Abstract Manager

Projects applying for funding under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) of Infrastructure Canada (INFC) are obliged to conduct a Climate Lens Assessment. Along with investigating greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation, the resilience of the project to future climate change must be examined. The goal of the program is to encourage improved choices by the project’s planners, designers, and decision makers. The need for such considerations is becoming increasingly evident as disruptive climate events become more frequent.  

This presentation will describe the climate resilience assessment process through a case study of a new light rail infrastructure project in Ontario. The framework adopted consisted of a semi-quantitative indicator-based assessment implemented through a multidisciplinary approach with engagement from planners, designers, and the transport authority. The insights of the assessment were leveraged to influence design decisions and establish specific resilience-based requirements in the Project Agreement. Existing codes, standards, and industry guidance have traditionally been developed with a retrospective outlook, and as a result, the outcomes of the assessment have highlighted a lack of consideration for climate change. Furthermore, the speed at which codes and standards are revised and adopted does not align with the pace of our understanding of climate science and its impact on the hazards our infrastructure must be resilient against. The question is therefore asked, is it the responsibility of frameworks such as Climate Lens to bridge this gap until our industry catches up to climate change.