Press Release: ClimateWest Launches

CLIMATE RESILIENCE HAS A POWERFUL NEW ALLY IN THE PRAIRIES

ClimateWest will be the new one-stop hub to support climate adaptation efforts
in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, January 19 2021—Launched today, ClimateWest is a new non-profit, regional hub that will deliver credible climate information, data, and adaptation guidance tailored to the Prairie region. ClimateWest will work with people, communities, businesses, and governments across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta to help address both the risks and opportunities generated by climate change.

“ClimateWest comes along at a critical moment in one of Canada’s fastest warming regions,” stated Jane Hilderman, ClimateWest’s Executive Director. “Our vision is to support anyone from municipal decision-makers to watershed associations to small business who may not have the capacity or expertise on hand to interpret climate projections and use climate information to inform risk assessments and planning.”

“The Prairie provinces have already witnessed 13 of Canada’s 20 most expensive weather-related events since 1983, totalling billions of dollars of insured losses. Under a changing climate, we can anticipate even greater costs if we continue without proper planning and action,” said Dr. Dave Sauchyn, Director of the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC) at the University of Regina. PARC is one of three founding partners of ClimateWest along with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Prairie Climate Centre (PCC) at the University of Winnipeg.

ClimateWest offers innovative climate services by:

• Providing climate analyses, guidance documents, training sessions, and other tools specific to the adaptation needs of different sectors.
• Hosting a Help Desk available to the public by email or phone to answer queries about climate data and information.
• Raising public awareness and knowledge of the value of climate change adaptation.

ClimateWest will help address the urgent need highlighted in the recently released Prairies Chapter of Canada’s national assessment process on climate change: “the window to take action to avoid severe climate change impacts is rapidly closing […] current efforts to adapt are not enough to prevent the rapidly accelerating human and financial losses from current and future climate change impacts.”

ClimateWest has the combined support from the Governments of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, as well as Environment and Climate Change Canada at the federal level.

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