Blog Contributor: Erica Harper
The Environmental Sustainability Research Centre’s (ESRC) Sustainability Seminar Series will continue on Thursday, March 11th, 2021 at 11am EST with a panel about implementing climate change adaptation plans. We will be joined by three experienced professionals who have been an integral part of making their local communities more resilient to the effects of climate change. This event is in partnership with Niagara Adapts, one of the ESRC’s innovative partnerships that is focussed on leveraging resources and expertise to support collaborative climate change adaptation, planning, and implementation within seven municipalities in the Niagara Region. The Niagara Adapts partnership is led by Dr. Jessica Blythe, who will be the moderator for this exciting event.
The panelists include Katie Thompson from the City of Barrie, Jacob Porter from the City of Thunder Bay, and Joanna Eyquem from the Intact Centre.
Katie Thompson is a Risk Management Official in the Business Performance and Environmental Sustainability Group with the City of Barrie. Her focus areas include Drinking Water Source Protection, Climate Change Adaptation and, assessing corporate Environmental Obligations. She has a unique perspective on the interrelations between the science foundation, action framework, and implementation aspects of the Climate Change Adaption Plans.
Jacob Porter is the Climate Adaptation Coordinator for the City of Thunder Bay, guiding implementation of the City’s Climate Adaptation Strategy. His work spans across emergency preparedness, asset management, and community planning; depending on collaborations across city departments, partnerships with community organizations, and engagement with city residents. Over the past year, adaptation efforts in Thunder Bay have focused on deeper recognition of the social impacts of climate events, and greater involvement in emergency response planning.
Joanna Eyquem is a recognized expert in Climate Adaptation, Flood and Erosion Management and River Restoration, with 20 years experience both in Canada and the UK. Joanna’s focus areas at the Intact Centre include: (1) mobilizing flood-resilience for homes, new and existing communities, and commercial real estate; (2) protection and restoration of natural infrastructure to mitigate climate risk, (3) developing programs to limit risk of extreme heat; (4) promoting programs to limit wildfire risk; and (5) incorporating climate risk into institutional investing, credit rating assessments and securities disclosure.
The Panel Discussion on Implementing Climate Change Adaptation Plans is sure to be informative and educational for all. There will also be a question period towards the end of the event to provide the audience with a chance to ask more specific questions and further engage with the panelists.
Click here to join the live event on Thursday, March 11th at 11am. If you can’t make it, check out the ESRC’s YouTube channel which will feature the recording of the event within a week of it going live.
