National Climate Change Adaptation Survey
Research Report

Executive Summary

Earnscliffe Strategy Group (Earnscliffe) is pleased to present this report to the Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) summarizing the results of the qualitative and quantitative research study regarding climate change adaptation.

In 2009, a National Climate Change Adaptation Benchmark Survey was conducted to establish a benchmark to be used to evaluate progress on adapting to climate change and the impact of the Government of Canada adaptation programming. The survey targeted government and business decision-makers and gathered information about their awareness and understanding of the potential impacts of climate change; whether and how their organizations are currently adapting; and barriers to action. This past research was also used to inform federal program design.

NRCan required updated research to assess Canada's progress in addressing adaptation and the impact of federal investments in adaptation to climate change. This research contributes to an assessment of Canada's progress in addressing adaptation and the impact of federal investments in adaptation to climate change in Canada and will be used to measure change in awareness and actions on adaptation in communities and businesses; assess decision-making information and tools; and identify barriers to action. Results will support public reporting of progress on adaptation under the Charter on Effective Action on Climate Change, and the Horizontal Management Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

The total cost to conduct this research was $109,249.81 including HST.

Earnscliffe conducted a two-part research program, with both a quantitative and qualitative phase.

For the quantitative phase, we conducted a telephone survey in collaboration with our quantitative sub-contractor, Léger. The survey was conducted via telephone from Léger's centralized call centre using state of the art Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system. The total sample was 350 individuals, including 100 who occupy Chief, Manager or Director of Planning positions in municipalities across Canada and 250 individuals occupying Head of Operations or Chief Risk Officer positions in natural resource industries across Canada. The survey was conducted between February 5 and March 14, 2018. The average length of each interview was 15 minutes.

For both the municipal and business samples, stratified random sampling was used. In the case of municipalities, the final sample was fairly consistent with the known distribution of small, medium and large municipalities and as a result, the results have not been weighted. The aggregate municipal results can be considered accurate to within +/-9.8% at the 95% confidence level.

In the case of the business sample, the distribution of small, medium and large businesses within each sector was similar enough to the known distribution that it was decided that no weight would be applied based upon size. However, since the relative sizes of the sectors in the stratified quota structure was not reflective of reality, a weight was applied by sector so that the aggregate results of the business sample would be representative of the universe being studied. The aggregate business results can be considered accurate to within +/-6.2% at the 95% confidence level.

The qualitative phase consisted of 13 in-depth interviews with representatives from the associations representing small businesses and commerce, companies in the oil and gas, mining, forestry and utilities industries, an association representing municipalities, as well as some individuals from municipalities in coastal regions. The purpose of the qualitative research was to gather some deeper insights from specific perspectives that may not have been explored in-depth in the survey. The interviews were conducted between February 27 and March 21, 2018.

For the purposes of this report, wherever findings from the in-depth interviews are presented, it is important to note that qualitative research is a form of scientific, social, policy and public opinion research. Qualitative research is designed to elicit the full range of ideas, attitudes, experiences and opinions of a selected sample of participants on a defined topic. Because of the small numbers involved, the participants are not representative in a statistical sense of the larger population from which they are drawn and findings cannot reliably be generalized beyond their number.

The key findings from the research are presented separately for each of the two samples—business and municipal.

Business Findings

Awareness and Impressions of Climate Change Relevance

• There is broad agreement that climate change is happening right now. Business respondents cite more frequent and severe weather events as the most serious impact of climate change in their region/community and are concerned about economic effects.
• The majority of business respondents (62%) expect that climate change will have at least a moderate impact, including 19% who expect it will have a major impact on their region.
• One quarter of business respondents (25%) report that climate change is having an impact on their organization. There is variation between sectors—those in mining (34%) and power (38%) are more likely than respondents in the other sectors to say climate change is having an impact on their organization.
• Roughly the same number of business respondents (29%) think climate change will impact their organization in the next 1–5 years.
• Among those who expect that climate change will have an impact, business respondents are far more likely to feel the impact will be negative than positive and the main concern is economic loss.
• The majority of all businesses and within each sector surveyed, save for mining, report that climate change does not present a significant challenge to their organization.

Climate Change Adaptation

• The majority of businesses across the four sectors surveyed are not taking action to adapt to climate change, although one quarter of these businesses (24%) report they plan to engage in climate change adaptation activities.
• Businesses engaging in climate change adaptation activities tend to report operational initiatives.
• A minority of businesses say they have been incorporating climate change in decision-making for years, though results vary by sector.

Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in Decision-Making

• The primary source of information about climate change for businesses (56%) is the media.
• When asked whether potential barriers to adaptation are significant, minor, or not a barrier at all, business respondents indicated that the cost of adapting presents the most significant barrier (30% identify it as a significant barrier), followed by the complexity of the policy change process (28%) and lack of experience (23%).
• Over two thirds of businesses agree they have the information they need to make decisions about climate change adaptation. Among those who feel they do need more information, the top request from businesses is climate data and future projections of climate conditions.

Municipal Findings

Awareness and Impressions of Climate Change Relevance

• There is broad agreement that climate change is happening right now. Municipal respondents cite more frequent and severe weather events as the most serious impact of climate change in their region/community and are particularly concerned about flooding.
• Overall, the majority of municipal respondents expect climate change will have at least a moderate impact on their community (68%), including one in ten (11%) who expect it will have a major impact on their community.
• Half of the municipal respondents (51%) report that climate change is having an impact on their organization.
• One third (35%) of municipal respondents think climate change will impact their community in the next 1-5 years, though this opinion varies widely by size of municipality.
• Among municipal respondents, the vast majority report climate change will have a negative impact on their community, with flooding being the most frequently cited negative impact.
• For municipal respondents, climate change, while not the greatest issue they face, is still a significant challenge. Over half across all municipality sizes hold this view.

Climate Change Adaptation

• Across all sizes of municipalities, over 50% report that they are taking action to adapt to climate change and among the other half, 42% report they plan to engage in climate change adaptation activities.
• Overall, municipal respondents report being fairly advanced in climate change adaptation planning. Most of their adaptation activities revolve around emergency preparedness and natural disasters/major weather events. For example, 51% of those who are taking action reported their activities include emergency response/disaster planning, and 44% mentioned flood management activities. Following those two activities, planning activities such as preparing a plan (33%) and incorporating adaptation into long-term planning (33%) were the most frequently mentioned.

Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in Decision-Making

• The primary source of information about climate change for municipal respondents (26%) is the media.
• Overall, municipal respondents report facing multiple significant barriers to taking climate change into decision making. The most significant barrier, reported as such by almost three quarters of the municipal respondents, is the cost. A lack of capacity to apply tools and information (48%) and lack of experience (40%) are also significant barriers for pluralities of the municipal sample.
• Information is not the main barrier for municipal respondents, with over two thirds agreeing they have the information they need to make decisions about climate change adaptation. Among those who feel they do need more information, the top request for municipal respondents is more regionally or locally specific impacts.

Research Firm: Earnscliffe Strategy Group Inc. (Earnscliffe)
Contract Number: 23483-181152/001/CY
Contract award date: January 15, 2018

I hereby certify as a Representative of Earnscliffe Strategy Group that the final deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

Signed: Doug Anderson

Date: March 29, 2018

Doug Anderson
Principal, Earnscliffe

Introduction

Earnscliffe Strategy Group (Earnscliffe) is pleased to present this report to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) summarizing the results of the qualitative and quantitative research study regarding climate change adaptation.

In 2009, a National Climate Change Adaptation Benchmark Survey was conducted to establish a benchmark to be used to evaluate progress on adapting to climate change and the impact of the Government of Canada adaptation programming. The survey targeted government and business decision-makers and gathered information about their awareness and understanding of the potential impacts of climate change; whether and how their organizations are currently adapting; and barriers to action. This past research was also used to inform federal program design.

Objectives:

NRCan required updated research to assess Canada's progress in addressing adaptation and the impact of federal investments in adaptation to climate change. This research contributes to an assessment of Canada's progress in addressing adaptation and the impact of federal investments in adaptation to climate change in Canada and will be used to measure change in awareness and actions on adaptation in communities and businesses; assess decision-making information and tools; and identify barriers to action. Results will support public reporting of progress on adaptation under the Charter on Effective Action on Climate Change, and the Horizontal Management Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

To meet these objectives, Earnscliffe conducted a two-part research program, which included both a quantitative telephone survey and a series of in-depth interviews.

For the quantitative phase, a telephone survey was conducted. The telephone survey questionnaire was developed in consultation with NRCan, drawing on the 2009 National Climate Change Adaptation Benchmark Survey as appropriate. The survey was designed to reach a broad group of municipalities and companies operating in a variety of sectors, as outlined below. The quantitative findings are divided into 3 sections:

• Awareness and Impressions of Climate Change Relevance
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Barriers to Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in Decision-Making

Data was collected by one of Earnscliffe's quantitative sub-contractors, Léger. The survey was conducted via telephone from Léger's centralized call centre using state of the art Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system. The total sample was 350 individuals, including 100 who occupy Chief, Manager or Director of Planning positions in municipalities across Canada and 250 individuals occupying Head of Operations or Chief Risk Officer positions in natural resource industries across Canada. The survey was conducted between February 5 and March 14, 2018. The average length of each interview was 15 minutes.

For both the municipal and business samples, stratified random sampling was used. In the case of municipalities, the final sample was fairly consistent with the known distribution of small, medium and large municipalities and as a result, the results have not been weighted. The aggregate municipal results can be considered accurate to within +/-9.8% at the 95% confidence level.

In the case of the business sample, the distribution of small, medium and large businesses within each sector was similar enough to the known distribution that it was decided that no weight would be applied based upon size. However, since the relative sizes of the sectors in the stratified quota structure was not reflective of reality, a weight was applied by sector so that the aggregate results of the business sample would be representative of the universe being studied. The aggregate business results can be considered accurate to within +/-6.2% at the 95% confidence level.

The qualitative phase consisted of 13 in-depth interviews with representatives from the associations representing small businesses and commerce, companies in the oil and gas, mining, forestry and utilities industries, an association representing municipalities, as well as some individuals from municipalities in coastal regions. The purpose of the qualitative research was to gather some deeper insights from specific perspectives that may not have been explored in-depth in the survey. The interviews were conducted between February 27 and March 21, 2018.

The following sampling approach was used for the telephone survey to ensure the research included perspectives from small, medium and large municipalities, as well as businesses in a variety of industries and of various sizes.

The target populations were:

• Municipalities—a stratified sample of individuals occupying Chief, Manager or Director of Planning positions in municipalities across Canada that reflect the geographic distribution of the population.
• Natural resource industries—a stratified sample of individuals occupying Head of Operations or Chief Risk Officer positions across Canada as identified by the North American Industry Classification System  NAICS 2017 codes below provided by the client.

As per common practice of Statistics Canada, small businesses were classified as those with fewer than 100 employees, medium-sized businesses were those with 100–499 employees, and large businesses were those with 500 or more employees. Small municipalities were those with a population of 1,000 to 29,999, medium municipalities were those with a population of 30,000 to 99,999, and large municipalities were those with a population of 100,000 or more. For the municipal sample, quotas were set to ensure representation of small, medium and large municipalities and the data are unweighted. For the business sample, quotas were set for size within each sector and results were weighted by industry size.

The tables below provide the demographic profile of the sample.

The detailed findings from this research are presented in subsequent sections of this report. Additional details about the survey design, methodology, and sampling approach of the survey may be found in the Survey Methodology Report at Appendix A; also appended to this report are the interview guide and survey instruments (English and French) and detailed tabular results (presented under a separate cover).

Detailed Findings: Business Respondents

This section describes the findings from the 250 interviews conducted among business respondents.

Awareness and Impressions of Climate Change Relevance

Among business respondents, the plurality associates the term "climate change" with warmer temperatures and warmer weather. Respondents acknowledge that "climate change" also means more extreme and unpredictable weather events. Those in the power industry were most likely to cite extreme and unpredictable weather events (31%), while those in oil and gas were the least likely (12%).

The vast majority of business respondents agree that climate change is happening right now (70%). Those who work in oil and gas and forestry were slightly less likely than other business respondents to agree climate change is happening right now (69% and 67% respectively), while those who work in the power industry were the most likely to agree (82%). A larger proportion of large business respondents agree (88%) compared to small businesses (69%), though the sample size of large businesses is too small to draw any conclusions (n = 7).

Business respondents alike mentioned more frequent and severe weather events/storms as the most or second most serious impact of a changing climate. After severe weather events, economic effects—including loss of productivity and negative trade impacts—are top of mind for business respondents (9% name it as the most serious impact, 10% say it is the second most serious). Changing sea and lake levels, as well as erosion, are not far behind with 17% naming them as the first or second most serious consequence of climate change.

