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

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 climate and future ones. It will:

• Provide a national overview of how an area may be affected by various hazards that are exacerbated or influenced by climate change

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

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

• Establish a baseline against which future assessments can be measured

• CROAs are highly variable in terms of the framing and comprehensiveness of the process. Most jurisdictions follow the framework provided by the ISO31000:2018 and ISO14090:2019 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.

• The governance of the CROA process, including the political will and the definition of the objectives and scope, has a direct influence on four determinant criteria:

1. The methodological approach

2. Stakeholder engagement

3. The scale of the work

4. The available resources

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 the four determinant criteria, as well as the highlights, advantages and disadvantages of the approach, and the success factors.

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