Executive Council
May 7, 2015

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister of Environment and Conservation and Minister Responsible for the Office of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency:

Province Provides New Climate Tools for Infrastructure Design

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Minister Responsible for the Office of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, to update my Honourable colleagues on work recently undertaken to improve our province's resilience to climate change.

In the 2011 Climate Change Action Plan, our government committed to ensuring our province is prepared for the impacts of climate change. These impacts include more frequent and intense storm events, which have the potential to cause increases in flooding and coastal erosion, as well as significant damages to property and infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, preparing for such changes requires ensuring we have access to the most up-to-date and authoritative information about trends in our province's weather patterns.

As such, last year we contracted a world-class engineering firm to update our province's Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves. These curves are developed from historical data to predict future rain events. They are critical tools for ensuring our infrastructure designs are able to withstand increases in precipitation, including vital transportation, municipal, marine and mining infrastructure. The updated curves are now available online.

Mr. Speaker, this builds upon work we have already undertaken to ensure our province is well positioned to minimize the risks associated with climate change. This work includes our 2013 climate projections study, which outlines how our province's climate is expected to change by mid-century; our innovative approach for completing flood risk mapping, as we are the first jurisdiction in Canada to incorporate climate change into these tools; our Hurricane Flood Alert System, which notifies municipalities throughout the province of impending heavy precipitation events; and our ongoing work to monitor coastal erosion at 112 sites throughout the province, including nine in Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that, in addition to risks, climate change will present many opportunities in our province. These opportunities include the potential for a longer growing season and longer summer tourism season, as well as opportunities to capitalize on the demand for innovation within the green economy. Research notes that with the right support, employment in the green economy in this province could grow by up to 30 per cent by 2020. As such, our government is developing a green economy action plan, which will ensure our province is well positioned to maximize these opportunities while minimizing risks.

Thank you.

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2015 05 07                              1:45 p.m.