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Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has mandate commitments to strengthen its leadership and authority on climate change and to ensure that climate change impacts are specifically considered when making government decisions.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Infrastructure recognizes the challenge climate change presents, and are the taking necessary steps to ensure public infrastructure is more resilient to the impacts of a warming planet and can meet the current and future needs of NWT residents.

Transport Canada’s Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative provides us with needed support to develop integrated climate change adaptation measures in transportation planning in the North. This partnership supports critical work, such as analyzing permafrost data from the Dempster Highway and Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, and the development of a geo-asset and geohazard data management system to improve transportation safety in the NWT and preserve existing infrastructure.

During the planning and design stage of road projects, we are using satellite imagery and thermal analysis to gain knowledge about permafrost and select the most suitable alignment and design for our roads.

Mr. Speaker, replacing seasonal winter ice roads with all-season roads is another way to make our transportation system more resilient to climate change impacts. These seasonal ice roads are critical for communities to get the goods and supplies they need and for mobility between communities. Construction of these roads are also being negatively impacted by climate change. The opening of the Tłı̨chǫ Highway in 2021 extended the ice road season into the Tłı̨chǫ. Our government continues to advance two strategic road projects; the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Slave Geological Province Corridor which will either eliminate or extend ice road seasons.

Mr. Speaker, climate change is also impacting airports in the territory, and we have undertaken projects to address those impacts. We have either completed or have projects underway at airports in Sachs Harbour, Fort McPherson and Sambaa K’e that focusing on drainage work to improve their resiliency to climate change. Our government, with the assistance of the Government of Canada, is also investing in improvements to the Inuvik Airport to address the effects of climate change. Some of that work involves improving the drainage network to direct water away from vulnerable areas to protect against permafrost thaw.

Our government’s work to adapt to climate change and mitigate its impacts on our public infrastructure also extends to buildings and energy systems.

One example is our participation on the Northern Advisory Committee of the Northern Infrastructure Initiative. This initiative develops Northern-specific codes and standards to address climate change resilience in infrastructure design, planning and management.

Mr. Speaker, NWT energy systems are critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions our climate change mitigation efforts. Our Capital Asset Retrofit Fund energy saving projects will reduce over 16 thousand tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually by the end of 2023, and result in $3.5 million dollars of yearly utility savings. The installation of over 40 biomass heating plants has been integral to the reduction of the GNWT’s emissions. Approximately 35 percent of annual heating energy in our government facilities is now provided by wood pellets.

Mr. Speaker, future initiatives such as the Inuvik Wind project, the Fort Providence-Kakisa Transmission Line and the Taltson Hydro Expansion will not only make our energy systems more secure, affordable and sustainable, but help us significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we take action against climate change and mitigate against the impacts of a rapidly changing climate.

Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.