Overall, 19% of businesses respondents say that climate change will have a major impact on their region, while 43% say it will have a moderate impact. Those in the oil and gas sector are the least likely among businesses to report that climate change will have a major impact on their region (15%), though another 47% say it will have a moderate impact. In contrast, 22% in the mining sector expect climate change will have a major impact on their region, while 31% say it will have a moderate impact.

One quarter of business respondents agree that climate change is having an impact on their organization, while 46% expect climate change will have an impact on their organization. However, opinion varies among the industries surveyed. Those in the mining and power sectors are more likely than those in the forestry and oil and gas sectors to report that climate change is impacting or will have an impact on their organization. For example, over one third of those in the mining industry (34%) report climate change is having an impact, compared to 19% of those in the forestry industry and 26% in the oil and gas industry.

Roughly similar proportions of the business respondents who expect climate change will impact their organization in the future believe it will happen in the next 1–5 years. Just over one quarter overall (26%) agree, compared to 26% of those in oil and gas, 33% of those in mining, and 29% in both forestry and power. That said, there is some variation in the proportion who believe climate change won't impact their organization for the next 20 years or more—25% of both those in the mining and power samples expect this is the case.

Well over half of business respondents (61%) expect climate change will have a mainly negative impact. There is some variation between sectors. Those in the mining sector are the least likely to report it will have a mainly negative impact (44%) while those in the forestry sector are the most likely to do so (70%). Individuals in the power sector are the most likely to say climate change will have a mainly positive impact (30%). Those who expect the impacts of climate change will be mainly positive for their organization primarily say it will bring new business opportunities (66%), extend their operating season (23%) and result in warmer winter, thus lower energy costs (18%) and lower snow removal costs (18%). Another 18% also anticipate less seasonal unemployment and/or new employment opportunities. Those who report it will have a negative impact expect climate change will result in economic losses for their business (46%), increase infrastructure costs (29%), and mean more heat waves, leading to high cooling bills (24%), among other concerns.

The majority of all businesses and sectors surveyed, save for mining, report that climate change does not present a significant challenge to their organization. That said, 45% overall say climate change is either one of the most significant challenges or a significant challenge. This proportion is slightly lower in the oil and gas sector. Of the 7 large business respondents, 41% say climate change is one of their most significant challenges, compared to 16% of medium-sized business respondents and 7% of small business respondents.

Climate Change Adaptation

Across each of the four sectors, the majority of businesses surveyed say they are not currently taking action to adapt to climate change. Overall, 32% of business respondents report they are taking action and 24% claim they will take action in the future. Almost half (46%) say they are either currently taking action and/or plan to in the future. Climate change adaptation activities are the least common in the forestry industry (27%), while 43% of those in the power industry report that their organization is taking action. Small business respondents are slightly less likely to currently be doing anything to adapt (30%), while almost half of medium-sized businesses (49%) and roughly three quarters of the large business respondents surveyed (74%) report that their organizations are taking action.

Just over one quarter of business respondents (27%) report installing green infrastructure. Twenty-two percent mention broadly implementing their plan, and another 22% report changing the operation or maintenance of their infrastructure.

Business respondents' top three future planned activities are all related to planning, whether that be implementing plans already developed (24%), incorporating climate change adaptation into long-term planning (22%) or emergency response/disaster planning (22%). They also report aiming to assess the costs to their organization (23%) and engage in education/awareness initiatives (23%).

Of all the industries surveyed, those in oil and gas report they have been considering climate change in their decision-making for the longest time: 19% report it has been a consideration for 6–10 years, and 18% say they have been accounting for it for over 10 years. One quarter of those in the power industry also indicate they have considered climate change in their planning for 6–10 years, while an additional 14% say it's been going on for 10 or more years.

Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in Decision-Making

The primary source of information about climate change for businesses (56%) is the media, followed by internet searches (20%) and scientific journals and magazines (15%).

For business respondents, the cost of adapting to climate change is the largest barrier to taking climate change into account in decision-making (30% say it is significant) followed by the complexity of the policy change process (28%) and lack of experience (23%). Over half do not feel that they lack the capacity to apply tools and information, or feel they need to wait for other departments and/or organizations to act first before they can. The cost of adapting appears less of a concern to large businesses—just 12% of those surveyed say it is a significant barrier. Oil and gas, as well as mining respondents find the complexity of the policy change process more challenging (34% and 39% say it is a significant barrier, respectively) compared to those in the forestry and power sectors.

Over two thirds of business respondents (72%) agree they have the information they need to make decisions about climate change adaptation. However, among those who do feel they are missing information, the most common needs among businesses are projections of future climate conditions (34%), economic information (33%) and regional impact information (33%).

Finally, businesses report that tools and resources such as climate data (31%), regulations (31%), cost/benefit analysis (31%), risk assessment methods (30%) as well as codes/standards (30%) would assist them in adapting to climate change.

Detailed Findings: Municipal Respondents

This section describes the findings from the 100 interviews conducted among municipal respondents.

Awareness and Impressions of Climate Change Relevance

Among municipal respondents, the plurality associates the term "climate change" with warmer temperatures and warmer weather. Respondents acknowledge that "climate change" also means more extreme and unpredictable weather events. Those from Atlantic Canada were most concerned about extreme and unpredictable weather (55%), though the sample size was small (n = 11). Of note, the third most frequently mentioned topic is cold temperatures and colder weather. Taken together, the results suggest that discussion around climate change for these stakeholders includes how it will affect their communities beyond simply warmer temperatures and weather.

The vast majority agree that climate change is happening right now (82%). Across the municipalities, all of those surveyed from large municipalities agreed that climate change is happening right now, followed by 85% of those who work with medium-sized municipalities, and 79% of those who work with small municipalities.

Municipal respondents mentioned more frequent and severe weather events/storms and flooding as the most, or second most serious impacts of a changing climate. Effects on agriculture, changing water levels and impacts on water supplies are also of concern to municipalities.

Among municipal respondents, 11% feel climate change will have a major impact on their community, while 57% say it will have a moderate impact. Almost all of the large (82%) and medium sized (85%) municipality respondents expect climate change will have a major or moderate impact on their community, while fewer of the small municipality respondents say the same (64%).

Agreement that climate change is having an impact on their community is fairly consistent across municipalities. Overall, 51% agree, and an additional 43% expect climate change will have an impact. The percentage who say climate change is currently having an impact is highest among medium-sized municipalities (62%) and lowest among small municipalities (49%).

