Climate Change Key Messages 2020

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Climate Change and the Islands Trust 
       Key Messages 
 
 
 Islands Trust Council joined governments around the world in declaring a Climate Emergency in 
March 2019, calling for an urgent response to the threats and costs posed by climate change. 
 
 We believe that our response should prioritize those who are most vulnerable to climate impacts 
and those most in need of support in transitioning to renewable energy systems. 
 
 The island ecosystems and communities of the Trust Area are particularly vulnerable to the 
cumulative impacts of climate change, including: 
 
o Rising sea levels: flooding of coastal homes, infrastructure and archeological sites; 
o Warmer oceans: disruptions to the marine food web, diseases such as sea star die-off; 
o More acidic Salish Sea: weakened shells of oysters, scallops and crabs; 
o Intense rain: flooding, loss of food crops, and damaged infrastructure; 
o Strong windstorms: damaged trees, increased coastal erosion and power outages; 
o Droughts: lower groundwater levels, increased risk of saltwater intrusion to groundwater, 
greater risk of forest fires; and 
o Temperature changes: disruptions to the seasonal timing of plant and animal life cycle 
events, reduced biodiversity and new invasive species. 
 
 The protection of forests in the Trust Area also has the potential to help mitigate climate change 
through carbon sequestration. Islands Trust Area forests sequester more than 190,000 tonnes of 
carbon per year. This equates to emissions from more than 40,000 passenger vehicles per year.  
 
 Our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan and proposed 2020/21 Budget both include a strong commitment to 
action in the areas of climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience, including initiatives such as: 
 
o Developing climate change and environmental indicator data for islands in the Trust Area 
o Amending our Policy Statement, Official Community Plans, Land Use Bylaws to include 
consideration of climate change  
o Developing a regional freshwater strategy 
o Reviewing foreshore policies and bylaws 
o Mapping eelgrass throughout the Trust Area 
o Developing a climate change focused stewardship education program 
o Striving for carbon neutral operations and virtual meetings 
 
 We know we can’t do it alone. The Islands Trust is committed to working together with First Nations, 
local communities, partner agencies, and other levels of government, to pursue an absolute 
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the Trust Area and to ensure that those most vulnerable to 
the impacts of climate change have the tools and support to adapt and grow resilient. 

 
 
Backgrounder 
 
 
Climate Change is Happening 
 
NASA scientists report that the Earth’s average surface temperature in 2018 was the fourth highest in nearly 140 years 
of record-keeping. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC - https://www.ipcc.ch/) has 
determined that prior projections on climate change were conservative an

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