As the frequency and intensity of natural disasters and climate- related emergencies escalate nationally, Canada’s emergency management ecosystem is at a critical juncture. With the 2023 wildfire season being one of Canada’s worst on record and the summer of 2024 recently declared the hottest ever on record by the EU climate change monitor, the need for climate- adaptive infrastructure, collaboration and advanced technologies is increasing in urgency.

According to a new survey from Nanos Research, released on September 13, 2024, over half of Canadians surveyed (61 per cent) feel Canada as a country, is not prepared or somewhat not prepared to respond to future emergencies such as extreme weather, wildfires and other natural disasters.

In response to the growing need for a unified and national approach to emergency management, the Canadian Emergency Preparedness and Climate Adaptation Convention (CEPCA), organized by dmg events and hosted in Ottawa, Ontario, from September 24 to 26, 2024, was created by experts in emergency preparedness and climate adaptation to foster collaboration, break down silos and create resilient infrastructure and communities across Canada.

“There has never been a truly national forum that brings together municipal, provincial and federal governments, along with the private sector and local communities, to focus on proactive strategies for unified emergency management across the country,” says Nick Samain, Senior Vice President of dmg events. “This is why CEPCA was created, as a commitment to strengthen community resilience, improve emergency response strategies and introduce cutting-edge climate technologies to create a safer and more sustainable future for all Canadians.”

Nanos Research, commissioned by dmg events, surveyed 1093 Canadians across the country on their knowledge and opinions of emergency preparedness. Some of the key findings include:

• 91 per cent of the participants surveyed support or somewhat support the creation of a national volunteer disaster relief program and 82 per cent support or somewhat support the creation of a national disaster response agency.
• 57 per cent of participants say there is not enough quality information publicly available to Canadians about emergency preparedness.
• Among participants, 75 per cent said they believe there will be an increase in emergencies such as wildfires, floods and other natural disasters in Canada in the future.

Events like CEPCA will play a key role in fostering the exchange of best practices and promoting investment in innovative solutions such as real-time early warning systems and examining the key barriers to cross-sector collaboration including national versus local decision-making. These advancements are essential to building a more resilient emergency response framework that can handle the rising challenges posed by a changing climate.

“The results from this research confirm that Canadians want enhanced communication on how our country is improving emergency response, both now and in the future,” says Samain. “The goal of CEPCA is to show Canadians that our emergency management ecosystem has a great opportunity to evolve and better meet these challenges head-on, ensuring that communities are better protected in the face of serious and uncertain dangers from natural disasters.”

Other important findings include:

• Almost half of participants think Canada should be investing more funding for emergency preparedness in 2024 and 2025.
• 87 per cent of participants were interested or somewhat interested in doing a better job preparing for possible emergencies in Canada.

The comprehensive research report will be available to attendees of CEPCA. This in-depth document offers valuable insights for those engaged in disaster preparedness and climate adaptation.

Media representatives interested in receiving the report can request a copy by contacting the media contact below.

Canada’s emergency management ecosystem is at the forefront of adapting to the growing threat of climate-related disasters. By fostering collaboration, innovation and investment in resilience, the country is striving to protect communities and reduce the devastating impacts of future climate emergencies.

For more information on how to participate in the Canadian Emergency Preparedness and Climate Adaptation Convention, please visit www.emergencyexpo.com.

Media are requested to register for accreditation before September 24.

About the survey

Nanos Research conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1093 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between August 30 and September 2, 2024, as part of an omnibus survey. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone using live agents and administered a survey online. The margin of error for a random survey of 1,093 Canadians is ±3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The research was commissioned by dmg events and was conducted by Nanos Research.

To view the full report, the tabulations and methodology, please visit nanos.co.

About dmg events

dmg events is a leading organizer of face-to-face events and a publisher of trade magazines. dmg aims to keep businesses informed and connect them with relevant communities to create vibrant marketplaces and accelerate their business through face-to-face events. dmg events organizes more than 80 events across 25 countries, attracting over 425,000 attendees and delegates every year. The company’s portfolio of products includes many industry-leading events in the energy, construction, hospitality & design, coatings and transportation sectors. ADIPEC, Global Energy Show, Gastech, EGYPES, The Hotel Show and INDEX are the company’s flagship events. For more information, visit www.dmgevents.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Lisa LibinBrookline Public Relations, Inc. 403-815-5626llibin@brooklinepr.com

For questions related to the methodology or the survey, please contact:Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist, Nanos Research nik@nanos.co