MONTRÉAL, March 31, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - A panel of distinguished climatologists gathered today at Cinéma Excentris to discuss the implications for North America of the newly released report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II. Senior researcher at the University of Waterloo and Environment Canada Linda Mortsch and Ouranos adaptation specialist Liza Leclerc, both of whom had a hand in drafting the report, were joined by the head of the Ouranos Vulnerability, Impacts, and Adaptation Group to discuss climate change adaptation and present concrete measures being implemented in Québec.
The report of Working Group II was drafted by some 310 scientists and endorsed by 195 national governments. It considers the impacts of climate change, assesses the vulnerabilities of the world's major regions, and reports on measures currently being taken to adapt to it.
This is important, as parts of Québec have had to manage the aftermath of dramatic climatic conditions in the past 20 years. Such extreme weather events are expected to multiply despite attempts to address the source of the problem by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The impacts on the built environment, the economy, the population, and the natural environment will be enormous, and costs are expected to increase over time.
"The impact of climate change is already visible in many parts of Québec," said Ouranos executive director Alain Bourque. "Urban heat islands, for example, are very present in Québec's larger cities and are a significant risk to public health. In response, building standards officials at Bureau de normalisation du Québec have developed a guide on parking lot design to limit their proliferation. Ouranos sees this is a concrete example of how scientific research can support decision making to help cities and town deal with the impacts and issues relating to climate change."
To download the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report, visit www.ipcc.ch.
The IPCC (www.ipcc.ch) @IPCC_CH
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to prepare, based on available scientific data, assessments of all aspects of climate change and its impacts with a view of formulating realistic response strategies.
Ouranos (www.ouranos.ca)
Ouranos is a consortium created in 2001 as a joint initiative by the Québec government, Hydro-Québec, and Environment Canada, with the financial support of Valorisation-Recherche-Québec. Its mission is to acquire and develop knowledge on climate change, its impact, and related socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities in order to inform decision makers about probable climate trends and advise them on identifying, assessing, promoting, and implementing local and regional adaptation strategies.
SOURCE: Ouranos
Interviews and information: Hémisphère relations publiques, Caroline Bergevin, 514-914-5138; Marie-José Bégin, 514-994-0802
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