Climate Change Adaptation and Biodiversity: Summary Report

British Columbia is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth, a veritable “biodiversity ark” – a refuge for thousands of species, from Canada’s largest population of large carnivores to the denizens of some of the last old-growth forests on the continent. Those species, threatened by the spread of human activity, now face an additional serious challenge posed by the impacts of climate change.This report lays out key aspects of this compounding challenge to BC’s biodiversity, and recommends ways to adapt by making the transition to an ecosystem-based economy that will include the full value of the province’s ecosystems in resource decision-making. This transition will necessitate a paradigm shift from the sectoral, agency-specific approach to one that considers ecosystems as whole systems that are governed, ideally, by a single agency. This shift will allow British Columbia to address the impacts of climate change while sustaining the province’s economy.