Environment commissioner Julie Gelfand has warned that the federal government is ill-prepared for the impact climate change will have on the country.

The commissioner’s autumn annual report sought to find out if Ottawa was ready and able to protect over $66 billion in federal assets like bridges, roads and airports, while still providing services when disasters such as fires, floods, and storms strike.

“The federal government is not prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change that we are all feeling right now,” Gelfand said, relaying the findings of her report in a news conference.

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According to Gelfand, the lack of federal preparation is her “biggest concern.” Only five of the 19 departments she audited for the report have even figured out where the risks are from climate change, let alone how to mitigate such risks.

Gelfand said that Transport Canada was the gold standard in both assessing risk and preparing for such risks. The department has identified concerns such as ports being affected by rising sea levels and railways impacted by severe cold or thawing permafrost.

The remaining 14 departments, which include national Defense and Infrastructure Canada, all said that while it would be nice to identify climate change risks, they have not done anything about it.

The Canadian Press also reported that Gelfand was critical of the federal government for constantly promising to cut down on emissions, but not actually going forward with its pledges.

“Climate change is one of the defining issues of this century,” she said. “It will require a whole of government approach. It’s time to move from planning to action.”


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