Steven Myers—P.E.I.’s environment, energy, and climate action minister—released the Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) during the sitting of the P.E.I. legislature on October 27, 2021
The CCRA looked at the following climate hazards on Prince Edward Island:
- Heavy precipitation and flooding.
- Severe ice storms and freezing rain.
- Coastal erosion.
- Post tropical storms.
- Heat waves.
- Earlier, warmer springs.
- Seasonal drought.
Local experts from across the Island, including Indigenous communities, informed the project with funding support from Natural Resources Canada. The province will use this report to help inform future decisions and a climate change adaptation plan.
“The results of the report are not shocking,” said Minister Myers. “They validate and substantiate why we have been working on adaptation and taking action where our vulnerabilities are. We know we have more work to do and the climate change risk assessment helps us focus and prioritize our efforts.”
As immediate next steps, the province will create a province-wide adaptation plan to tackle the risks outlined in this assessment.
“This plan is significant as we need to ensure our Island is ready for the impacts of a changing climate,” said Minister Myers. “Working with our federal counterparts, we will continue to make smart, informed and responsible decisions as we move forward. I encourage all Islanders to read the report and consider how they can lessen their impacts on the environment.”