About the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences - CFCAS

The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) is the main Canadian financial support for academic research on climate and atmosphere as well as on complementary oceanic research.

BUDGET
110 millions of Canadian dollars over a 10 year period

MAIN PRIORITIES

• Air quality
• Arctic, nordic and cryospheric climate science
• Climate changes and their impact on the environment with an emphasis on water ressources
• Meteorological forecasting and extreme weather

MISSION

• To raise the scientific abilities of Canada in climate and atmosphere sciences, with the means of a targeted support of excellence in academic research.
• To support the efforts to:
  • Understand the climate system, extreme weather conditions, air quality and ocean-atmosphere interactions;
  • Improve meteorological forecasting;
  • Train qualified human resources;
  • Provide the scientific information necessary to political decision makings to the federal government and to carry out the provision of services.
  • In an indirect manner, CFCAS :
  • Creates jobs and thus encourages our good researchers to remain in Canada;
  • Promotes economical growth and sustainable development;
  • Encourages technological innovation in meteorology and in environmental industries;
  • Insures the security with respect to the climate and the protection of human health.

POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE CFCAS DISAPPEARANCE

• Shutdown of several research groups
• Irreparable discontinuity in the communication of knowledge, thus a waste of twenty years of climate and atmospheric research and development
• Brain drain of climate and atmospheric research specialists
• Loss to the contribution our research centers bring internationally, where they have an excellent reputation.
• Loss to our ability to understand and adapt to climate change and to meteorological events that have a strong social and economical impact on the population.