Library of climate resources

This National Standard of Canada draws on industry expertise and best practices in Canada and internationally to address requirements for managing erosion and sedimentation risks in coastal and lakeshore environments, open-channel environments, and terrestrial environments.

The purpose of this Standard is to provide requirements and recommendations for the installation and maintenance of erosion and sediment control (ESC) measures on construction sites. This Standard outlines installation and maintenance requirements associated with a number of commonly used ESC measures. In addition, this Standard provides general best practice guidance for installing and maintaining ESC measures in conjunction with construction activity, including standardized guidance with respect to adhering to product manufacturer instructions. This Standard further provides guidance for evaluating and selecting ESC measures based on intended functionality and site-specific applications. This Standard applies to the installation and maintenance of ESC measures during soil disturbing activities including a) earth works (e.g., stripping and grading, clearing and grubbing); b) construction of structures (including but not limited to housing subdivisions and commercial centres); c) construction of infrastructure (including but not limited to roads, bridges, utilities, sewers, and watermains); and d) expansion or rehabilitation of any of these facilities or structures.

This Standard provides requirements, recommendations, and guidance for understanding the potential risks to biomass supply chains, including the following risk categories and associated risk factors: a) supplier risk (including credit-worthiness/problematic future solvency of supplier; supplier contracts; supply inventory; conflicts of interest/vested interest with competing market; supplier control over production and transportation; distance from the proponent; supplier’s experience; supplier harvesting/collection/processing capacity; supplier motivation; human resource impacts); b) competitor risk (including competitor influence on the feedstock market; competitors’ competitive advantage); c) supply chain risk (including feedstock availability; historical issues; non-weather based externalities; risks related to feedstock production, harvest, and collection; transportation; supply chain resiliency; climate and natural risks; political and social; sustainability and environmental concern; greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting system); d) feedstock quality risk (including feedstock quality; specific feedstock quality variables); e) feedstock scale-up risk (including feedstock scale-up); and f) internal organizational risk (including feedstock cost margins; on-site inventory; internal feedstock yard operations; management and personnel).

The purpose of this Standard is to provide voluntary guidance on a flood hazard and vulnerability screening framework. The purpose of the screening is to support the process of prioritizing flood risk areas within an existing (previously developed) community comprised of residential and mixed uses. This Standard provides a transparent, evidence-based, and defensible framework that supports resource allocation decisions regarding flood risk-reduction at the community level. This Standard outlines voluntary guidance associated with a flood hazard and vulnerability screening framework. The purpose of the screening framework is to aid in the process of prioritizing flood risk-reduction work within existing communities. This Standard provides a) a guide to users; b) references to related publications; c) definitions for use in the Standard; d) a description of flood mechanisms; e) context of climate change considerations; f) approaches to prioritizing flood resilience works; and g) an overview of possible best practices.

This Standard outlines minimum requirements and recommendations for the management of a stormwater system established by an operating authority. It provides a standardized guidance process to manage a stormwater system to meet regulatory requirements, reflect sound policy decision-making, and demonstrate a high standard of care to minimize legal, environmental, social, and economic risks, especially given a changing climate and hydrologic conditions. It also provides a documentation protocol to ensure all changes and decisions made in policy and procedures are well documented, and identifies steps for operating authorities to internally audit their management system. It is written with flexibility such that it could be applicable to any size of stormwater system. This Standard provides a) an outline of the key policies and procedures needed for effective management of a stormwater system; b) a framework for increasing public safety by identifying and mitigating environmental, social, legal, and economic risks to the system; and c) the ability to demonstrate enhanced environmental outcomes through the effective application and continual improvement of the stormwater management system.

This Standard provides minimum requirements for the development and reporting of a natural asset inventory, which is the first step towards natural asset management. This Standard is designed to be sufficiently flexible that it can be applied in any jurisdictional context. It can also be used to include not only natural assets within a given jurisdictional boundary but also those in adjacent jurisdictions that provide important services. This Standard provides a) minimum requirements for natural asset inventories, i) including data gathering and processing requirements; ii) inventory structure requirements; iii) documentation requirements; and iv) requirements for maintaining and continually improving a natural asset inventory; and b) although not mandated by this Standard, minimum requirements for completing a condition assessment for natural assets, should the user(s) decide to complete one.

This is the fifth edition of CSA Z240.10.1, Site preparation, foundation, and installation of buildings. Significant changes to this edition address climate change adaptation with revisions and new provisions. This standard is intended to be referenced by regulatory authorities, land-lease community owners, and building designers and installers so that proper on-site installation of buildings can be achieved.

This standard applies to essential electrical systems and electrical installations in health care facilities. It helps to protect patients and staff by addressing electrical shock hazards associated with critical electrical systems as well as other aspects of electrical safety, such as fires and interference with proper operation. It ensures that health care facilities safely continue to function in times of catastrophic events such as those brought on by climate change. Clause 6 provides emergency power guidelines to ensure electrical power is continuously provided to the health care facility systems where the interruption of electrical power can jeopardize the safety of patients, staff and visitors.

This standard provides requirements and guidance for the planning, design, and construction of Canadian health care facilities. It addresses crucial aspects of health care facility design and management with the goal of ensuring that facilities safely support medical care and treatment, and essential infrastructure continues to function in times of catastrophic events such as those brought on by climate change. Clause 6 lists requirements for site design criteria, which includes examination of the climate, snow and wind studies, sun and shade studies, environmental site assessments, flood risk analysis, and other hazards. Clause 7 provides requirements for catastrophic event management involving the role of the health care facility and the services provided, including assessing the utility needs of the health care facility and contingency plans or backups in case of temporary or extended periods of loss.

This Standard sets out a framework for the operation and maintenance of a health care facility and provides requirements for the essential elements of an Operation and Maintenance program. It applies to buildings and architectural systems, site elements related to the building and its functions, systems, equipment, and services, as well as organizational policies and procedures. Continuity management is addressed in Clause 7 in the event of catastrophic events such as those brought on by climate change. The standard requires that each facility shall develop, implement, evaluate, maintain, and continually improve an emergency and continuity management program that includes plans for prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery in case of emergencies (natural, human-caused, or technological incidents that can occur anytime and anywhere).