‘The annual costs of flood damage to homes and buildings across Canada could increase three to five times over the coming decades.’ – from Environment Canada’s latest State of the Climate report
From Environmental Defence Canada, a country-wide citizens advocacy group for environmental protection
Posted September 4th, 2026 on Niagara At Large
A Statement from Julia Levin, Associate Director, National Climate, Environmental Defence
Posted September 4th, 2026 on Niagara At Large
Ottawa – Canada’s latest state of the climate report is a stark warning of what Canadians will face if governments fail to tackle the climate crisis with the urgency it requires.
Given that Prime Minister (Mark) Carney’s government has dismantled much of Canada’s climate progress, it is of little surprise that the government tried to bury its own report by quietly releasing it right before a long weekend.
This report should be a call to action. What the future looks like for our children depends on the policy choices being made today. The worst impacts of climate change are far from inevitable.
However, the only way to avoid those impacts is to quickly transition away from producing and burning oil, gas and coal. The good news is that many of Canada’s peers are doing exactly that. Yet PM Carney is moving Canada in the opposite direction by recklessly doubling down on fossil fuels. Canada is falling behind.
Recently, PM Carney suggested that tackling the climate crisis is too expensive for Canadians. Yet what is truly expensive is the price of the worsening climate crisis: we are paying with our dollars, homes, livelihoods and in some cases, lives.
Background
Canada’s Changing Climate Report 2026 is the country’s national-scale assessment of the physical state of the climate. It is the product of more than 100 experts working over a three-year period.
This is the second of these reports. The first was released in 2019. The government at the time made sure the report received widespread attention, including through ministerial press conferences and technical briefings. This time, Minister Dabrusin wasn’t even available for comment.
The latest report confirms the climate crisis is no longer a future risk: Canada has warmed nearly twice as fast as the global average, and the Canadian Arctic has warmed three times as fast as the global average.
More frequent and intense wildfires are projected for most regions of Canada. Droughts and flash floods will become more frequent and severe with additional warming.
The cost of wildfire smoke alone has totalled over $230 billion over the last decade.
The annual costs of flood damage to homes and buildings across Canada could increase three to five times over the coming decades, reaching as much as $13.6 billion annually.
Environmental Defence teamed up with youth and doctors to challenge this federal government’s lack of a climate plan in court. Rather than defending his plans, PM Carney is fighting to get the legal challenge dismissed.
Around the world, countries are rapidly transitioning away from burning coal, oil and gas. India has now installed more clean energy generation capacity than coal. EVs are taking off at incredible rates across Asia.
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
For more news on this climate report, click on – Canada’s Changing Climate Report 2026 – Canada.ca
And click on – https://www.cp24.com/news/world/2026/09/04/changes-to-canadas-climate-now-irreversible-federal-report-says/
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