There is plenty to be done, and plenty of business opportunities, to mitigate the effects of climate change, if people want to get around to it.

That was the topic this morning in the packed room of the first Decarbonize NL conference.

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Catherine Abreu, ED of Climate Action Network Canada addressed Decarbonize NL with some startling facts. A UN report released yesterday says that there is now a major climate-related disaster every week.

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At 2 per cent, Canada is in the top ten of biggest contributors to Climate Change in the world, but we emit more per capita than any other country.

There are also indirect effects. The historic drought in Syria caused a civil war, which in turn led to the refugee and immigration crisis that is now a top concern in Canada and the US.

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The good news is that looking for solutions with clean tech is the fastest growing industry in the world, but Canada’s market share hasn’t grown along with it due to lack of interest or investment, money left on the table.

What’s worse, because of the growing frequency of floods and natural disasters, insurance prices are rising.

Canada, says Abreu, is becoming uninsurable.

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Canada, NL, Not Taking Advantage of Business Opportunities in Green Tech

The effects of climate change are already hitting Newfoundland and Labrador, but people have to make sure the right actions are taken to do something about it.

Right now, according to Abreu, local sea levels are rising at a rate of almost 2 millimeters a year, while provincial temperatures may rise between three and seven degrees, leading to both droughts and flooding.

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There’s still a lot that can be done to help, but conference co-chair Nick Mercer says any actions have to benefit the local community.

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He singled out a very familiar example. He says we need look no further than Muskrat Falls.

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Mercer says renewable energy isn’t necessarily sustainable energy, and more indigenous and community engagement has to happen.