Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has launched the next Canada in a Changing Climate: National Assessment Process of how and why Canada’s climate is changing; the impacts of these changes on our communities, health, environment, and economy; and how we are adapting. Learn more about our reports and process at Canada in a Changing Climate: National Assessment Process and at ChangingClimate.ca.
The reports produced through this process are structured to inform sound decision-making on climate change adaptation, without being policy prescriptive. They assess existing knowledge, drawing from peer-reviewed published literature, local and practitioner knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, government reports and other sources from the broader literature base.
The National Assessment Process Secretariat is currently seeking authors for the new report ‘Living in Our Changing Climate’ (title TBC). A brief description of each chapter follows. Examples of potential chapter content are included to provide context; lists are not set or exhaustive. Titles and order of chapters subject to change.
- Synthesis: Integrative, concise synthesis of the report content structured around a set number of key conclusions.
- Setting the Stage: Will introduce the report and place in context, explain key concepts, present the scope and goals of the report, and provide the framing around people and communities (considering culture, well-being and identity) and the urgency to adapt.
- Methodology: Will explain the assessment process, highlighting what was new and lessons learned. Could become an appendix.
- Healthy Ecosystems: Canada’s ecosystems and protected areas in a changing climate. Will consider biodiversity, invasive species, conservation, developed landscapes, ecosystem services and nature-based approaches to adaptation.
- Water: Canada’s water resources in a changing climate. Will consider water quantity and quality; and the implications for water security and sovereignty, especially in Indigenous communities and with respect to the US.
- Food: Canada’s food security in a changing climate. Will consider agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, non-commercial and Indigenous food systems, as well as culture and ways of life, food affordability/accessibility, land use, food sovereignty and international considerations (e.g. trade, transport, supply).
- Energy: Canada’s energy systems in a changing climate. Will consider different sources of energy (e.g., hydro, gas, oil, nuclear, renewables), energy networks and infrastructure, supply and demand, trade considerations, and linkages with mitigation.
- Infrastructure: Canada’s homes, buildings and transportation infrastructure in a changing climate. Emphasis on built infrastructure and focus on the community level – consider framing around coastal, northern, large urban areas and smaller municipalities.
- Resilient Economies: Canada’s economy in a changing climate. Will consider jobs, workers, trade, supply chains, and insurance, natural resources/resource-based communities, and Indigenous economies.
- Canadians in the World: International dimensions in a changing climate. Will discuss Arctic shipping, Canada’s safety and sovereignty, implications of shifting climate mobilities and migration, transboundary and international issues and cooperation.
Author roles
The Secretariat is seeking to select Coordinating Lead Authors for the main chapters listed above (4-10) as well as compile lists of potential Lead and Contributing Authors and Student Leaders. Each role is described below. Each author and their role will be acknowledged in the final report. Recognizing that women and equity deserving groups may be less likely to self-nominate for leadership roles, we strongly encourage individuals from these groups to apply for the role of Coordinating Lead Author as well as those of Lead Author for this report.
Coordinating Lead Authors (CLA’s)
There may be 1-3 Coordinating Lead Authors for a given chapter. CLA’s are responsible for the following main steps:
- Engaging lead and contributing authors (writing team size varies from ~5-10 authors)
- Developing the chapter outline and key messages
- Coordinating development of their chapters
- Reviewing and integrating content from the contributing authors
- Drafting introductory and synthesis text (and other sections as needed)
- Ensuring chapter format, writing guidelines and timelines are followed
- Responding to external review comments
The Secretariat and Advisory Committee will work with the CLA’s to build their writing teams and ensure that it contains the appropriate expertise and supports meeting diversity goals. CLA’s will also work closely with the science editors, to ensure accuracy and completeness of the content, especially while finalizing the drafts. Throughout the Assessment process there will also be intermittent face-to-face meetings with the Advisory Committee, in which the CLA’s will be expected to participate.
Lead Authors
CLA’s may engage 1-3 contributors as lead authors. Lead Authors may be experts in a topic within the chapter, not necessarily on all topics within the chapter. Lead authors are responsible for assessing the knowledge of their given topic and drawing linkages to other themes in the chapter and report.
The lead authors will be asked to do the following:
- Prepare content for the chapter, often for a complete section
- Review the full chapter content at key stages (pre-review, post review, pre-finalization)
- Fill in for the CLA at face-to-face meetings or in teleconferences, when the CLA is not available.
Contributing Authors
Contributing authors will be engaged by the lead authors to prepare specific content for the report (generally less than a lead author). Contributing authors may also be invited to prepare case studies. All contributing authors will be given the chance to review the full chapter before it is finalized.
Student Leaders
Students may assist with knowledge assessment/literature reviews, ensuring Secretariat-provided guidance is applied to the chapter, or contributing to the writing. Students of all levels (undergraduate to graduate) will be considered. It is recommended that you anticipate being a student for the next 2 or more years.
