Backgrounder: Climate Ready Ottawa

Climate Ready Ottawa is the City’s strategy to prepare for the impacts of climate change and build long-term resilience across Ottawa. It outlines a five-year action plan (2026-2030) focused on protecting people, infrastructure and essential services from the most urgent climate risks, such as flooding, extreme heat and severe storms.

Ottawa is already experiencing more frequent and severe weather events. Without action, these risks will continue to grow, affecting residents, disrupting services and increasing costs. Climate Ready Ottawa ensures the City is planning ahead rather than reacting to problems after they happen. The strategy brings different City teams and community groups together to deal with risks before they get worse.

The strategy includes seven priority programs that will deliver visible benefits across the city.

• Flood Preparedness: Infrastructure upgrades, risk assessments and response plans, home retrofits and community outreach to reduce flood risks and protect vulnerable neighbourhoods
• Cooling Strategy: More shaded areas, water access and cooling features in parks and public buildings to protect residents during heat waves, and greater outreach and support to heat-vulnerable residents
• Community Climate Preparedness: Grants and education for extreme weather preparedness, with a focus on those most at risk and support for resilient home upgrades
• Critical Infrastructure Protection: Safeguards for essential services like water and wastewater treatment, transit, and emergency services during floods, power outages and extreme weather
• Climate-Ready Infrastructure: Testing new technologies, updating design standards and adopting nature-based solutions to make City infrastructure more resilient
• Tree and Natural Asset Management: Tree planting and maintenance, and the protection of natural systems from fire, drought, pests and erosion
• Extreme Weather Preparedness and Response: Improved emergency plans, training, equipment and partnerships to respond to severe weather events

Climate Ready Ottawa is designed to make smart, targeted use of existing resources. While the strategy does not depend on major new funding increases, prioritizing ongoing investments to focus on the most urgent risks, it does recognize that some enhanced resources, including financial investment, will be required. The aim is to ensure long-term value through proactive planning and coordination, and by aligning resources where they will have the greatest impact.  

The strategy identifies $25 million in tax-supported funding needs over five years. These will be brought forward through the annual budget process starting in 2026. The funds will support high-impact programs like cooling strategies, extreme weather preparedness, and risk assessments and mitigation plans for critical infrastructure. An additional $149.5 million in confirmed rate-supported investments will enhance flood resilience programs and upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure to ensure critical services can continue during emergencies.

Climate resilience is a shared responsibility. The City is focusing efforts where it can have the greatest impact, including infrastructure planning, emergency readiness and community support. At the same time, it is working with residents, businesses, institutions and other levels of government to achieve citywide results. The City will use a risk-based prioritization framework to guide funding decisions, focusing resources on the most pressing risks with the greatest potential impact on lives, property, and essential services, and on reducing long-term costs.

Equity is a core principle of Climate Ready Ottawa. The strategy prioritizes support for residents who face the greatest risks and barriers to recovery, such as those living in flood-prone areas, people without shelter, seniors, newcomers and individuals with limited financial resources. These groups often have greater exposure to climate hazards and fewer options to prepare or respond.

Accountability is built into Climate Ready Ottawa through clear roles, annual tracking and public reporting. The strategy is governed under the City’s Climate Change Master Plan, with oversight from senior leadership and a Council sponsor group. Each department is responsible for delivering specific programs and projects, supported by the Climate Change Master Plan prioritization framework that will ensure resources are directed to the actions that offer the strongest protection against the most serious climate risks. The City will review and refresh the strategy after five years to reflect evolving risks and lessons learned.

This strategy focuses on helping Ottawa adapt to changing weather and climate conditions. At the same time, the City is working to reduce the emissions that cause climate change through its Energy Evolution Strategy, which outlines how Ottawa will shift to clean, renewable energy.