political Science and the co-lead of Waterloo’s Climate Risk Research Group will give a keynote address at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference on August 14 to 17. He will speak about building resilience for a future of climate change.

A new study by University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment researchers, Rachael Edwards and her supervisor, Waterloo Climate Institute member Brendon Larson, found there is an increased opportunity for inclusivity in recreation planning for Protected Areas.