Expression of Interest instructions
If you wish to be considered as an author (all roles) for the next Canada in a Changing Climate: National Assessment Process, please fill out the form at the link below. The call will be open until April 8, 2025. *Please note there is a 10,000 character limit in the application form. If your resume exceeds 10,000 characters, please send it by email to the Secretariat using the contact details below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the anticipated time commitment for authors?
The assessment process began in 2024 and is expected to continue through to the end of 2028. Coordinating Lead Authors will be selected in April, with the intention of forming full author teams in the spring/summer of 2025. The expected report release is 2028. The time commitment for each of the roles varies. A survey from the last process indicated that the estimated number of days required to develop chapters ranged from 20-80 days. Lead and Contributing Authors generally will contribute less overall time. The workload at any given time is also highly dependent upon the stage of the process.
Throughout the assessment process, the Coordinating Lead Authors will be expected to attend meetings with the Secretariat and the Advisory Committee. These meetings will be conducted virtually except for one meeting a year, which will take place in person.
What is the difference between the author roles (i.e., Coordinating Lead Author, Chapter Lead Author, Contributing Author, Student Leader)?
Please refer to the ‘Author roles’ section of the webpage above.
What qualifications, expertise, experiences, etc., do authors require to be accepted for the different author roles?
Expressions of interest will be assessed by the NRCan Assessment Secretariat. Invitations for Coordinating Lead Author roles will be sent directly to successful applicants. The remaining roles will be selected later, in collaboration with the Coordinating Lead Authors for each chapter.
The selection process will consider familiarity with our Assessment reports and products, expertise experience in successfully leading collaborative writing projects, and on expertise on chapter themes and interdisciplinary issues, writing experience, and science communication. The author teams will also aim to be representative of different sectors, regions and academic disciplines across Canada working in climate change risks, impacts and adaptation, as well as reflect the diversity of Canada (e.g., including youth, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, 2SLGBTQQIA+, persons with disabilities). If needed, the Secretariat may move to a more targeted invitation process to fill any gaps in the author teams.
I will only be a student for the next year, should I still apply for the Student Leader role?
Students of all levels (undergraduate to graduate) should feel free to select as many different roles as they wish for the chapters of interest. It is recommended that if you wish to be considered for the Student Leader role, that you anticipate being a student for the next two years.
Can authors contribute to more than one chapter?
Yes, authors can contribute to multiple chapters, if appropriate.
What language(s) will the reports be written in?
Most chapters are developed in English through collaboration with the author teams. Once chapter content is finalized, it will go through a translation process led by the Assessment Secretariat. The reports will be published in French and English.
When will I know if I have been accepted as an author or not?
The Expressions of Interest application form closes on March 31, 2025. Invitations for Coordinating Lead Author roles will be sent directly to successful applicants in April 2025. Remaining roles will be selected in collaboration with the Coordinating Lead Authors for each chapter, with the goal of having full author teams formed in the summer of 2025.
Will authors’ teams change as the writing process unfolds?
In certain circumstances teams may require changes. Contributing Authors can sometimes be added later in the process to develop Case Stories or specific content to fill a gap in the chapter. If required, this will be at the discretion of the Coordinating Lead Author, in collaboration with the Secretariat.
What kind of assessments are the National Assessment reports and how do these assessments differ from risk assessments and vulnerability assessments?
The National Assessment reports are considered ‘knowledge assessments’. Knowledge assessments are a critical evaluation of the current body of knowledge of climate change risks, impacts and adaptation, which include diverse sources of knowledge (e.g., local and practitioner knowledge, Indigenous knowledges, peer-review academic literature). They are meant to inform adaptation action but not be policy prescriptive. Risk assessments are based within different risk management approaches and use detailed, analytical methodologies to estimate probabilities and consequences that inform the selection of specific adaptation options. Vulnerability assessments follow specific and detailed methodologies to analyze exposure to climate change, sensitivity of the system and the adaptive capacity to address adaptation needs. Due to their specific nature, they are often based on place-based considerations.
What is the scope of the National Assessment reports?
The scope of the assessment reports is to assess, synthesize and share the latest knowledge on climate change risks, impacts and adaptation in Canada to help inform and advance decision making. This multi-year, collaborative process will provide several authoritative, state-of-knowledge reports that assess the impacts of climate change on Canadians and their communities and health, the environment and the economy. It will also highlight how Canadians are already adapting to climate change across the country.
How do these reports relate to and differ from the National Adaptation Strategy?
The National Assessment reports and the National Adaptation Strategy are different but related exercises in preparing Canadians to adapt to a changing climate. The National Adaptation Strategy is a policy document that provides guiding principles for adaptation and prioritizes goals and objectives to prepare Canadians for climate-related risks. The National Assessment Process provides foundational, non-policy prescriptive reports that assess the state of knowledge on climate change impacts and adaptation in Canada to inform and inspire adaptation actions.
Where will the reports be made public/accessible once they are published?
All published assessment reports will be made public once finalized and released. They are stored in the NRCan Open S&T Repository and can be accessed through the National Assessment Process NRCan webpage. In addition, the new reports will be available on ChangingClimate.ca.