Overall, 35% of municipal respondents believe climate change will impact their community in the next 1–5 years, though this opinion varies widely between the sizes of municipality. Sixty percent of both large and medium-sized municipal respondents believe their community will feel the effects of climate change in 1–5 years, but among the small municipalities, just 27% agree. It is worth noting that the sample sizes for both large and medium-sized municipalities are small (n = 5 each), as only those who answered Q12 with "It is not having an impact on the organization, but it is possible" were asked Q13.

Among municipal respondents, those in medium-sized municipalities are most likely to say climate change will have a negative impact (77%), while 70% of small and 64% of large municipalities offer this perspective. Among the few who expect their community will experience positive impacts from climate change, the majority (60%) mentioned some other positive impact, but due to the small sample size, this is really three individual responses that did not fit any pre-coded category. Forty percent report it will reduce snow-clearing costs, and an equal percentage say it will result in more active transportation, such as walking and cycling. Among those who anticipate negative impacts, flooding and infrastructure costs are the top concern (55%), followed closely by economic losses (52%). Over one third (36%) also expect that changing water levels will negatively impact their community. Other weather events and consequences, including droughts (33%), forest fires (24%), storm surge damage (24%) and heat waves (24%), are also worrisome. Respondents from Atlantic Canada are particularly concerned about flooding (88%), and respondents in BC are worried most about forest fires (67%).

For municipalities, climate change, while not the greatest issue they face, is still a significant challenge. Over half across all municipality sizes hold this view. This proportion is notably higher in Atlantic Canada, where 91% of respondents report that climate change is a significant, though not their greatest, challenge.

Roughly half of municipalities (57%) describe their stakeholders as being at least somewhat concerned about climate change. This number is lower among larger municipalities (36%).

Climate Change Adaptation

Across all sizes of municipalities, over 50% report that they are taking action to adapt to climate change, while 42% of all municipal respondents have plans to take action in the future. Combined together, 72% of municipal respondents claim they are either already taking action or will in the future. Larger municipalities, as well as those in Atlantic Canada and BC are more likely to report currently taking action.

Municipal respondents report that their top activities are predominantly related to preparing for emergencies and/or natural disasters. For example, over half who are taking action report their activities include emergency response/disaster planning (51%) and 44% say they are engaging in flood management activities. In addition, 33% say they are both incorporating adaptation into long-term planning and preparing a climate change adaptation plan. Just over one quarter (28%) also report that they are engaging in drought management activities.

Municipal respondents' future activities underline their concern about flooding—36% report planning flood management activities. Almost one third (31%) report they will prepare a climate change adaptation plan, and the same proportion say they will engage in disaster planning.

Among municipal respondents, almost two thirds report that they have been considering climate change in decision making for five years or less, while 18% say it has been part of planning for 6–10 years, and 12% say 11 years or more.

Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in Decision-Making

The most commonly cited primary source of information about climate change for municipalities is the media (26%). Perhaps unsurprisingly, municipal respondents also frequently mention government sources (20%) and provincial government (18%).

The cost of adapting stands out as the single most significant barrier for municipal respondents—almost three quarters report it is a significant barrier. A plurality also reports that lack of capacity (48%) and lack of experience (40%) are significant barriers. Respondents from Quebec (63%) and BC (64%) are more likely to cite a lack of capacity as a major obstacle. Lack of information and the need to make a business case are less concerning for municipal respondents.

Two thirds (67%) of municipal respondents agree they have the information they need to make decisions about climate change adaptation. Municipal respondents would like more information on regional impacts (59%), as well as best practices (57%), economic information (50%) and projections of future conditions (46%).

Finally, almost half of municipal respondents (45%) would like cost/benefit analysis, adaptation/planning guidance (44%), codes or standards and climate data (both 42%).

Conclusions

The findings from both the qualitative and quantitative phases of the study, and both samples of respondents, clearly demonstrate there is widespread understanding within both Canadian municipalities and the business sectors surveyed that climate change is occurring, that it is evidenced by the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events and flooding and that it will certainly have an impact on their municipal or business planning and operations.

While a few do feel there may be some benefits to a changing climate, the overwhelming tendency is certainly to see the impacts of a changing climate as being predominantly negative. There is some variance on the magnitude of the impact a changing environment will have on their organization, but no matter the sector or the size of municipality, the majority tend to feel the impact will be at least moderate, if not major. The one-on-one interviews shed more light on the impressions of the magnitude of impact with some who feel that the impact will "only" be moderate feel that is because they anticipate being prepared and ready to adapt to the changing climate. Asked what the impact would be if they did not prepare, the response was always that the impact would be much more severe. Similarly, while the vast majority of respondents indicate being no more than "somewhat concerned," interviews suggested concern may be tempered by a level of confidence in the ability to adapt.

However, there is a notable difference between municipal respondents and business respondents when it comes to whether or not that are already taking or planning to take action in order to adapt to a changing climate. While the vast majority of municipal respondents say this is already the case, just under half of the business respondents surveyed offer the same response. The one-on-one interviews with trade associations offered some insight on this, suggesting that many of their member companies—and more particularly the smaller enterprises—may be in situations where action may be expected, but is not yet in the planning stage, perhaps as questions about the best course of action are more clearly answered. The data also indicate that compared to municipal respondents, business respondents are more confident they already have the information they need, less likely to identify any specific barrier as preventing them from taking action and are less likely to feel that any particular resource or tool would help enable them to take action.

Business respondents are about equally interested in any resource offered, with roughly one quarter to one third indicating any of the items offered would be of interest. Interviews with the industry associations included in this study suggested that helping develop communications directed at owners and operators in their sector may be helpful for accelerating the planning process and this may include the provision of compelling and scientific evidence of the impact on their respective operations, as well as assistance with aligning regulations and the policies of regulatory bodies with the imperative of taking action to adapt to a changing climate.

Municipal respondents, on the other hand, are clearer about there being a hierarchy of barriers with most describing cost as a significant barrier. Further, when asked what tools or resources would be helpful for taking action, access to information that is specific to their region and best practices stand out as the types of information most commonly needed.

Appendix A: Survey Methodology Report

Survey Methodology

Earnscliffe Strategy Group's overall approach for this study was to conduct a telephone survey of 350 individuals, including 100 who occupy Chief, Manager or Director of Planning positions in municipalities and 250 individuals occupying Head of Operations or Chief Risk Officer positions in natural resource industries across Canada, using Léger's centralized call centre using state of the art Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system. A detailed discussion of the approach used to complete this research is presented below.

Questionnaire Design

The questionnaire was designed in English in consultation with NRCan, drawing on the 2009 National Climate Change Adaptation Benchmark Survey as appropriate. The survey was then translated, and offered to respondents in both English and French and completed based on their preferences.

