RSVP

Global Biodiversity Conservation under a Changing Climate

Dr. Francisco Dallmeier

Smithsonian Center for Conservation and Sustainability

Global Climate Change and Sustainable Tourism

Dr. Dan Scott

University of Waterloo

The Climate Change Opportunities & Challenges in the UAE

Mashael Al Ansari

Climate Change Specialist, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), UAE

Resilient Universities: Planning and Implementing for Climate Change and Sustainability

Leanne Bilodeau

University of British Columbia

Development of Smart Technologies to Improve Agriculture Productivity and Mitigate Environmental Risks: A Sustainable Approach

Dr. Aitazaz Farooque

University of Prince Edward Island

Developing a Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategy for Prince Edward Island, Canada

Stephanie Arnold

University of Prince Edward Island

Accelerating Net Zero in the Built Environment

Karim El-Jisr

Executive Director, The Sustainable City Innovation Center

The Changing Climate: Physical Responses to a Warming World

Dr. Adam Fenech

Climate Research Lab, University of Prince Edward Island

Assessing the Vulnerability of Canada's National Heritage under a Changing Climate

Karen Jans

Parks Canada

Application of the Innovative Technologies of Drones and Virtual Reality in Understanding the Impacts of Global Climate Change

Andrew Clark

University of Prince Edward Island

Understanding the Collateral Effects of Shoreline Structures in Responding to Global Climate Change

Hope Parnham

University of Prince Edward Island

The Effects of Extreme Climate Events on Pregnant Women, their Pregnancies, and their Unborn Children

Dr. Suzanne King

McGill University

The Impact of Climate Change on Physical Activity – What might we expect in the future?

Dr. William J. Montelpare

University of Prince Edward Island

The Influence of Climate Change on Human Health as a Function of Stress on Individuals

Ahmad Abd-El-Aziz

University of Prince Edward Island

GETTING CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY ON THE TABLE: FROM CONCEPT TO ACTION PLAN

Leanne Bilodeau

University of British Columbia

Universities, institutions and communities across the globe are taking action on climate change and sustainability. Some are developing discreet climate action and sustainability plans, while others are integrating climate adaptation planning into existing planning processes and decision-making frameworks. Drawing from several approaches, this session is intended to equip participants with an understanding of the best practices, tools and steps to advance climate action and sustainability planning within their context. This session will include an “action planning” breakout component where participants will have the chance to apply suggested methods to identify and prioritize actions across key thematic areas (e.g. energy conservation/renewables; carbon emissions; water; waste; materials; landscape, ecology and biodiversity, and other relevant categories), as a basis to help inform their institutional plan.

UNDERSTANDING PAST CLIMATE OBSERVATIONS

Dr. Adam Fenech

University of Prince Edward Island

1. Acquiring Climate Observations - This section provides the knowledge and tools necessary to understand how to acquire climate observations and how to organize and quality control/assure them for analysis. Introductions are given to monitoring the climate (instruments, siting, records, automation); acquiring climate data through national and international climate datasets; climate data management; downloading climate datasets; and quality controlling/assuring climate data. The section is designed to provide access to tools for obtaining climate observations.

2. Climate Data Analysis - This section provides the knowledge and tools necessary to analyze climate observations for trends and extreme values. It includes organizing and visualizing data; analyzing climate data for annual, seasonal and monthly trends; and the characterization of climate datasets. The section is designed to provide the tools for the long-term analysis of climate.

3. Calculating Indicators of Climate Extremes - This section provides the knowledge and tools for calculating indicators of climate extremes. It includes an introduction to the over 400 climate indices in the scientific literature; guidance on the selection of international and national climate indices recommended for climate change studies; and methods for calculating climate indices and extremes using the database created during the day. The section is designed to provide the skills for understanding climate extremes in your region.

THE CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILTY PLAN IMPLEMENTATION: EXAMPLES AND ENABLERS

Leanne Bilodeau

University of British Columbia

The successful transition from climate and sustainability planning to implementation can be challenging. With respect to climate adaptation planning in particular, the IPCC AR 5 indicates that while climate adaptation planning is on the rise, there is less literature on the implementation of adaptation plans (2014). Institutional priorities, resources, and capacity for implementation can at various times impede or enable implementation. This session is intended to provide several examples of how Universities are tackling the integration of climate considerations in campus infrastructure projects and what the outcomes are. It will also provide examples of enablers such as policy; collaboration and partnerships that have been critical to early University implementation efforts, and which helped build momentum and credibility for greater support. Participants will be invited to participate in breakout sessions to explore the issues; constraints and opportunities for climate and sustainability plan implementation within their specific contexts, and potential actions that can be taken.

UNDERSTANDING FUTURE CLIMATE SCENARIOS

Dr. Adam Fenech

University of Prince Edward Island

1. Greenhouse Gas Emission Scenarios - This section provides the knowledge about how greenhouse gas emissions are used to understand future projections of climate change. Included are introductions of the role that greenhouse gas emissions play in the uncertainty of future climate projections; the greenhouse gas emission scenarios used from the IPCC's Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES); and the most recent IPCC approach to greenhouse gas emissions known as representative concentration pathways (RCPs). The section is designed to provide the knowledge for how to manage future greenhouse gas emissions as the primary source of uncertainty in future climate scenarios.

2. Scenarios of Future Climate Change - This section provides the knowledge and tools necessary to acquire regional scenarios of future climate change. Introductions are given to the Canadian Climate Change Scenarios Network; and the calculation and use of scatter plots and bioclimate profiles. The section is designed to provide practical tools for understanding how the future climate may change in your region.

3. Validating Climate Models for Future Projections - This section provides the knowledge and skills for validating global climate models to climate observations. Included are the approaches to selecting global climate models to use for future projections; the application of the extreme, multi-model ensemble and model validation approaches; and integration of approaches into a "most-likely" graph of future climate projections for your region. The section is designed to provide approaches to understanding the "best" projections of future climate change.