Bill 198 explained in plain English
Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Act, 2024
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill 198 creates a framework for Ontario to plan and fund climate change adaptation and resilience activities across government, infrastructure, agriculture and natural ecosystems.
Bill 198, the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Act, 2024, is a private members' bill that establishes a coordinated provincial approach to help Ontario adapt to and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The bill requires the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks to develop a strategic action plan within two years that addresses climate risks including floods, extreme heat, intense storms, wildfires and droughts. The plan must identify vulnerable communities and include measures across multiple areas. The bill creates three main new structures: 1. **Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund** — An independent arm's-length fund (within two years) that will provide direct financing for adaptation projects and support innovative funding initiatives. 2. **Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Resource Centre** — An information hub (within one year) that will collaborate with existing adaptation institutes, provide climate and hydrological data, translate scientific information for the public and communities, support adaptation practitioners, host sector-specific working groups, assist municipalities with planning, and report annually to the Legislative Assembly on adaptation progress. 3. **Whole-of-Government Climate Adaptation Co-ordination Secretariat** — Established by cabinet to coordinate climate adaptation plans across all government ministries and agencies, conduct research, report to the Legislative Assembly, and consult with federal, municipal, Indigenous and external experts. The strategic action plan must address nine specific areas: flood management, extreme heat preparedness, protection from intense storms, wildfire protection, infrastructure resilience, agriculture and food security, natural environment and ecosystems, and establishment of a Youth Climate Corps. Specific measures include: developing flood risk maps and public portals; identifying vulnerable heat-risk areas; updating building codes for climate resilience; protecting prime agricultural land; restoring wetlands; amending the Residential Tenancies Act to set maximum temperature requirements for rental units; expanding tree canopy and green spaces in cities; assessing cooling needs in schools and care facilities; year-round wildfire management; and investigating forestry practices' impact on wildfire risk. The plan must be reviewed every two years by the Legislative Assembly and published on a government website. Many provisions require legislative appropriation of funds to take effect. The Act comes into force upon Royal Assent.
- Requires the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks to develop and publish a comprehensive strategic action plan within two years to protect Ontario citizens, communities, infrastructure and natural environment from climate change risks
- Establishes an arm's-length Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund within two years to provide financial support for adaptation and resilience activities
- Establishes the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Resource Centre within one year to provide information on climate impacts and adaptation, synthesize research, support adaptation practitioners, and report annually on progress
- Requires cabinet to establish a Whole-of-Government Climate Adaptation Co-ordination Secretariat to coordinate climate adaptation plans across all government ministries and agencies
- Requires the strategic action plan to address flood management including flood risk mapping, public portals for flood information, conservation authority powers, and adoption of CSA flood resilience standards
- Requires measures for extreme heat preparedness including heat risk mapping, heat-related illness data systems, urban cooling strategies, cooling in schools and care facilities, and amendments to Residential Tenancies Act for maximum temperature requirements
- Requires measures to protect from intense storms including support for investigation into storm patterns and improving severe weather warning systems
- Requires measures for wildfire protection including assessing wildfire risk, extending fire seasons in regulations, year-round wildfire management operations, and forest management practices
- Requires measures to increase infrastructure resilience including guidelines for climate risk management, regulatory obligations for critical infrastructure, updated Ontario Building Code requirements, and annual reporting on vulnerabilities
- Requires measures for agriculture and food security including protecting prime agricultural land, revising agricultural policy, supporting on-farm adaptation practices, soil health strategies, and supporting crop variety research
- Requires measures for natural environment resilience including ecosystem connectivity, peatland conservation, natural asset mapping, and restoration of conservation authority powers
- Establishes an Ontario Youth Climate Corps to provide young people with paid hands-on experience in natural landscape restoration, wildfire risk reduction and resilient home retrofits
- Requires the Legislative Assembly to review the strategic action plan every four years initially, then every two years thereafter
- Requires the strategic action plan and amendments to be published on a government website
- Makes the Act come into force upon Royal Assent
- Ontario citizens and communities at risk from climate change impacts
- Vulnerable populations and communities identified as particularly susceptible to climate risks including extreme heat
- Tenants in rental units who will benefit from maximum temperature requirements
