Canada faces up to 5 °C warming, new climate report warns of severe impacts
A federal climate synthesis projects Canada could warm by about 5 °C this century, with winter temperatures in Nunavut rising over 10 °C.
Canada’s latest climate assessment, released by the federal government, indicates that ongoing emissions could push national average temperatures up by roughly 5 °C by the end of the century. In the Arctic territory of Nunavut, winter warming may exceed 10 °C, and western Canadian glaciers are expected to lose more than three-quarters of their ice, with a high chance of an ice-free central Arctic Ocean each September. Southern regions could experience longer, harsher droughts and more frequent flash-flood events.
The report stresses that future warming depends on global emissions choices, noting a scenario of abandoned climate policies could raise temperatures by nearly 7 °C. Researchers from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Climate Institute emphasize that each avoided degree of warming would spare lives, protect communities and save billions in economic costs. Government officials reaffirm Canada’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.
Why it matters
The projections show how current emissions could dramatically reshape Canada’s environment, economy and public safety.
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