BC Housing Climate Risk Assessment Framework Tool

Burnaby, British Columbia

Morrison Hershfield (now Stantec) developed a portfolio-scale Climate Risk Assessment Framework (CRAF) tool that allows BC Housing to apply a standardized approach to integrating climate risk and resilience at its assets across the province. This first-of-its-kind tool can be used to assess site viability for new development, development proposal scoring across sites, and prioritization and budgeting of risk mitigation strategies. With a goal of achieving balance between comprehensiveness and ease of use, the tool focuses on six priority climate risk categories projected into the 2050s and 2080s, including extreme heat events, extreme rainfall and flooding, emergency power, wildfire risk, wildfire smoke, and general air quality. Notably, this tool has potential for future expansion to address additional climate risks and communities.

The jury gave high praise to this framework for its proactive, forward-thinking approach to addressing the potential impact of future challenges and climate risks. They were also impressed by the focus on the end-user and the consideration for vulnerable communities most impacted by climate disasters.

For additional information on this project, click here.