- Rental property owners who will be required to comply with temperature requirements and eligible for retrofit incentives
- Municipalities and conservation authorities responsible for flood risk mapping and management
- Municipal governments required to incorporate heat reduction strategies in official plans
- School administrators, childcare providers, hospitals and nursing homes required to assess cooling needs
- Farmers and agricultural producers who must adapt to climate impacts on crops and water availability
- Workers in heat-exposed occupations (roofing, road paving, agriculture) protected by new heat stress regulations
- Owners of critical infrastructure (energy, utilities, communications, transportation, water systems)
- Young people ages unclear from bill text who will participate in the Ontario Youth Climate Corps
- Forest managers and logging industry required to implement new forestry practices
- Owners of homes at high flood risk who may receive grants and incentives for flood protection measures
- Homeowners in areas with high heat vulnerability who may receive urban cooling benefits
- Conservation authorities whose powers and funding are addressed
- Indigenous partners and communities who must be engaged in climate adaptation planning
- Non-governmental and community-based organizations involved in adaptation activities
- The general public who will benefit from improved flood risk information, heat awareness campaigns and severe weather warnings
- The Minister must develop and publish a strategic action plan within two years addressing nine specific areas of climate adaptation
- The Minister must consult with Indigenous partners, municipal and regional governments, conservation authorities, adaptation institutes, public health agencies, and community organizations when developing the plan
- The Minister must establish the Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund within two years to finance adaptation activities
- The Fund must operate independently of government but remain accountable to the Legislative Assembly
- The Fund must provide both direct financing and support for innovative funding initiatives such as green revolving funds
- The Minister must establish the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Resource Centre within one year
- The Resource Centre must collaborate with existing adaptation institutes and provide comprehensive information to government, municipalities, organizations and the public
- The Resource Centre must create one-window access to regional climate and hydrological data
- The Resource Centre must host communities of practice for sector-specific adaptation sharing
- The Resource Centre must provide risk assessments, demonstration projects and programming to communities with limited capacity
- The Resource Centre must report annually to the Legislative Assembly on adaptation progress
- Cabinet must establish a Whole-of-Government Climate Adaptation Co-ordination Secretariat
- The Secretariat must coordinate science-aligned adaptation plans across all government ministries and agencies
- The Secretariat must formulate and implement required policy, legislation and regulations
- The Secretariat must report to the Legislative Assembly on progress of all government and agency adaptation plans
- The Secretariat must engage with federal and municipal climate adaptation bodies and external experts
- The Legislative Assembly must review the strategic action plan every four years initially, then every two years thereafter
- The strategic action plan must be published on a government website
- Municipalities must incorporate strategies to assess and reduce urban heat islands in official plans
- Municipalities may receive funding to plan and implement urban cooling strategies
- School administrators, childcare providers, hospitals and nursing homes must have cooling needs assessed and strategies developed to reduce heat loads
- Rental properties must comply with maximum temperature requirements once amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act are made
- Rental property owners may receive grants and incentives for retrofits to meet cooling requirements
- Infrastructure operators for critical sectors must incorporate climate change risks in their strategic and operational plans
- Ontario Building Code must be updated to incorporate climate change resiliency requirements
- Forest Fires Prevention Act must be updated to extend fire season
- Ontario Wildfire Management must move to year-round operations with permanent workforce
- Homeowners in flood-risk areas may be eligible for grants and incentives for flood protection measures
- Flood forecasting and alert systems must be in place across the province
- New developments must capture and infiltrate the first 1 or 1.5 inches of rain from impervious surfaces
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent (Section 17)
- Minister must develop and publish the strategic action plan within two years of the day Section 3 comes into force (Section 3(1))
- Minister must establish the Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund within two years of the day Section 4 comes into force (Section 4(1))
- Minister must establish the Ontario Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Resource Centre within one year of the day Section 5 comes into force (Section 5)
- Ontario's Low Impact Development Stormwater Management Guidance Manual must be completed and issued no later than December 1, 2024 (Section 9(7))
- Urban Flooding Work Group must provide report and strategy to the Legislative Assembly no later than December 1, 2025 (Section 9(2))
- Assessment of Ontario's wildfire susceptibility with report to Legislative Assembly no later than December 1, 2025 (Section 12(1))
- Legislative Assembly must review the strategic action plan within four years of the day Section 7 comes into force, then every two years thereafter (Section 7(1))
