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61-607: Administered nationally by CPA Canada , and conducted regionally by the provincial/regional orders, the CFE is written over the course of three sequential days and is the culmination of years of study in financial accounting , management accounting , corporate finance , performance management , taxation , assurance and other business-related university courses. Writing the CFE requires successful completion of preliminary education requirements including CPA preparatory courses and CPA Canada's Professional Education Program (PEP). Upon passing

122-484: A certification program which is developed by CPA Canada. The program is made up of education, a period of time in which candidates must meet relevant experience requirements, and at the end of the process they must take and pass the Common Final Examination . The program meets or surpasses all International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) standards for practical experience and education plus it meets

183-433: A client on the pros and cons of investing funds in a given business venture, and providing support to an organization as an internal accountant or auditor. The three-day exam consisted of case based simulations: All CPA cases are evaluated based on "competency ratings". They are: National pass rates for the former UFE between 2003 and 2008 have been 65.5%, 74.5%, 74.0%, 79.3%, 74.6%, and 71.7% respectively. Beginning with

244-433: A disaster: it's only when it affects people or is caused by them that is counts as a disaster. It is argued that natural disasters are always linked to human action or inaction or rooted in anthropogenic processes . Disasters, economic loss, and the underlying vulnerabilities that drive risk are increasing. Global risks like climate change are having major impacts everywhere. Scientists forecast climate change will increase

305-896: A higher share of plant-based foods . This has both mitigation and adaptation benefits. Plant-based options have much lower energy and water requirements. Adaptation options can investigate the dietary patterns that are better suited to the regional, socioeconomic and cultural context. Social-cultural norms strongly affect preferences for foods. Policies such as subsidies, taxes, and marketing can also support dietary choices that help adaptation. Agriculture offers many opportunities for adaptation. These include changing planting times, or changing to crops and livestock that are better adapted to climate conditions and presence of pests. Other examples are breeding more resilient crops and selecting genetically modified crops. All these aim to improve food security and nutrition. Migration counts as behavioural climate adaptation for some, although others refer to it as

366-564: A knowledge loop that includes targeted user communities' access to, interpretation of, communication of, and use of pertinent, accurate, and trustworthy climate information, as well as their feedback on that use. Climate information services involve the timely production, translation and delivery of useful climate data, information and knowledge. Institutional responses include zoning regulations, new building codes , new insurance schemes, and coordination mechanisms. Policies are important tools to integrate issues of climate change adaptation. At

427-887: A participant in the process that united Canada's accounting profession under one designation. Thomas was appointed to the National Steering Committee on Financial Literacy in February 2017. She is a board director and a member of the governance committee of the International Federation of Accountants. Thomas was also on the board and Chair of the Audit Committee of the Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. After 4 years of service at CPA Canada, Joy Thomas stepped down as President and CEO. The role

488-509: A year for the coming decades. In many cases, the cost will be less than the damage that it avoids. The IPCC defines climate change adaptation in this way: Adaptation actions can be incremental and transformative. Incremental actions are actions that aim to maintain the essence and integrity of a system. Transformative actions are actions that change the fundamental attributes of a system in response to climate change and its impacts. Research on climate change adaptation has been ongoing since

549-430: Is a closely related area of work and research topic that has recently emerged. It describes situations in which adaptation, mitigation and development solutions are pursued together. It is able to benefit from synergies from among the actions and reduce trade-offs. Strategies to limit climate change are complementary to efforts to adapt to it. Limiting warming, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing them from

610-421: Is an important step in understanding current and future adaptation needs and options. As of 2022, the level of warming is 1.2 °C (34.2 °F) above levels before the industrial revolution. It is on track to increase to 2.5 to 2.9 °C (36.5 to 37.2 °F) by the end of the century. This is causing a variety of secondary effects. Many negative effects of climate change involve changes in extremes or

671-547: Is because evacuation and emergency access becomes easier. Reduced air pollution from public transport improves health. This in turn may lead to improved economic resilience, as healthy workers perform better. There are many adaptation responses. We sometimes call them adaptation measures, strategies or solutions. They help manage impacts and risks to people and nature. Current adaptation focuses on near-term climate risks. It also focuses on particular sectors, such as water and agriculture, and on regions, such as Africa and Asia. It

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732-638: Is because transformational adaptation is connected with implementation at scale and ideally at the system-level. Strengthening resilience is therefore important for maintaining a capacity for transformation. Transformations, and the processes of transition, cover the major systems and sectors at scale. These are energy, land and ecosystems, urban and infrastructure, and industrial and societal. Transformations may fail if they do not integrate social justice, consider power differences and political inclusion, and if they do not deliver improvements in incomes and wellbeing for everyone. Climate resilient development

793-468: Is important to close gaps between adaptation that is carried out and the needs relative to today's climate in order to reduce risks to a tolerable level. However, future adaptation must also anticipate future climate change risks. Some options may become less effective or entirely unfeasible as global warming increases. Adaptation responses fall into four categories that all directly aim to reduce risks and exploit opportunities: We can also group options

