
Helping businesses transition to a net-zero economy through science and innovation!
NRC leading climate change research
Climate change will drastically increase the severity of many of the world's most pressing environmental issues. At the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), we are committed to fighting climate change and addressing major Canadian and international environmental challenges facing industry and governments. The NRC has a unique mandate to work with industry to develop the technologies, innovations and other tools to create a new climate economy.
Our activities are focused on clean energy, low-carbon transportation, industrial decarbonization, adaptation and resilience. Every year, our scientists publish over 100 peer-reviewed articles related to climate change and the environment.
Find out more about our work to fight climate change and protect the environment!
#EnviroWeek #BeatPlasticPollution
Our climate change programs
Success stories
Our focus is on the deployment of clean technologies in Canadian businesses and communities. Read our green research success stories.
- Improving efficiency in our aircraft
- Reducing plastic waste with eco-friendly food packaging
- New Platform and Challenge programs to focus on decarbonizing the construction sector
- Small particles to tackle big issues
- Greener vessels for bluer oceans
- Carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies
- Certified Reference Materials help build a sustainable food supply
- Mapping the way to a climate-resilient supply chain
- Prioritizing clean air with Convair aircraft

Improving efficiency in our aircraft
As part of the NRC's mission to accelerate sustainable aviation, teams at the gas turbine and aerodynamics labs at the Aerospace Research Centre are working hard to evaluate the performance of a promising new technology in our mission towards sustainable aviation, known as boundary layer ingestion, or BLI. This tech can help increase propulsion efficiency, reduce aircraft fuel consumption and, in turn, reduce emissions during flight, which makes BLI an efficient energy-saving technology for hybrid propulsion systems.

Reducing plastic waste with eco-friendly food packaging
Teams at the Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre's Advanced Manufacturing program have been collaborating with Winpak to develop an eco-friendly food packaging material. This transparent, multi-layer food packaging is based on an NRC-patented technology and composed of a unique plastic made entirely from renewable and compostable materials, including starch. This new technology is showing promise as a solution to global waste issues. The success of this project will help Canada meet its national priority of reducing food and plastic waste while advancing our circular bioeconomy.

New Platform and Challenge programs to focus on decarbonizing the construction sector
Our Construction Research Centre is addressing one of the biggest challenges facing Canada's construction sector: decarbonization. Together with academia, industry and governments, the NRC is applying its R&D expertise to support the development and deployment of low carbon construction solutions through its new Platform to Decarbonize the Construction Sector at Scale. As part of this, 2 new Challenge programs are also being developed to focus on supporting industry to develop low-carbon products, decision support tools, and services needed to decarbonize the built environment, as well as the digitalization and modernization of construction practices to enhance productivity.

Small particles to tackle big issues
Magnets containing rare earth elements are critical components for electric vehicle motors and are in increasing demand. However, their supply is at risk because only a limited number of countries produce them. Recycling end-of-life magnets has, therefore, become a critical alternative for countries like Canada that rely primarily on their import. Traditional recycling processes usually involve energy-intensive procedures and toxic chemicals that are costly and cause environmental pollution. The Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre and the Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre are working with Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises to develop a novel approach that is faster, greener and more cost-effective. This approach involves direct recycling of end-of-life magnets into powders for 3D printing of new magnetic parts for electric vehicle motors and other applications.

Greener vessels for bluer oceans
The NRC is working together with the Canadian Coast Guard to better understand the operational profiles of select Coast Guard vehicles and their corresponding powering and fuel requirements. The collected baseline data will inform decision making for designing green vessels and selecting green machinery. The data will also be the foundation of a model for predicting fuel consumption that will provide real time guidance to navigators in support of greener operations. This initiative is funded by Canada's Greening Government Fund, which promotes and shares innovative approaches to reducing greenhouse gases in Canadian government operations.

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies
The Nanotechnology Research Centre is leading a new project titled, "Advanced nanocomposite membranes for low-cost CO2 capture and conversion" in collaboration with the Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, the Construction Research Centre, the University of Alberta and IBM Research.
This initiative aims to develop a robust composite membrane using different nanomaterials for CO2 capture and conversion, which could help pull CO2 out of the air and slow rising global temperatures.