Where can I find past National Assessment reports?
Previous National Assessment reports (and other products) published between 2019 and 2024 are available as accessible PDFs and interactive online formats available on ChangingClimate.ca. In addition, all previous assessment reports can be accessed through the National Assessment Process NRCan webpage.
Will the reports be made available in more languages than French and English?
Government of Canada policies require that all official reports are available in both English and French. Given how many unofficial languages are represented across Canada, including over 70 different Indigenous languages, it is challenging to select additional languages to translate. If there is an organization who is interested in supporting a specific translation of any chapter or report, please reach out to the Assessment Secretariat.
What is the timeline of the assessment process?
This assessment process was launched in 2024 after a year of scoping and is expected to continue until the end of 2028 with the report release. Most of the assessing and writing will occur in 2026/2027.
What guidance can authors expect on writing the chapters?
All author teams will be provided with chapter writing guidance from the Secretariat to ensure consistency across chapters.
How will the chapter outlines be developed?
Chapter outlines will be developed in collaboration with the Secretariat, Advisory Committee and Coordinating Lead Authors. This will ensure that there is continuity across chapters while providing flexibility for each chapter to explore its topic in detail. Each chapter will be comprehensive enough to be a stand-alone reference for its topical area while also fitting into the overall narrative of the full report, making linkages across chapters.
How will Indigenous Knowledges and authors be included in the reports?
Rather than a stand-alone Indigenous-led report like the For Our Future: Indigenous Resilience Report, in this cycle Indigenous Knowledges will be uplifted and considered throughout the reports. Strong efforts will be made to ensure First Nations, Inuit and Métis authors are involved in each report chapter and lead on any Indigenous content. All author teams will be expected to use the Guidance for Uplifting Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the Canada in a Changing Climate: National Assessment Process (forthcoming).
Who will be reviewing the writing and how will these reviewers be selected?
Like the Call for Authors, there will be a Call for Reviewers in which reviewers can indicate their capacity to review the content across the reports. Targeted subject matter expert reviewers will also be invited to review the chapters. The chapters will also undergo a rigorous science edit by the Assessment Secretariat and other forms of review (e.g., science communication, copyediting, etc.).
How rigorous will the review process be?
First order drafts of each chapter will undergo one round of external review (by ~10-20 reviewers), comments will be collected, classified and then shared with the author teams to help revise their chapters. There are other internal reviews that occur at different stages including science edits by the Secretariat that also consider the linkages between report chapters, the relevancy and accessibility of the content for the audiences, and how different forms of knowledges and the way these knowledges are shared are respected and represented throughout the reports.
What level of engagement and assistance can authors expect from the National Assessment Secretariat?
The Secretariat is responsible for the report as a whole, ensuring delivery of a cohesive and useful final product. The Secretariat organizes and coordinates the assessment process (including the external review), plan and lead meetings, develop and distribute materials to support the authors in their contributions, and provide information and assistance regarding all aspects of the assessment process. Specific guidance documents will be provided to the author teams, such as (but not limited to) writing guidance, guidance for uplifting Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and guidance on the ethical use of AI.
How will the National Assessment Secretariat ensure that there is diversity and representation across Canada on the chapter writing teams?
The writing teams will be selected based on familiarity with our assessment reports and products, expertise experience in successfully leading collaborative writing projects, and on expertise on chapter themes and interdisciplinary issues, writing experience, and science communication. The author teams will also aim to be representative of different sectors, regions and academic disciplines across Canada working in climate change risks, impacts and adaptation, as well as reflect the diversity of Canada (e.g., including youth, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, 2SLGBTQQIA+, persons with disabilities). If needed, the Secretariat may move to a more targeted invitation process to fill any gaps in the author teams.
Will authors be paid for their time?
Assessment reports are traditionally developed through volunteered time of the author teams; however, contribution agreements between the Coordinating Lead Authors host organization and the Secretariat are established, if needed, to help cover the costs of dedicated time, travel to meetings, engagement expenses, and to support chapter development, (e.g., honoraria to authors, supporting students). The Secretariat’s hope is that the in-kind support provided by chapter contributors is renumerated in other ways such as capacity building, career development, and opportunities to publish.
Can authors work remotely throughout the duration of the assessment writing process or are they expected to meet in person at times during the process?
Most of the work for all contributors will be remote. Throughout the assessment process, the Coordinating Lead Authors will be expected to attend meetings with the Secretariat and the Advisory Committee. These meetings will be conducted virtually except for one meeting a year, which will take place in person. The first joint in-person meeting is tentatively planned for the fall of 2025. It will be at the discretion of the Coordinating and Lead Authors how often the chapter writing team meets to discuss their chapter, but these meetings will generally be virtual.
Contact
We are very much looking forward to working with the new author teams. If you have any questions on the Canada in a Changing Climate: National Assessment Process or the roles of the author teams, please contact the Assessment Secretariat (nationalassessment-evaluationnationale@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca).