Harnessing the Four Horsemen of Climate Change: A Framework for Deep Resilience, Decarbonization, and Planetary Health in Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Widespread implementation of nature-based solutions like green infrastructure, provides a multi-functional strategy to increase climate resilience, enhance ecological connectivity, create healthier communities, and support sustainable urban development. This paper presents a decision-support framework to facilitate adoption of green infrastructure within communities using the Climate Change Local Adaptation Action Model (CCLAAM) developed for this purpose. It also presents an ecosystems-based approach to bridging the gap between climate change mitigation and adaptation actions in Ontario, Canada. Green infrastructure could be a viable strategy to address multiple climate change impacts and support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Nature-based cooling potential: a multi-type green infrastructure evaluation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

“…Climate change mitigation has been defined as human intervention to reduce anthropogenic forcing of the climate system, including strategies to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions (Solomon et al 2007;Anderson and Gough 2021a). On the other hand, climate change adaptation has been described as an adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities (Solomon et al 2007;Anderson and Gough 2021a). The application of green infrastructure provides a nature-based solution that addresses both climate change mitigation and adaptation interventions and reduces the impact of atmospheric warming.…”

“…Nature-based solutions have been defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as "actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits" (Cohen-Shacham et al 2016). Nature-based solutions provide a framework for five categories of ecosystem-based approaches, one of which is green infrastructure (Cohen-Shacham et al 2016;Cohen-Shacham et al 2019;Seddon et al 2020;Anderson and Gough 2021a).…”

Nature-Based Equity: An Assessment of the Public Health Impacts of Green Infrastructure in Ontario Canada

“…Nature-based solutions have been defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits” [ 1 ]. Nature-based solutions describe the five categories of ecosystem-based approaches which include green infrastructure [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Widespread implementation of green infrastructure provides a nature-based solution to alleviate environmental stressors from climate change and to perform the dual functions of climate change mitigation and adaptation simultaneously [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”

“…Nature-based solutions describe the five categories of ecosystem-based approaches which include green infrastructure [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Widespread implementation of green infrastructure provides a nature-based solution to alleviate environmental stressors from climate change and to perform the dual functions of climate change mitigation and adaptation simultaneously [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Green infrastructure can function as a complex form of adaptation that both minimizes the most harmful effects of climate change on human health and mitigates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that cause climate change.…”

“…Green infrastructure is defined as a series of interconnected networks of natural and constructed green space which provide various ecosystem services. Figure 1 shows the different applications of green infrastructure categorized into five areas: green roofs, green walls, urban vegetation and forestry, urban agriculture systems, and tree-based intercropping systems [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”