Sample Design and Selection

The total sample for the telephone survey was 350 individuals, which included:

• Municipalities—a random sample of 100 individuals occupying Chief, Manager or Director of Planning positions in municipalities across Canada that reflect the geographic distribution of the population.
• Natural resource industries—a stratified sample of 250 individuals occupying Head of Operations or Chief Risk Officer positions across Canada as identified by the NAICS codes below provided by the client.

As per common practice of Statistics Canada, small businesses were defined as those with fewer than 100 employees, medium-sized businesses as those with 100–499 employees, and large businesses as those with 500 or more employees. Small municipalities were defined as those with a population of 1,000 up to 29,999, medium were those with a population of 30,000–99,999, and large municipalities were those with a population of 100,000 or more.

Data Collection

Interviews were conducted via telephone from Léger's centralized call centre using state of the art Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system. The CATI system manages all the calling mechanics (e.g. random dialling, setting appointments, managing call backs) as well as the questionnaire management mechanics (e.g. skip patterns, auto-coding) thereby freeing up the live interviewer to develop a rapport with the respondent and complete the survey more efficiently and effectively. In addition, to help with response rates, all calls are routed through a local area code (rather than a 1–800 number) to encourage potential respondents with call displays to answer the telephone. Data collection occurred from February 5, 2018, to March 14, 2018.

Targets

Quotas were set to ensure participation from industries across provinces and regions. Quotas were established on business size, sector and municipality size as follows:

In the case of municipalities, the final sample was fairly consistent with the known distribution of small, medium and large municipalities and as a result, the results have not been weighted. The aggregate municipal results can be considered accurate to within +/-9.8% at the 95% confidence level.

In the case of the business sample, the distribution of small, medium and large businesses within each sector was similar enough to the known distribution that it was decided that no weight would be applied based upon size. However, since the relative sizes of the sectors in the stratified quota structure was not reflective of reality, a weight was applied by sector so that the aggregate results of the business sample would be representative of the universe being studied. The aggregate business results can be considered accurate to within +/-6.2% at the 95% confidence level.

Quality Controls

Prior to launching the full survey, Earnscliffe and Léger conducted 77 probing pre-tests. In addition to the questions in the survey, respondents were asked if they found any aspect of the survey difficult to understand, if the language was clear and if they found any of the terms confusing.

Results

FINAL DISPOSITIONS

The telephone survey achieved a response rate of 5.71%.

SURVEY DURATION

The average survey duration was 15 minutes.

Appendix B: Questionnaire

Objectives

This research will provide NRCan with the data and analysis required to examine the extent to which municipal governments and natural resource industries have made plans towards climate change adaptation. More specifically, this study is designed to:

• Examine the extent to which municipal governments and natural resource industries have progressed in assessing risks to organizations and businesses from a changing climate and the types of adaptation actions being planned and undertaken; and
• Better define enablers of action on this issue and any remaining barriers to action that may need to be addressed by the federal government programming, including that of Natural Resources Canada.

Unless otherwise noted, answer categories were read out to respondents.

Survey Introduction

BUSINESS SAMPLE: IF CONTACT NAME IS AVAILABLE IN SAMPLE FILE:
Good morning/afternoon. May I please speak with CONTACT NAME?
IF PERSON IS NOT AVAILABLE, ARRANGE FOR CALL-BACK
IF PERSON IS NOT AVAILABLE OVER INTERVIEW PERIOD, ASK FOR ANOTHER DECISION-MAKER IN THE SAME AREA (I.E., WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR POLICIES AND PLANNING).

BUSINESS SAMPLE: IF CONTACT NAME IS NOT AVAILABLE IN SAMPLE FILE:
Good morning/afternoon. My name is _______________ and I am calling from Earnscliffe on behalf of Natural Resources Canada. May I speak to someone in your group or organization who is responsible for risk management, planning and/or operations?
INTERVIEWER INSTRUCTION: THE APPROPRIATE RESPONDENT IS SOMEONE WHO IS A DECISION-MAKER (RATHER THAN A TECHNICIAN).

MUNICIPAL SAMPLE:
Good morning/afternoon. My name is _______________ and I am calling from Earnscliffe on behalf of Natural Resources Canada. I would like to speak to someone in the administrator's office who is responsible for planning for your municipality. Can you please direct me to the appropriate person?
INTERVIEWER INSTRUCTION: THE APPROPRIATE RESPONDENT IS SOMEONE WHO IS A DECISION-MAKER (RATHER THAN A TECHNICIAN).

We have been retained by Natural Resources Canada to conduct research on how organizations in the public and private sectors are considering the issue of a changing climate and how it may affect planning and operations over time.

WHEN RESPONDENT IS REACHED REINTRODUCE:

Hello/Bonjour. My name is _______ and I am calling from Earnscliffe, a professional research firm. We have been retained by Natural Resources Canada to conduct research on how organizations in the public and private sectors are considering the issue of a changing climate and how it may affect planning and operations over time.

Would you prefer that I continue in English or French? Préférez-vous continuer en français ou anglais?

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. Please be assured that your responses are confidential and will not be reported individually nor attributed to you personally. The survey will take about 12 minutes to complete. May I continue?

Yes
No

[INTERVIEWER NOTES IF NECESSARY:

• This survey is registered with the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, the project number is XXXX.
• BUSINESS SAMPLE: We picked your organization at random from a list of organizations in specific industry groups.
• MUNICIPAL SAMPLE: We picked your municipality at random from a list of municipalities across Canada.
• Natural Resources Canada will use this information to design communications and programs that will assist organizations like yours in meeting the challenges of a changing climate.
• The contact person at Natural Resources Canada in charge of the project is XXXX. XXXX telephone number is (613) XXX-XXXX and XXXX e-mail address is XXXX@canada.ca
• The results of this survey will be available on the Library and Archives Canada web site in the Fall of 2018]

And, just to confirm, have I reached you on a landline phone or a cell phone?

Landline
Cell phone
Don't know/Refused

For your safety, are you currently driving?

Yes – SCHEDULE CALLBACK
No
Don't know/Refused

Section 1: Screening

• 1. This survey is being directed to people who have responsibility for planning within their organization. Is that part of your current role? [INTERVIEWER NOTE: For municipal, our focus is on planning in communities, not necessarily "policies." For businesses, our target interviewee is the person in charge of planning or operations or in a larger company, risk management.]

  Yes

  1

  No

  2

• 2. [IF Q1 = 2] Can I please speak to the person in your organization with overall responsibility for planning or risk management/operations?
  

  yes (REINTRODUCE WHEN CORRECT PERSON ON THE LINE)(REINTRODUCE WHEN CORRECT PERSON ON THE LINE)

  1

  Person unavailable (ARRANGE CALLBACK)

  2

  Prefer not to say [DO NOT READ. TERMINATE]

  9

• 3. IF JOB TITLE IN SAMPLE FILE: Can I confirm that your job title is [TITLE]? IF NO JOB TITLE IN SAMPLE FILE: What is your job title?

  Specify

  98

  Prefer not to say [DO NOT READ]

  99

• 4. [DO NOT ASK – RECORD GENDER]

  Male

  1

  Female

  2

• 5. [DO NOT ASK – RECORD PROVINCE FROM SAMPLE LIST]

  Newfoundland and Labrador

  1

  Nova Scotia

  2

  Prince Edward Island

  3

  New Brunswick

  4

  Quebec

  5

  Ontario

  6

  Manitoba

  7

  Saskatchewan

  8

  Alberta

  9

  British Columbia

  10

  Yukon

  11

  Nunavut

  12

  Northwest Territories

  13

• 6. [BUSINESS SAMPLE: DO NOT ASK – RECORD SIZE CATEGORY FROM SAMPLE LIST]

  Less than 100

  1

  100–499

  2

  500+

  3

• 7. [MUNICIPAL SAMPLE: DO NOT ASK – RECORD POPULATION CATEGORY FROM SAMPLE LIST]

  1,000–29,999

  1

  30,000–99,999

  2

  100,000+

  3

Thank you, let's begin the survey.

ENSURE THIS TEXT IS READ WHEN CORRECT PERSON IS ON THE LINE:

I want to assure you that all of information collected, used and/or disclosed will be used for research purposes only, will not deal with classified or confidential information, and will be administered as per the requirements of the Privacy Act. Your name or position will not be linked to the results. This survey is registered with the national survey registration system.

Section 2: Awareness & Impressions of Climate Change Relevance

• 8. What do you first think of when you hear the term "climate change?" What's the next thing that comes to mind related to climate change? [OPEN-END WITH PRECODED LIST, DO NOT READ LIST]

  Warmer temperatures/warmer weather

  1

  Colder temperatures/colder weather

  2

  Weather events more extreme/unpredictable

  3

  More storms

  4

  Stronger winds

  5

  More air pollution/lower air quality

  6

  Water levels are lower

  7

  Water levels are higher

  8

  More flooding/more severe flooding

  9

  Less ice/snow

  10

  Less rain/drought

  11

  More ice/snow

  12

  More rain

  13

  Affecting tundra/permafrost

  14

  More forest fires

  15

  Melting ice caps

  16

  Other (SPECIFY)

  98

  Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 9. Which of these best describes what is happening in terms of climate change in (IF GOVERNMENT: your region; IF BUSINESS: the regions of Canada in which your organization operates)? [READ]

  Climate change is happening right now

  1

  Climate change is not happening right now, but it will happen in the foreseeable future

  2

  Climate change is not happening right now and will not happen in the foreseeable future

  3

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 10. [IF Q9 = 1, 2 or 9] Thinking about (IF GOVERNMENT: your community; IF BUSINESS: the regions of Canada in which your organization operates), what do you think will be the most serious impact of a changing climate over the next 20 years? What do you think will be the next-most serious impact? CODE TWO RESPONSES ONLY - RECORD FIRST MENTION SEPARATELY. [DO NOT READ]

  Human health impacts

  1

  Droughts

  2

  Impacts on water supply

  3

  Changing sea/lake levels/coastal erosion

  4

  Flooding

  5

  More frequent or more severe weather events/storms

  6

  Forest (or wildland) fires

  7

  Heat waves

  8

  Permafrost change (melting, thawing, instability)

  9

  Effects on wildlife (changing migration patterns, species loss, invasive species, loss of habitat)

  10

  Effects on agriculture (growing season changes, crop failures)

  11

  Effects on tourism related to poorer weather

  12

  Economic effects (loss of productivity, negative trade impacts, increased trade opportunities)

  13

  No one most serious impact

  97

  Other (SPECIFY)

  98

  Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 11. [IF Q9 = 1, 2 or 9] How MUCH of an impact will a changing climate will have on (IF GOVERNMENT: your community /IF BUSINESS: the regions of Canada in which your organization operates), in the next 20 years? Would you say it will have a…?

  Major impact

  1

  Moderate impact

  2

  Minor impact

  3

  No impact at all

  4

  [DO NOT READ] Depends

  5

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 12. Thinking about how your organization may or may not be impacted, is climate change something that is already having an impact on your organization in any way, is not having an impact on the organization, but it may have an impact on the organization in the future, or is climate change something that will not have an impact on your organization?

  It is having an impact on the organization

  1

  It is not having an impact on the organization, but it is possible

  2

  Will not have an impact on the organization

  3

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 13. [IF Q12 = 2] How many years from now do you believe your organization will start to see impacts from a changing climate?

  1–5 years

  1

  6–10 years

  2

  11–19 years

  3

  20 years or more in the future

  4

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 14. [IF Q12 = 1, 2 or 9] Overall, will changing climate have a (mainly negative or mainly positive/mainly positive or mainly negative) impact on your organization? [ALTERNATE SAYING NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE FIRST]

  Mainly positive impact

  1

  Mainly negative impact

  2

  [DO NOT READ] Both positive and negative impacts

  3

  [DO NOT READ] Neutral or no impact

  4

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 15. [IF Q14=1] What, specifically, are some of the positive impacts or opportunities for your organization resulting from a changing climate? PROBE: Any others?

  Earlier/longer operating season

  1

  Warmer winters/lower energy costs

  2

  Increased tourism/longer tourism season

  3

  Increased water supply

  4

  Reduced winter snow clearing costs

  5

  Increased crop yields

  6

  Better conditions for livestock/wildlife

  7

  Increased active transportation (walking/cycling)

  8

  New business opportunities

  9

  [DO NOT READ] Other (SPECIFY)

  98

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 16. [IF Q14 = 2] What, specifically, are some of the negative impacts or risks for your organization resulting from a changing climate? PROBE: Any others?

  Increased heat waves/cooling costs

  1

  Shorter winter tourism season

  2

  Change in water levels/water supply

  3

  More drought

  4

  More floods

  5

  More smog

  6

  Economic losses

  7

  Infrastructure impacts/costs

  8

  More pests/diseases

  9

  Increase in forest/wildland fire

  10

  More storm surges/damage from sea level rise

  11

  [DO NOT READ] Other (SPECIFY)

  98

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 17. Which of the following best describes your ORGANIZATION'S view regarding climate change? Is it that…

  Climate change is one of the most significant challenges your organization faces

  1

  Climate change is a significant challenge, but not as serious as others your organization faces

  2

  Climate change does not present a significant challenge to your organization

  3

  [DO NOT READ] Neutral or no impact

  4

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 18. What about your clients or stakeholders? Would you say that they are generally very concerned, somewhat concerned, not very concerned or not at all concerned about climate change?

  Very concerned

  1

  Somewhat concerned

  2

  Not very concerned

  3

  Not at all concerned

  4

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

Section 3: Climate Change Adaptation

• 19. Adapting to a changing climate means taking actions that reduce the risks or take advantage of opportunities from changes in climate (e.g. changes in precipitation, temperature, sea level, or storms). Is your organization currently doing anything to adapt to the risks and opportunities resulting from a changing climate?

  Yes

  1

  No

  2

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 20. [IF Q19 = 1] What, specifically, is your organization currently doing to ADAPT to a changing climate? PROBE: Anything else? [DO NOT READ LIST]

  Assess the risks from climate change on the organization

  1

  Preparing a climate change adaptation plan

  2

  Have an adaptation plan

  3

  Incorporate adaptation actions in long-term planning/other corporate plans (e.g. risk mgmt)

  4

  Assess the costs to the organization

  5

  Emergency response/disaster planning

  6

  Education/awareness building activities

  7

  Creating guidelines or policies

  8

  Implementing actions/measures in our plan

  9

  Drought management actions /reducing water use

  10

  Flood management activities – flood mapping, land-use restrictions, downspout disconnection

  11

  Summer heat alert system /build awareness of risks from heat waves

  12

  Change design or location of infrastructure

  13

  Change operation /maintenance of infrastructure

  14

  Install natural or green infrastructure

  15

  Build retaining walls to protect from storm surges

  16

  Changes to energy distribution system

  17

  Habitat protection

  18

  Other (respondent to specify)

  98

  Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 21. Does your organization have any specific plans for FUTURE actions designed to ADAPT to the risks and opportunities provided by a changing climate?

  Yes

  1

  No

  2

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 22. [IF Q21 = 1] What actions are specifically planned? PROBE: Anything else? [DO NOT READ LIST]

  Assess the risks from climate change on the organization

  1

  Preparing/prepared a climate change adaptation plan

  2

  Incorporate adaptation actions in long-term planning/other corporate plans (e.g. risk mgmt)

  3

  Assess the costs to the organization

  4

  Emergency response/disaster planning

  5

  Education/awareness building activities

  6

  Creating guidelines or policies

  7

  Implementing actions/measures in our plan

  8

  Drought management actions /reducing water use

  9

  Flood management activities – flood mapping, land-use restrictions, downspout disconnection

  10

  Summer heat alert system/build awareness of risks from heat waves

  11

  Change design or location of infrastructure

  12

  Change operation /maintenance of infrastructure

  13

  Install natural or green infrastructure

  14

  Build retaining walls to protect from storm surges

  15

  Changes to energy distribution system

  16

  Habitat protection

  17

  Other (respondent to specify)

  98

  Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 23. [IF Q19 = 1] For how long has your organization been considering a changing climate in its decision-making?

  Less than one year

  1

  1–2 years

  2

  3–5 years

  3

  6–10 years

  4

  11 or more years

  5

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

Section 4: Barriers to Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in Decision-making

• 24. What are your organization's sources of information regarding climate change? PROBE: Any other sources? [DO NOT READ]

  Scientific journals/magazines

  1

  Internet searches?

  2

  Government sources (SPECIFY)

  3

  Internal/our own information/data

  4

  Universities and researchers

  5

  Industry associations/Municipal associations

  6

  Conferences/workshops/seminars

  7

  Webinars

  8

  Non-governmental organizations

  9

  The media

  10

  No information at organizational level

  97

  Other (SPECIFY)

  98

  Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 25. To what extent does each of the following represent a barrier to your organization better taking climate change into account in its decision-making? For each one I read, please tell me how much of a barrier it represents to your organization. [RANDOMIZE.]
  • a. Lack of expertise
  • b. The COST of adapting to the impacts of a changing climate
  • c. The complexity of policy change processes
  • d. Making a business case for implementing actions
  • e. The need to have other departments/organizations act first, before we can act
  • f. Lack of information about climate change and its impacts
  • g. Lack of capacity to apply tools and information
  • h. Competing organizational priorities

  Significant barrier

  1

  Minor barrier

  2

  Not a barrier

  3

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 26. What other barriers or challenges, if any, limit your organization's ability to make decisions about adapting to climate change?

  RECORD VERBATIM
  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 27. Do you have access to the information and tools you need to make adaptation-related decisions?

  yes

  1

  no

  2

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 28. [IF Q25f = 1 OR Q27 = 2] Specifically, what types of information do you lack?

  Information on impacts specific to region

  1

  Technology and design alternatives for infrastructure

  2

  Projections of future climate conditions/climate data

  3

  Relevant case studies/examples of what other organizations like ours are doing

  4

  Best practices information

  5

  Economic information (costs/benefits of action)

  6

  [DO NOT READ] Other (SPECIFY)

  98

  [DO NOT READ] Don’t know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 29. Are there any decision-making tools or technical resources that would assist your organization in addressing the impacts of climate change? PROBE: Any other types?

  Climate Data

  1

  Other data

  2

  Cost/benefit analysis

  3

  Risk assessment methods

  4

  (Adaptation) Planning guidance

  5

  Regulations

  6

  Codes or standards

  7

  [DO NOT READ] None

  96

  [DO NOT READ] Do not have/use such resources

  97

  [DO NOT READ] Don’t know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 30. Do you have any final comments about what would help organizations such as yours to face the challenges associated with a changing climate?

  RECORD VERBATIM
  [DO NOT READ] No

  96

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  99

• 31. [DO NOT ASK – RECORD SAMPLE TYPE]

  Business

  1

  Municipal

  2

Appendix C: In-depth Interview Guide

Objectives

These interviews will gather some deeper insights from specific perspectives that may not be adequately included in the telephone survey. They are a series of fourteen (14) one-on-one interviews designed to take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete, with the sample distributed as follows:

• Two (2) interviews among organizations representing municipalities and small businesses;
• Eight (8) interviews among corporate decision-makers comprised of two (2) interviews from among each of the four (4) sectors of specific interest;
• Four (4) interviews among decision makers in coastal municipalities.

