The goal to protect, connect, and restore ecosystems is critical for adaptation to climate impacts. Incorporating nature-based solutions alongside actions that reduce emissions supports the guiding principle of zero-carbon resilience. For example, this could include incorporating green infrastructure in road standards along with protected walking and cycling facilities. Shifts under this goal aim to bolster existing policies and programs for ecological management, assess and evaluate existing conditions and risks, and create and implement plans for improving ecosystem health.
5.1. Protect, connect, and restore ecosystems
Adaptation potential
Mitigation potential
Equity
Health
Resilience
Prosperity
Shifts – What is needed to reach this goal?
E1. Explore opportunities to further protect, manage, and restore ecosystems, and incorporate green infrastructure on City-owned lands, to improve ecological and climate resilience
E2. Implement policies and practices to manage natural assets and biodiversity for ecological and climate resilience
E3. Review opportunities to strengthen environmental review processes, bylaws and policies for development and infrastructure projects to better support climate resilience and biodiversity
E4. Inventory, assess, and monitor ecosystems and green infrastructure to support adaptive management
E5. Manage rainwater to improve ecological and climate resilience
- Large geographic area with variety of ecosystems such as forests and streams
- Policies such as Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, Urban Forest Management Strategy
- Pilot projects exploring nature-based solutions, natural assets inventory
- Green infrastructure (natural assets and naturebased solutions) improves resilience
- Healthy ecosystems help clean the air and water, support mental health and wellbeing
- Protecting natural assets reduces costs of upgrading engineered infrastructure