Review of the climate risk and opportunity assessment practices in 11 jurisdictions

The aim of this project was to analyze the practices followed in climate change risk and opportunity assessments (CROAs) conducted at the national level in 11 jurisdictions. This summary presents the findings from a review of the 11 selected CROA reports and semi-structured interviews with the CROA leaders. The 11 CROAs were examined based on 38 criteria grouped into three categories: framing, methodology and dissemination of results.  

Project details
Scientific program
Programmation 2020-2028
Theme(s) and priority(s)
Energy - Adaptation of Living Environments
Start and duration
August 2023 • April 2024
Project Status
Completed
 
Principal(s) investigator(s)
Clara Champalle
Ouranos

Context

The purpose of a climate risk and opportunity assessment is to identify, analyze and evaluate the risks to a defined area and its communities by examining climate information, vulnerabilities and potential consequences in the current and future climate. Note that although opportunities that may arise due to climate change are not yet systematically included in this type of assessment (therefore more commonly called “climate change risk assessments” or CCRA), for this review the term and acronym “CROA” is used to better describe the scope of the study.

A national climate risk and opportunity assessment:

  • Provides a national overview, using the best available information and evidence, of how an area may be affected by various hazards and threats caused, exacerbated or influenced by climate change, as well as the resulting risks and opportunities, 

  • Helps decision-makers better understand the wide range of risks their area will face and which risks to address as a priority,

  • Guides priorities for adaptation programs at different levels of government, and supports a strategic approach to the adaptation of businesses and communities ,

  • Establish a baseline against which future assessments can be measured.

Results

  • The wide variety of CROAs is related to the fact that there is no systematic framework for conducting a CROA at the jurisdictional level. Most jurisdictions (9 out of 11) follow the framework provided by the ISO 31000:2018 and ISO 14090:2019 standards. However, the methodology and comprehensiveness of CROAs are often tailored to the objectives, desired scope and available resources, so the level of detail varies greatly from one CROA to another. 

  • Two key elements — the governance of the CROA, including the political will, and the definition of objectives and scope — have a direct influence on four determining criteria: 

    • The methodological approach

    • Stakeholder engagement

    • The assessment scale, and 

    • The resources available 

These four criteria in turn influence the level of detail of the CROAs, their format, and the dissemination of the results.

An appendix with a summary for each jurisdiction provides an overview of the different CROAs based on the four determinant criteria, as well as the highlights, advantages and disadvantages of the approach, and the success factors to carry out a CROA.

Benefits for adaptation

Benefits for adaptation

The variety of CROA methodologies demonstrates that there is no single recipe for conducting a successful assessment of risks and opportunities at the national level. It is therefore appropriate to adapt the approach to the context and the objectives, taking into account how the results will be used to guide long-term adaptation.

Scientific publications

Date
Title
Author
Document type
Language(s)
2025
Synthèse de l’état de la pratique des appréciations de risques et occasions face aux changements…
Champalle, C., Desjardins, R., Boyer-Villemaire,…
French
2025
A Synthetic Review of Climate Risk and Opportuntiy Assessment Practices in 11 Jurisdictions
Champalle, C., Desjardins, R., Boyer-Villemaire,…
English

712000

 

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