Certified Reference Materials help build a sustainable food supply
People are increasingly embracing novel protein sources for various reasons, including reducing their carbon footprint. That's why experts from our Metrology Research Centre and our Sustainable Protein Production program are working in collaboration with Queen's University on new Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) for alternative protein sources.
You may have heard of plant-based food made from canola and pea plants. CRMs ensure these alternative sources of protein are standardized and safe to consume. In the Canadian Prairies, about 20 million tons of canola is grown annually. While known for its use in cooking, biofuel production and animal feed, canola is now being considered an alternative protein source for human consumption. The new canola meal reference material is the first member of our alternative protein sources CRMs to support consumer food safety and help build a sustainable food supply.

Mapping the way to a climate-resilient supply chain
he Canadian supply chain is highly dependent on rail freight transportation. Events related to climate change, such as flooding and wildfires, have become increasingly frequent and severe and are affecting the resiliency and efficiency of railway operations. To combat this, the Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre is developing a tool to map national railway risks so rail manufacturers can assess the different risks related to railway tracks and contribute to a more resilient rail transport supply chain.

Prioritizing clean air with Convair aircraft
To better understand the impact of climate change, the Aerospace Research Centre is using the unique capabilities of the Convair 580 "flying laboratory" to conduct in-air research in environment and climate sciences. The aircraft's scientific instruments can support projects in numerous areas, including air quality and emissions research, sustainable aviation and atmospheric studies. This advanced aircraft makes it possible for researchers to measure air pollutants, another way the NRC is contributing to helping Canada meet its climate targets.
NRC climate research and clean technology success stories
Climate change adaptation and resilience
- Our research on climate resilient buildings and infrastructure
- New National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires
- Building climate resilience into construction
- Working to keep our waters tide-y
- Managing Flooding and Erosion at the Watershed Scale: Guidance to Support Governments Using Nature-Based Solutions
- Studying the stars, nurturing the Earth: wildfire management at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory
- From your fingertips to the compost heap: biodegradable electronics are coming!
- Not your average cruise: collecting phytoplankton for ocean health
More climate change adaptation and resilience stories
- Our research on climate resilient buildings and infrastructure
- Integrating climate resilience into building and design guides, standards and codes through the Climate Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure (CRBCPI) Initiative
- Using wetland vegetation to support coastal resilience
- Advancing Canada's aquaculture into the future
- Managing stormwater to improve Canadian cities' safety and resilience
- Living breakwaters
- Would you like a side of plastic with your meal?
- Measuring toxins produced by cyanobacteria to protect our waters
- Studying the stars, nurturing the Earth: wildfire management at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory
- Hold your breath: Metrology discovery about ash in soot informs understanding about potential health effects associated with air quality
- Improving shoreline's accessibility through coastal engineering
- Laboratories Canada supports NRC solution to real-time environmental monitoring
- New research quantifies environmental risks of military smoke grenades
Low-carbon transportation
- Under the microscope: The science behind measuring black carbon emissions from aircraft engines (LinkedIn)
- Towards a net zero emission railway system with hydrogen powered trains
- Breaking the ice with ease
- Driving Electric Innovation Forward
- On the road to greener public transit with the NRC
More low-carbon transportation stories
- All aboard: Vessels sail into greener territory with NRC data analytics
- The mission: Reducing GHG and black carbon emissions, decreasing the environmental footprint and improving air quality
- NRC's hybrid-electric cell a perfect test ground for green aircraft technologies
- Dual fuel for sustainable transportation
Industrial decarbonization
- Platform to Decarbonize the Construction Sector at Scale
- The NRC's Aerospace Research Centre and its partners find a method for reducing building energy overconsumption
- Celebrating 30 years of NRC collaboration to improve blow molding design processes
More industrial decarbonization stories
Clean energy production and storage
- New energy storage model helps keep the lights on
- Comfort without compromise: Mysa develops smart solutions to lower the costs of energy consumption
More clean energy production and storage stories
NRC climate change research through the years
- Research powered by people (Annual Report 2021-22)
- Making a difference on climate change (Annual Report 2019-2020)
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National Research Council of Canada
Email: NRC.MediaRelations-RelationsMedias.CNRC@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca