Today, Environment Minister Mary Polak joined 17 jurisdictions from around the world at the UN climate change conference in Paris, France to sign on to the newly established RegionsAdapt Initiative.

The initiative, created by the State of Rio de Janeiro and the Government of Catalonia, commits governments to:

• Adopt a strategic approach to adaptation and prioritize adaptation actions;
• Take concrete actions on adaptation in at least one of the key priority areas identified in the region; and
• Report data on the progress of the adaptation actions on an annual basis through the Compact of States and Regions reporting platform.

British Columbia’s Adaptation Strategy is helping the Province make smarter investments in natural resources and infrastructure in anticipation of further climate change.

The Province is working with other governments across Canada and on the Pacific Coast through the Pacific Coast Collaborative to better understand the impacts of climate change on the region.

View B.C.’s Adaptation Strategy at: http://ow.ly/Vlurn

Quotes:

Mary Polak, Environment Minister –

“I am pleased to sign the RegionsAdapt Initiative on behalf of the Province of British Columbia. Being a founding signatory shows the world B.C. is taking serious action to manage the risks associated with climate change.

“British Columbia has a long history of working on adaptation and it will continue to be a focus as we develop our new Climate Leadership Plan.”  

Quick Facts:

• The RegionsAdapt Initiative aims to establish a co-operative framework for regions to exchange experiences and best practices on their actions and challenges when adapting to climate change.
• British Columbia’s Adaptation Strategy aims to ensure that:
  • Knowledge and resources are available and used efficiently and directed to key sectors and decision-makers;
  • Relevant government programs participate and have consistent goals and approaches; and
  • Stakeholders and the public recognize that adaptation is an important part of addressing climate change.
• The Province is developing a new Climate Leadership Plan, assembled with advice from the Climate Leadership Team and through public consultation. The Climate Leadership Team’s recently released recommendation report included recommendations to update climate hazard maps, as well as establish a framework to guide the management of risks. The second round of public consultation on B.C.’s Climate Leadership Plan will begin in January 2016.
• COP 21 aims to achieve a legally-binding and universal agreement on climate from all the nations of the world.

Learn More:

Follow Minister Polak’s COP 21 activities at: www.env.gov.bc.ca/main/cop
and on Twitter: @maryforbc

To learn more about COP 21, visit: http://www.cop21.gouv.fr/en

Learn more about B.C.’s climate actions at: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/climate-change