Breaking Silos, Building Resilience: A Collaborative Climate Risk Assessment at McGill

Released in 2024, the McGill Climate Risk Assessment provides a comprehensive understanding of the University’s vulnerability to climate change and lays the foundation for effective risk management and adaptation strategies. The assessment was a collaboration between the Office of Sustainability and the Internal Audit Unit responsible for risk management. It involved a cross-cutting committee of administrative departments in partnership with a local consulting firm. Supported by a working group of faculty, staff, and students, key adaptation actions were subsequently incorporated into the McGill Climate & Sustainability Strategy 2025–2030, ranging from raising awareness about extreme weather events to updated design standards.

McGill now has a target to address 100% of its critical climate risks by 2030, establishing climate resilience as a strategic institutional commitment. Adaptation actions have begun to be implemented, including offering eco-anxiety workshops and designating libraries as cooling centres during heatwaves.

To accelerate regional adaptation efforts, McGill partnered with eight other Quebec universities to share its approach and co-develop a common methodology for climate risk assessments. Launched at the 2025 Montreal Climate Summit, the resulting guide pools knowledge and shares best practices in the hopes of accelerating regional adaptation initiatives. McGill continues to share knowledge gained in the process to further spur climate adaptation, including presenting the assessment and methodology in numerous venues, to audiences such as the College of Internal Auditors of Quebec.

Learn more about McGill’s Climate Risk Assessment.