Ten Climate Predictions for 2025

1. A Kamloops University Will Launch North America’s First Wildfire Training Program

Wildfire seasons in B.C. now routinely displace residents, torch buildings and burn more than 4.9 million acres of land per year. In Kamloops, where almost 700,000 acres burn annually, Thompson Rivers University is stepping up with a solution: North America’s first wildfire management program, set to launch in September of 2025. The program will train 20 students on subjects like wildfire science, Indigenous fire practices, climate adaptation and emergency management, equipping them with the skills to fight wildfires as civilians.

2. Toronto Will Get New Parks and a Human-Made River

This spring, Toronto’s hottest development isn’t a luxury condo tower—it’s a massive green makeover along the eastern waterfront. After eight years and a $169-million overrun, the billion-dollar superproject will be finished in 2025, delivering more than 100 acres of park space and coastal wetlands, complete with cycling paths, walking trails and kayak launches, all linked by four arched pedestrian bridges. It will also create a new river mouth connecting the Don River to Lake Ontario.

3. AI Wildfire Detection Will Arrive in Alberta and B.C.

High-tech firefighting is coming to Western Canada. In 2025, wildfire detection company SenseNet will partner with Rogers to launch AI-powered fire detection in B.C. and Alberta. Gas sensors, smoke detection cameras and real-time data analysis—all connected through Rogers’ 5G network—will give fire departments early alerts, improving their chances to control fires before they get out of hand. Part of the tech is already in use at Predator Ridge near Vernon, B.C., with a full rollout planned by spring in 10 towns, including Sparwood and Willowvale in B.C., as well as Christina Lake, Grande Prairie and Jasper in Alberta.

4. Canada’s EV Boom Will Slow Down

Manufacturing issues and buyer concerns over price and range have put the brakes on the EV industry’s rapid growth. General Motors cut its EV production target by 50,000 units, while Ford delayed its electric SUV production at its Oakville, Ontario, plant. The biggest blow came when mining giant Umicore postponed construction of an EV battery facility near Kingston. Still, national EV sales remain strong: they’ve more than tripled over the last five years, with 65,000 electric and hybrid models sold in the second quarter of 2024. While the sector might be decelerating, it’s not making a full stop.

5. Ottawa Will Clean Up the Construction Industry

Our infrastructure has a pollution problem: Canada’s 17 million buildings contribute nearly 30 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions. The government plans to bring this to zero by 2050, all while boosting housing supply. Launched in July, the Green Building Strategy aims to electrify existing buildings through better insulation, more heat pumps and green standards for new constructions. At best, it could inject billions into the economy, create up to 1.5 million jobs by 2030 and cut the same amount of emissions as taking 11 million cars off the roads. 

6. Jasper Will (Slowly) Rebuild

One of the biggest wildfires of 2024 hit scenic Jasper, Alberta, where a third of the town’s structures were destroyed, including 358 homes and businesses. Though locals are eager to rebuild, red tape will stand in the way. As a national park regulated by Ottawa and Parks Canada, Jasper can’t fast-track building permits like other cities. Adding to the challenge, residents don’t own their land—they lease it from the Crown. Parks Canada CEO Ron Hallman has pledged to speed up the bureaucracy, though no firm plans exist yet. Meanwhile, the province has committed $112 million to build 250 interim homes in Jasper for displaced residents, with move-ins slated for January.

7. Nuclear Will Emerge as a Sustainable Energy Option

Nuclear energy already produces about 15 per cent of Canada’s electricity, and that number will grow in 2025. In June, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, a global nuclear giant, opened a 1,200-square-metre engineering hub in Kitchener, Ontario. It will begin work on AP1000 nuclear reactors, designed to produce 55 gigawatts of electricity—enough to power around 750,000 homes annually. Also in the works are eVinci micro-reactors, portable power sources that aim to provide affordable and reliable energy to remote towns and Indigenous communities. The only catch: regulators will have to figure out how to manage the toxic waste nuclear production leaves behind.

8. Quebec Will Overhaul Its Flood Zones

Major floods have devastated Quebec in the last eight years: they’ve wiped out entire shoreline communities, hit more than 240 municipalities and caused over $3.5 billion in insured damages. In response, the province will unveil updated flood maps this spring—their first revamp in 30 years. These new maps, part of a broader flood-management plan, will increase the number of homes in flood-risk zones from 22,000 to nearly 77,000, affecting roughly two per cent of Quebec’s population. In Greater Montreal alone, that includes 19,780 residences valued at nearly $10 billion. 

9. Ontario Will Buy 5,000 Megawatts of Energy

Ontario is gearing up for its biggest energy push in nearly a decade as it plans to inject 5,000 megawatts into the power grid—enough to power five million homes. Energy Minister Stephen Lecce is accepting bids for new energy projects that span hydro, renewables, nuclear, biomass and natural gas—all while aiming to cut emissions and boost electrification. This marks a major pivot from Premier Doug Ford’s 2019 cancellation of renewable energy deals, though Lecce’s plan does include guardrails: prime farmland will be off-limits for ground-mounted solar panels, and municipalities will have veto power over specific projects. The mega-boost is a step toward meeting an anticipated 75 per cent rise in energy demand in Ontario by 2050.

10. Brookfield Will Invest Billions in Clean Energy

Large-scale climate financing is picking up steam: global environmental, social and governance assets topped US$30 trillion in 2022. In Toronto, Brookfield Asset Management will invest US$2.4 billion in the UAE-backed Catalytic Transition Fund, created at COP28 to advance the global push toward net-zero emissions by 2030. This comes on the heels of Brookfield’s US$1.1-billion investment into U.S. energy company Infinitum to help its development of e-fuels—synthetic alternatives to fossil fuels to power things like combustion engines.