- The bill appropriates no money itself; sections requiring financial support (Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund, certain flood, heat, wildfire, agriculture and ecosystem measures) only apply if money is appropriated by the Legislature
- An Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund must be established and will require legislative appropriation to operate and provide financial support
- Municipalities may receive funding to plan and implement urban cooling strategies
- Homeowners in flood-risk areas may receive grants and incentives for flood protection measures
- Rental property owners may receive grants and incentives for cooling retrofits to comply with maximum temperature requirements
- The Ontario Youth Climate Corps will provide fair wages and assistance with post-secondary education costs to participating young people
- Conservation authorities and municipalities may receive support to prepare or update flood risk maps
- Provinces must fund year-round Ontario Wildfire Management operations with adequate permanent workforce compensation
- Funding for provincial tree planting and vegetation programs on public and private lands in southern and central Ontario
- Support for on-farm climate adaptation including water storage and irrigation system expansion
- Grants and incentives for FireSmart community programs
- Research funding into drought-resilient crop varieties and agriculture-specific weather forecasting
- The bill does not explicitly state penalties or enforcement mechanisms in its text
- The Ontario Climate Adaptation Fund must be accountable to the Legislative Assembly for its operations and decisions (Section 4(2))
- The Resource Centre must report annually to the Legislative Assembly on adaptation progress (Section 5(9))
- The Whole-of-Government Climate Adaptation Co-ordination Secretariat must report to the Legislative Assembly on progress of all government ministry and agency adaptation plans (Section 6(2)(4))
- The Legislative Assembly has the power to review and amend the strategic action plan every two years (Section 7)
- Amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act will establish maximum temperature requirements for rental units, implying enforceability through existing Residential Tenancies Act mechanisms
- Updates to the Ontario Building Code will establish enforceable resiliency requirements for new buildings and major retrofits
- Regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act for heat stress will be enforceable through that Act's mechanisms
- Updates to the Forest Fires Prevention Act will establish enforceable fire season extensions
- The bill does not specify funding amounts or the total cost of establishing the Fund, Resource Centre, or Secretariat
- The bill does not define what constitutes 'appropriation' or which specific appropriations would trigger which provisions
- The exact scope and timeline for amending the Residential Tenancies Act is not specified; the bill only requires that it be amended, not the details of implementation
- The bill does not specify the structure, staffing or budget of the Whole-of-Government Climate Adaptation Co-ordination Secretariat
- The Ontario Youth Climate Corps is mentioned but no details are provided about age requirements, selection criteria, program length, locations, or number of participants
- The bill refers to the 'Provincial Climate Change Impact Assessment dated January 2023' but the full details of which impacts it identifies are not reproduced in the bill
- The bill does not specify how 'vulnerable populations' should be identified or prioritized beyond directing the Minister to identify them
- The bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms, penalties or remedies for non-compliance by government agencies or infrastructure operators
- The definition of 'science-aligned' adaptation plans for government ministries is not defined in the bill
- The bill does not specify which municipalities will be prioritized for flood risk mapping or cooling strategy funding
- The bill requires the province to work with the federal government to designate flood hazard areas but does not commit to a timeline or guarantee federal cooperation
- The mechanisms for the Resource Centre to 'assist' municipalities and communities are not detailed
- The precise temperature thresholds or standards for rental units are not specified in the bill itself
- The bill does not specify what level of 'adequate' funding is required for conservation authorities
- It is unclear whether all provisions require explicit legislative appropriation or only some; the bill specifies certain sections that do not apply unless money is appropriated, but the implications for other sections are unclear
The bill requires that the Residential Tenancies Act be amended to set a maximum temperature requirement for rental units to protect tenants from extreme heat. The bill also requires the province to provide grants and incentives to rental property owners to retrofit cooling systems to help them comply with this new requirement.
Source: Section 10(6) and 10(7)
The bill requires that the Forest Fires Prevention Act and its regulations be updated to extend the fire season beyond the current April 1 to October 31 timeframe, recognizing that wildfires are now occurring earlier and lasting longer due to climate change.
Source: Section 12(2)
The bill requires that the Ontario Building Code be urgently updated to incorporate climate change resiliency requirements so that new buildings and buildings undergoing major retrofits can better withstand severe winds, heavy rainfall, snow loads and wildfires.
Source: Section 13(4)
The bill requires the province to pass and enforce regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act related to heat stress to protect workers in hot-exposure occupations such as roofing, road paving and agriculture.
Source: Section 10(9)
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Official sources
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