https://finance.yahoo.com/news/intact-announces-2-3-million-170000703.html
MONTREAL , April 25, 2019 /CNW/ - During the Nature Champions Summit
today, Intact Financial Corporation ("Intact") (IFC.TO) announced a
commitment of $2.3 million to 16 Canadian charitable partners – from
coast to coast – focused on protecting Canadians from the impacts of
climate change.
"Climate change is having an enormous human and economic impact," said
Charles Brindamour , CEO of Intact. "Canadians – especially government
and business leaders – can lead the way in addressing and managing the
associated risks. By making our country one of the most climate
resilient in the world, we can protect our nature, our economy and our
people."
The 16 selected charitable partners explore concrete solutions for
managing climate change, including how the maintenance and restoration
of natural assets can protect against flooding. For example, ALUS
Canada: A Weston Family Initiative, recipient of $248,000 , aims to
establish natural infrastructure projects on environmentally-sensitive,
marginal agricultural lands to increase water retention, decrease
overland flood, lower erosion risks and filter water.
"As this week's Summit has made clear, nature and natural resources are,
and have always been, among Canada's greatest assets," said Brindamour.
"It is becoming increasingly apparent that these resources can be
harnessed as critical infrastructure and leveraged to manage the risks
associated with climate change. We have a responsibility to advance this
work to ensure the long-term resilience of our country."
Quick Facts
From 2009 to 2015, the Federal Disaster Financial Assistance
Arrangements payment to provinces was more than the previous 39 years
combined.
Floods in Central and Eastern Canada have cost our economy more
than $3 billion in the last two years – and 40 per cent of property
claims are flood related.
Last year, the Insurance Bureau of Canada revealed that the average
cost of a flooded basement is $43,000 .
Not only do natural assets help maintain biodiversity, they can act
as a strong complement or a viable alternative to built infrastructure
options for flood mitigation.
According to a 2018 report by Insurance Bureau of Canada , Intact
Centre on Climate Adaptation and International Institute for Sustainable
Development (IISD), wetlands can reduce flood damages by 40 per cent.
As part of its commitment to building more resilient communities, Intact
has been at the forefront of climate change adaptation in Canada for the
past ten years. In 2015, the company established – by funding $4.25
million – the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of
Waterloo , an applied research centre dedicated to helping Canadians
cope with the effects of extreme weather and climate change. The Intact
Centre focuses on developing practical solutions for Canadian
homeowners, including through a dedicated home flood protection program
and the development of new flood and building code standards in
collaboration with Canadian governments.
The Intact Foundation will be investing another $1 million in climate
adaptation projects in 2019. Applications from charitable organizations
will be accepted starting in September.
Current Charitable Partners:
ALUS Canada – implementing natural infrastructure projects in
marginal or inefficient-to-farm agricultural lands.
Bluenose Coastal Action – working directly with municipal partners
in southwest Nova Scotia to locate, design and install low impact
development projects (LIDS) with the aim of improving storm water
management.
Community Forests International – reversing the clearcutting trend
and embracing new financial tools that incentivize natural
infrastructure improvement for flood risk reduction.
Conseil régional de l'environnement et du développement durable de
l'Outaouais – reducing the impact of urban heat islands by implementing
urban greening initiatives.
Ducks Unlimited Canada – restoring urban wetlands as a form of
natural infrastructure that will increase community resiliency through
flood mitigation while also enhancing water quality, wildlife habitat
and outdoor recreation opportunities.
FireSmart – addressing the need for a standardized system that
offers defendable, detailed customized wildfire risk assessments and
tracked measurable risk reduction for homes.
Green Calgary – promoting flood prevention through rainwater
harvesting.
Green Learning Canada Foundation – engaging youth through flood
education, with the goal of helping them prepare their homes and schools
for a flood event.
Nature-Action Québec – shoreline restauration of the Hazen Bleury
and Barbotte rivers targeted for their vulnerability to flood
Nature Québec – helping municipalities reduce the number of heat
islands and air pollution through heat island mapping, public awareness
and urban greening
Nature Conservancy of Canada – protecting and restoring wetlands in
Ontario and Quebec to help reduce the impact of severe storms.
The Miistakis Institute of the Rockies Inc. – creating a least
conflict lands planning tool to guide placement of large scale solar and
wind projects.
Sentier Urbain – creating urban gardens to improve water management
and reduce CO2 emissions in the Garden Circuit in Southern Montreal .
University of Alberta – developing a computer program that
recognizes large-scale atmospheric patterns that lead to extreme fire
weather using AI.
University of British Columbia – developing post-fire recovery
strategies to prevent future forest fires and increase climate
resilience in 21 Canadian communities.
WWF-Canada – restoring water to the urban landscape to improve
water management and strengthen Montreal's resilience by uncovering
underground rivers and recreating new urban rivers.
About Intact Financial Corporation
Intact Financial Corporation (IFC.TO) is the largest provider of
property and casualty (P&C) insurance in Canada and a leading provider
of specialty insurance in North America , with over $10 billion in total
annual premiums. The Company has approximately 14,000 full- and
part-time employees who serve more than five million personal, business
and public-sector clients through offices in Canada and the U.S. In
Canada , Intact distributes insurance under the Intact Insurance brand
through a wide network of brokers, including its wholly-owned subsidiary
BrokerLink, and directly to consumers through belairdirect. In the U.S.,
OneBeacon Insurance Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary, provides specialty
insurance products through independent agencies, brokers, wholesalers
and managing general agencies.
=====================================
To subscribe, unsubscribe, turn vacation mode on or off,
or carry out other user-actions for this list, visit
https://www.freelists.org/list/keiths-list