News

On November 24, the Government of Canada released Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy: Building Resilient Communities and a Strong Economy. They also announced an investment of $1.6 billion in new federal funding commitments to help increase adaptation efforts. Six Waterloo Climate Institute members played an invaluable role in the creation of the strategy, participating in four of the five expert advisory tables.

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.

Waterloo COP27 delegate, Alexandra Ho, has returned from Egypt and provides insight into the shifting conversation dynamics, trending topics and priorities that she witnessed at this year’s climate change negotiations. She shares her reflection and key takeaways, and reminds us of the humanity and connection centered in the work of pursuing a net-zero future.

As the negotiations have wrapped up, we look back on three significant contributions by Waterloo Climate Institute members at COP27 including accelerating climate resilient tourism, advancing insights in climate law and governance, and launching evidence for action on peatland conservation, restoration, and management. 

At the fall 2022 Climate Change Hackathon, seven interdisciplinary student teams presented solutions to climate change problem spaces at the final pitch competition. The teams were mentored by Waterloo Climate Institute members Dr. Juan Moreno-Cruz, Dr. Marta Berbés-Blázquez, and Dr. Joyce Kim, including the winning team H2GRO who secured the top prize of $5,000!

From November 6-18, the world will come together in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for the international climate change negotiations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) annual Conference of the Parties (COP). Before the University’s COP27 delegation departs, the Waterloo Climate Institute held an in-person discussion with them to reflect on the crucial issues that need to be tackled, Canada’s role in the negotiations, and what outcomes they hope to witness and achieve.

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.

Under the banner of Waterloo’s new Sustainable Futures initiative, the Waterloo Climate Institute (WCI), Water Institute (WI), and Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) are looking for emerging top scholars to work across the institutes on interdisciplinary research at the cross-section of climate change, energy and water. If you are interested in joining our team, please submit a short expression of interest along with an up-to-date CV by November 7, 2022. Top candidates will be endorsed by one or more of the executive directors of the three institutes, who will work with you to apply to the Provost’s Program for Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars ahead of the December 1, 2022 deadline.

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.