The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has released a new report that emphasizes the urgent need for increased investment and stronger policies to protect Canadians and their critical infrastructure from the increasing threats of climate change.

The report, titled Climate resilience in construction: Building for a sustainable future, stresses the importance of building resilient infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather events, protect lives, and support community well-being.

CCA says recent incidents, like the flooding in Toronto and wildfires in Jasper, show these threats are real and disrupt the everyday lives of Canadians. Calgary’s broken water main signals even deeper problems with Canada’s aging infrastructure.

“Canada’s infrastructure is the backbone of our communities, but it’s under threats from climate-related disasters,” says CCA President Rodrigue Gilbert. “With much of our infrastructure aging or in poor condition, we must act now to future-proof our infrastructure and meet our environmental goals.”

CCA says the construction industry is already working to build sustainably, but it cannot act alone. It needs support, in the form of investment, planning and collaboration to build infrastructure that is resilient and sustainable.

The report makes three key points:

• There is an urgent need for investment. To protect infrastructure assets and address the rising strain from increasing population and housing developments, substantial investment is essential.
• Incentives are needed for the industry to test new processes and technologies. The construction sector is actively working to reduce its environmental impact, but long-term sustainability requires broader support and collaboration.
• Infrastructure must be built to last. We need effective policies to ensure infrastructure is built to last. This includes addressing issues like labour shortages, procurement, alternative delivery models, and supply chain challenges.

“Too often, infrastructure investment decisions are based on what’s politically expedient, not what’s genuinely needed in a given region of Canada,” says Gilbert. “We need to focus on projects that are ‘shovel-worthy’, not just ‘shovel-ready’ to ensure Canadians have the infrastructure they depend on.”