Climate Resilience Roadmap for RPWCO

GEI Supports RPWCO (Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario) in Advancing Climate-Resilient Municipal Infrastructure Across Ontario

Client

    Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario

Location

    Ontario

Key Elements

    Climate Change
  • Adaptation
  • Resiliency Planning
  • Municipal Infrastructure
  • Risk Assessment
  • Priority Setting
  • Engagement
  • Business Case Development

GEI was proud to provide technical leadership on the Climate Resilience Roadmap for Municipal Infrastructure and Systems, developed in partnership with the Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario (RPWCO) and Ramboll Consulting. This groundbreaking guide helps municipalities across Ontario integrate climate change adaptation into infrastructure and asset management practices. 

The Roadmap outlines a practical, six-step approach to identifying climate risks, evaluating infrastructure vulnerability, and prioritizing adaptation measures. Focused on implementation and continuous improvement, it empowers municipalities to make informed, risk-based decisions that strengthen long-term resilience. 

As a lead author and climate adaptation advisor, GEI contributed the following key services: 

  • Framework Development: Designed a scalable, risk-based decision-making framework tailored to Ontario municipalities. 
  • Technical Guidance: Provided step-by-step processes for climate scenario analysis, infrastructure risk assessment, and adaptation prioritization. 
  • Tools & Templates: Co-developed activities, templates, and a workbook to assist municipalities in applying the Roadmap to local contexts. 
  • Capacity Building: Supported the creation of training resources and webinars to build climate literacy across public works departments. 

By following the Roadmap, municipalities can lay the groundwork for proactive climate adaptation, identify high-risk areas, and build internal alignment across departments. It serves not only as a launch point for more detailed site-specific analyses (like PIEVC studies) but also as a foundation for developing future-ready design guidance and resilient service standards. Ultimately, it helps municipalities shift from reactive responses to climate events toward a deliberate, risk-informed, and investment-ready adaptation strategy. 

GEI continues to support municipalities and infrastructure owners across Canada in operationalizing climate resilience—by guiding the integration of risk-based decision-making, facilitating collaboration, and helping organizations apply structured, scalable approaches like the RPWCO Roadmap to assess vulnerabilities, prioritize actions, and build adaptive capacity over time. 

 

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