Canadian Climate Change Scenarios Network

Canadian Climate Change Scenarios Network
Name	Canadian Climate Change Scenarios Network
Type	Research network
Founded	2000s
Location	Canada
Focus	Climate change scenarios, downscaling, climate modeling

Canadian Climate Change Scenarios Network

The Canadian Climate Change Scenarios Network is a national initiative that produces climate scenarios for Canada to support adaptation, planning, and policy. It links federal agencies, provincial ministries, academic institutions, and international programs to provide standardized projections for planning in contexts such as water management, infrastructure, and public health. The Network synthesizes outputs from global climate models, regional climate models, and observational programs to generate locally relevant scenario products.

Overview

The Network coordinates activities across institutions such as Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, University of Toronto, and the University of British Columbia while interfacing with international bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the World Meteorological Organization, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It integrates model output from centers including the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, the Met Office Hadley Centre, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology to produce downscaled products used by stakeholders such as the City of Vancouver, the Government of Ontario, and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. The Network’s mandate intersects with programs like Climate Data Initiative (United States), the Global Framework for Climate Services, and the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program.

History and development

The Network emerged during collaborations among researchers from McGill University, the University of Waterloo, and the University of Calgary following dialogues at venues such as meetings of the Canadian Institute for Climate Studies and workshops hosted by Parks Canada and Provincial Ministries of Environment. Early development drew on methodologies used by the United States Global Change Research Program and lessons from the Canadian Climate Program Board, with technical exchange involving groups at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Funding and governance evolved through initiatives linked to Fisheries and Oceans Canada programs, grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and partnerships with organizations including the David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute.

Methodology and data products

The Network’s methodology combines outputs from global coupled models such as the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project ensembles and regional climate models like the Canadian Regional Climate Model to produce downscaled datasets. Techniques include statistical downscaling used by researchers at Simon Fraser University and dynamical downscaling conducted in collaboration with the University of Victoria and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique. Data products include bias-corrected time series, gridded daily temperature and precipitation fields, extreme-event indices, and sectoral scenario packages tailored for groups such as Hydro-Québec, BC Hydro, and TransCanada Corporation. The Network archives datasets consistent with standards from the World Data Centre for Climate, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the European Climate Assessment & Dataset.

Applications and use cases

Scenario outputs support adaptation planning in municipalities including the City of Toronto, the City of Montreal, and the City of Calgary and inform provincial infrastructure investment by entities like the Alberta Ministry of Environment and Parks and the Quebec Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks. They are used by sectors such as agriculture firms linked to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, utilities including Ontario Power Generation, coastal managers working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and public health units in partnership with Health Canada. Scientific applications span hydrology research at the Global Water Futures program, permafrost studies coordinated with Yukon College and the Northern Research Institute, and ecosystem assessments involving the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Governance and collaborations

Governance structures involve stakeholder advisory committees drawn from academic partners like Dalhousie University and McMaster University, federal partners such as Statistics Canada, and provincial representatives from bodies including the Manitoba Government and the Nova Scotia Department of Environment. Collaborative links extend to international research through the International Arctic Research Center, the Arctic Council working groups, and bilateral exchanges with institutions like the United States Geological Survey and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The Network coordinates data-sharing protocols consistent with policies from the Canadian Open Data Portal and standards promoted by the Research Data Alliance.

Impact and reception

The Network’s scenarios have been cited in adaptation guidance from Public Safety Canada, infrastructure standards consulted by the Canadian Standards Association, and environmental assessments overseen by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. Peer-reviewed studies from researchers at Queen's University, University of Saskatchewan, and Université Laval have evaluated Network products for use in flood risk assessments and wildfire projection studies referenced by agencies such as the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Stakeholders including indigenous organizations like the Assembly of First Nations and NGOs such as Nature Conservancy of Canada have engaged with the Network, while critiques from academic commentators in journals featuring work from Nature Climate Change and the Journal of Climate emphasize challenges in uncertainty communication and scenario applicability.

Category:Climate change in Canada