Charlottetown climate report raises future red flags, warns that doing nothing isn't an option

A new report released by the City of Charlottetown details how rising sea levels and extreme heat are expected to affect P.E.I.'s capital in the decades to come.

But the 81-page report, called "The Cost of Doing Nothing," also explains what the city could do to mitigate the impact of climate change. 

"It can look a little bit dismal when you just look at all of these big, scary numbers associated with what climate change is going to cost us," said Katrina Cristall, Charlottetown's climate action officer. 

"I want [people] to remember that actions are planned and lots of actions are happening. Though it is concerning, of course, we're in this together and there's a lot of positive stories out there too."

There are no recommendations in the report, but it does highlight some red flags for the future. 

Those include sea level rise and flooding that could put more than 550 buildings downtown at risk by the end of this century, in just 75 years. That's up from about 200 buildings noted in a 2020 study.

"We're already seeing… increased flooding, and these storms are already coming in at increased quantity," Cristall said. 

Plans to address the danger can vary, she said: "[They] can look like protecting our shorelines and all the way up to… relocating some of our critical infrastructure."

The number of heat waves will also increase in the years ahead, and they're expected to last longer, the report notes. The number of extreme-heat days with highs above 27.5 C is forecast to rise from 16 per year this decade to 35 per year by the 2080s. 

"There's many people in the population that are more vulnerable to extreme heat… but also people who are living in situations where maybe they don't have access to cooling infrastructure like heat pumps or air conditioning," Cristall said. 

"There are many of those people here in Charlottetown, so I think that report really showed the need to make sure people have access."

The report notes that taking no action will cost taxpayers tens of millions in future cleanup costs and loss of property, along with a bigger burden on hospitals as heat waves become more common. 

The question: What can be done? The answer: Spend money now. 

Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown said the city will be looking to the provincial government and Ottawa for help with environmental projects, but he acknowledged that the amount of municipal money allocated to them has to keep pace.