Interview Introduction

Hello/Bonjour. My name is _______ and I am calling from Earnscliffe, a professional research firm. We have been retained by Natural Resources Canada to conduct research on how organizations in the public and private sectors are considering the issue of a changing climate and how it may affect planning and operations over time.

Your participation in this research is voluntary. Please be assured that your responses are confidential and will not be reported individually nor attributed to you personally or your organization. The interview will take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. May I continue?

Yes
No

[INTERVIEWER NOTES IF NECESSARY:

• We picked your organization at random from a list of organizations in specific communities or industry groups.
• Natural Resources Canada will use this information to design communications and programs that will assist organizations like yours in meeting the challenges of a changing climate.
• The contact person at Natural Resources Canada in charge of the project is XXXX. XXXX telephone number is (613) XXX-XXXX and XXXX e-mail address is XXXX@canada.ca
• The results of this research will be available on the Library and Archives Canada web site in the Fall of 2018]

Screening

• 1. [DO NOT ASK – RECORD GENDER]

  Male

  1

  Female

  2

• 2. [DO NOT ASK – RECORD ORGANIZATION]

  Specify

  98

• 3. [DO NOT ASK – RECORD PROVINCE FROM SAMPLE LIST]

  Newfoundland and Labrador

  1

  Nova Scotia

  2

  Prince Edward Island

  3

  New Brunswick

  4

  Quebec

  5

  Ontario

  6

  Manitoba

  7

  Saskatchewan

  8

  Alberta

  9

  British Columbia

  10

  Yukon

  11

  Nunavut

  12

  Northwest Territories

  13

• 4. IF JOB TITLE IN SAMPLE FILE: Can I confirm that your job title is [TITLE]? IF NO JOB TITLE IN SAMPLE FILE: What is your job title?

  Specify

  98

  Prefer not to say [DO NOT READ.]

  99

I want to assure you that all of information collected, used and/or disclosed will be used for research purposes only, will not deal with classified or confidential information, and will be administered as per the requirements of the Privacy Act. Neither your name, position nor organization will be linked to the results.

Thank you, let’s begin the survey.

Climate Adaptation Questions

• 5. Which of these best describes what is happening in terms of climate change in Canada?

  Climate change is happening right now

  1

  Climate change is not happening right now, but it will happen in the foreseeable future

  2

  Climate change is not happening right now and will not happen in the foreseeable future

  3

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 6. What are the reasons you have that impression?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 7. Thinking about how your (members/industry) may or may not be impacted, is climate change something that is already having an impact on (your members/your industry), is not having an impact, but it may have an impact in the future, or is climate change something that will not have an impact on (your members/your industry)?

  It is having an impact on the organization

  1

  It is not having an impact on the organization, but it is possible

  2

  Will not have an impact on the organization

  3

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 8. [IF IS HAVING OR WILL HAVE AN IMPACT] How MUCH of an impact will a changing climate have on (your members/your industry) in the next 20 years?

  Major impact

  1

  Moderate impact

  2

  Minor impact

  3

  No impact at all

  4

  [DO NOT READ] Depends

  5

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 9. What are the reasons you have that impression?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 10. What kinds of risks might climate change pose for your (members/industry)?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 11. Adapting to a changing climate means taking actions that reduce the risks or take advantage of opportunities from changes in climate (e.g. changes in precipitation, temperature, sea level, or storms). Is your organization already doing anything or planning on doing something to help your (members/industry) prepare for or adapt to a changing climate?

  Yes, doing

  1

  Yes, planning

  2

  No

  3

• 12. [IF DOING] What kinds of things are you doing? Are you planning on doing more? [PROBE IF NECESSARY: Are you doing anything on reducing risks from extreme weather, forest fires, sea level rise or other climate impacts?]

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 13. [IF PLANNING] What kinds of things are you planning? And when would that likely occur? [PROBE IF NECESSARY: Will these include anything on reducing risks from extreme weather, forest fires, sea level rise or other climate impacts?]

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 14. [IF NEITHER] What is the reason for that? Do you think that will change at some point? What would it take for that to change?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 15. How about the (members/industry) you serve? Would you say that people are generally very concerned, somewhat concerned, not very concerned or not at all concerned about climate change?

  Very concerned

  1

  Somewhat concerned

  2

  Not very concerned

  3

  Not at all concerned

  4

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 16. What are the reasons you have that impression? Why do you think they have that level of concern? Is it an appropriate level of concern? Why/why not?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 17. What is your sense of what things, if any, your (members are/industry is) doing anything to prepare for or adapt to a changing climate?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 18. What seems to be driving whether or not action is being taken or being planned? Is it common or uncommon?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 19. Is it enough? Why/why not?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 20. I'd like to know more about what factors may be preventing your organization or your (members/industry) from taking climate change into account for long-term business planning. Are there things that would need to happen for action to be planned or taken to prepare for a changing climate? If so, what are they? Events? Information? Training?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 21. [IF NECESSARY] I've got a list of a few potential barriers and I'd like you to tell me whether they are at play and if so, what might be done or what would have to happen to remove the barrier.
  • i. Lack of expertise
    _________________________________________________________________________________
  • j. The COST of adapting to the impacts of a changing climate
    _________________________________________________________________________________
  • k. The complexity of policy change processes
    _________________________________________________________________________________
  • l. Making a business case for implementing actions
    _________________________________________________________________________________
  • m. The need to have other departments/organizations act first, before we can act
    _________________________________________________________________________________
  • n. Lack of information about climate change and its impacts
    _________________________________________________________________________________
  • o. Lack of capacity to apply tools and information
    _________________________________________________________________________________
  • p. Competing organizational priorities
    _________________________________________________________________________________
• 22. Do you have access to the information and tools you need to make adaptation-related decisions?

  Yes

  1

  No

  2

  [DO NOT READ] Don't know/Prefer not to say/No answer

  9

• 23. Are there any types of information or tools your organization lacks in order to help your (members/industry) take climate change into their long-term business planning? What would be most helpful?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

• 24. Do you have any final comments about what would the Government of Canada could do to help organizations such as yours to face the challenges associated with a changing climate?

  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________________________________

This completes the interview. On behalf of Natural Resources Canada, thank you very much for your time and cooperation.

IF RESPONDENT ASKS FOR INFORMATION: You can get more information about this research by contacting XXXXX at Natural Resources Canada. XXXX telephone number is (613) XXX-XXXX and XXXX e-mail address is XXXX@canada.ca