Item - 2010.EX46.35

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.         City Council authorize the Director of the Toronto Environment Office to negotiate and execute license agreements for sharing the Climate Change Risk Assessment Process and Tool, at no cost, with interested government Ministries, academic institutions and not-for-profits within the Province of Ontario identified in Attachment 1 in the report (August 3, 2010) from the Director, Toronto Environment Office, or those residing in Ontario meeting the criteria identified in Attachment 1 in the report (August 3, 2010) from the Director, Toronto Environment Office, at his discretion, on terms outlined in Attachment 2 in the report (August 3, 2010) from the Director, Toronto Environment Office, and otherwise on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Director of the Toronto Environment Office and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2.         City Council authorize the Director of the Toronto Environment Office, in conjunction with the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, to negotiate and execute license agreements, including cost recovery considerations which may be offset by in-kind resources, in order to provide the Climate Change Risk Assessment Process and Tool to parties outside of Ontario identified in Attachment 1 in the report (August 3, 2010) from the Director, Toronto Environment Office, or those outside of Ontario meeting the criteria identified in Attachment 1 or for-profit parties, at his discretion, on terms outlined in Attachment 2 in the report (August 3, 2010) from the Director, Toronto Environment Office, and otherwise on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Director of the Toronto Environment Office, and the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

3.         City Council direct the Director of the Toronto Environment Office to report back to Executive Committee and City Council on the sharing of the Climate Change Risk Assessment Process and Tool within two years.

The Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan (the “Climate Change Action Plan”) adopted by City Council in July 2007, specified the development of a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which was subsequently adopted by City Council in July 2008.  One of its key components is the development of a process to identify and prioritize risks and identify, assess and implement adaptation actions that will reduce the City’s vulnerability to changing weather patterns including more frequent and severe extreme weather events generated by climate change.

To fulfill this vulnerability component of the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, the Toronto Environment Office has developed "Toronto's Climate Change Risk Assessment Process and Tool ("the Risk Assessment Tool”) with significant international benchmarking and stakeholder engagement.  The Risk Assessment Tool is a computerized software program that helps service and infrastructure providers prioritize high risk climate change impacts and identify the need for adaptation actions to reduce the severity of those impacts and therefore reduce risk.  

The engagement process has resulted in a strong stakeholder interest in gaining access to this Risk Assessment Tool to help strengthen their ability to respond to climate change.  This Staff Report identifies the merits of sharing the Risk Assessment Tool with interested government Ministries, academic institutions and not-for-profits within the Province of Ontario and recommends that City Council permit the Director of the Toronto Environment Office, in conjunction with the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, to licence, with consideration to cost recovery, to other interested parties.