Guiding principles
Nova Scotia's climate context
Nova Scotia and the rest of the world are experiencing the impacts of climate change. From fluctuating weather patterns that impact food production, to rising sea levels that intensify the risk of flooding, the impacts of climate change are unparalleled in scale. Climate change is caused by an increased proportion of human-produced greenhouse gases (GHGs) being released into our atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4)1.
Without immediate reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to these changes in the future will be more difficult and come at a high cost. Even with drastic reductions of global emissions, many of the changes to our climate are now locked in and will continue to escalate for the rest of this century2.
Locally, Nova Scotians will experience higher average temperatures and more heat waves, as well as more intense and significant precipitation events. Major flooding and wildfires will become more common. Sea levels will continue to rise, threatening our coastal communities and ecosystems. Our current infrastructure was not designed to deal with climate change threats so we will experience more power outages, greater property damage, and more substantial disruptions to commercial operations. Water quality and availability will worsen, food systems will be stressed, and ecosystems and biodiversity will suffer.
The recent provincial climate risk assessment3 from the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change explores the effects that climate change will have on the well-being of Nova Scotians. With continued high global emissions, Nova Scotia can expect these climate changes over the next century:
- Temperatures will continue to rise.
- We will have less snow and more rain.
- The rain will be more intense.
- Storms will be more frequent and intense.
- The sea level will continue to rise.
- Ocean temperatures, oxygen, and acidity levels will change.
The risk assessment also explains how climate hazards will evolve over time. Under high emissions scenarios, future top climate concerns are:
- 2030s: Flooding poses the top concern.
- 2050s: Warmer temperatures make wildfires the biggest threat.
- 2080s: Extreme temperatures and their potential to harm food production, infrastructure, human health, and ecosystems.
Understanding greenhouse gas emissions
For effective greenhouse gas (GHG) management, it is useful to recognize the distinction between direct and indirect emissions. Direct emissions are emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by an organization. Indirect emissions are emissions that are a consequence of the activities of an organization but occur at sources owned or controlled by another organization. To help differentiate between direct and indirect emission sources, three “Scopes” have been defined for GHG accounting and reporting purposes3. Explore the scopes, by clicking below:
1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2022). Summary for Policymakers
2 Province of Nova Scotia (2022). Weathering What’s Ahead: Climate Change Risk and Nova Scotia’s Well-Being
3 Ibid