854-490: Is important to help countries manage climate risks. Plans, policies or strategies are in place in more than 70% of countries. Agreements like the Paris Agreement encourage countries to develop adaptation plans. Other levels of government like cities and provinces also use adaptation planning. So do economic sectors. Donor countries can give money to developing countries to help develop national adaptation plans. This

915-458: Is important to help them implement more adaptation. Monitoring and evaluation activities are key parts of adaptation efforts. They ensure strategies work well and allow for necessary changes along the way. The adaptation carried out so far is not enough to manage risks at current levels of climate change. And adaptation must also anticipate future risks of climate change. The costs of climate change adaptation are likely to cost billions of dollars

976-799: Is in three categories: 1. Structural and physical adaptation (including engineering and built environment, technological, ecosystem-based, services); 2. Social adaptation (educational, informational, behavioural); 3. Institutional adaptation (economic organizations, laws and regulation, government policies and programmes). Other ways to distinguish types of adaptation are anticipatory versus reactive, autonomous versus planned and incremental versus transformational. Built environment options include installing or upgrading infrastructure to protect against flooding, sea level rise, heatwaves and extreme heat. They also include infrastructure to respond to changed rainfall patterns in agriculture. This could be infrastructure for irrigation. These are explained further in

1037-443: Is not possible to directly reduce hazards. This is because hazards are affected by current and future changes in climate. Instead, adaptation addresses the risks of climate impacts that arise from the way climate-related hazards interact with the exposure and vulnerability of human and ecological systems. Exposure refers to the presence of people, livelihoods, ecosystems and other assets in places that could suffer negative effects. It

1098-470: Is one way to reduce vulnerability to climate hazards. For instance, mangroves can dampen storm energy. So they can help prevent flooding. In this way, protection of the mangrove ecosystem can be a form of adaptation. Insurance and livelihood diversification increase resilience and decrease vulnerability. Other ways to decrease vulnerability include strengthening social protection and building infrastructure more resistant to hazards. Adaptive capacity in

1159-412: Is part of the broader consideration of sustainable development . Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction have similar goals (to reduce potential impacts of hazards and increase the resilience of people at risk). They use similar concepts and are informed by similar sources and studies. Disasters are often triggered by natural hazards. A natural event such as a fire or flood is not of itself

1220-447: Is possible to reduce exposure by retreating from areas with high climate risks, such as floodplains. Improving systems for early warnings and evacuations are other ways to reduce exposure. The IPCC defines climate change vulnerability as "the propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected" by climate change. It can apply to humans but also to natural systems . Human and ecosystem vulnerability are interdependent. According to

1281-504: Is strong variation within countries. The determinants of adaptive capacity include: The IPCC considers climate resilience to be “the capacity of social, economic and ecosystems to cope with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance”. It includes the abilities to reorganise and learn. This definition is similar to that of climate change adaptation. However, resilience involves a more systematic approach to absorbing change. It involves using those changes to become more efficient. The idea

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1342-635: Is succeeded by Charles-Antoine St-Jean, FCPA, FCA, as President and CEO, effective July 20, 2020. Charles-Antoine St-Jean's term officially ended on March 31, 2022. Pamela Steer became the new CEO effective April 19, 2022. CPA Canada fulfills one of its mandates to represent Canadian accountants internationally through its membership in the following organizations: CPA Canada has agreements in place which allow Canadian CPA's to obtain membership or working rights of numerous international accounting bodies listed below, often without any examinations. Climate change adaptation Climate change adaptation

1403-423: Is that people can intervene to reorganise the system when disturbance creates an opportunity to do so. Implemented adaptation most often builds upon resilience as a way of bouncing back to recover after a disturbance. Experts consider it to be incremental rather than transformational. On the other hand, climate resilience-focused projects can be activities to promote and support transformational adaptation. This

1464-484: Is the process of adjusting to the effects of climate change . These can be both current or expected impacts. Adaptation aims to moderate or avoid harm for people, and is usually done alongside climate change mitigation . It also aims to exploit opportunities. Humans may also intervene to help adjust for natural systems. There are many adaptation strategies or options. For instance, building hospitals that can withstand natural disasters, roads that don't get washed away in

1525-487: Is to improve the financial literacy of the citizens of Canada through providing education done through the organization's Financial Literacy Program. CPA Canada and AFOA Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2016 which included a provision for CPA Canada to integrate some course material from its ACAF program into the program which trains Certified Aboriginal Financial Managers, (CAFM). This proposal allows CAFM students to obtain an ACAF more quickly. In 2008

1586-631: The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), the Society of Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada) and Certified General Accountants of Canada (CGA-Canada), as well as the 40 national and provincial accounting bodies. It is one of the largest organizations of its type in the world, with over 217,000 Chartered Professional Accountants in Canada and around the world. CPA Canada conducts research on business issues, supports

1647-452: The Master of Accounting program, waiving all the modules and education requirements up until the Common Final Examination . In addition, the following organizations offer recognition and exemptions for candidates/members of CPA Canada: Joy Thomas, FCPA, FCMA became president and CEO of CPA Canada on April 1, 2016. Thomas had held the position of executive vice president until then. She was

1708-628: The codes or regulations that buildings must conform to is important for keeping people healthy and comfortable during extremes of hot and cold and protecting them from floods. There are many ways to do this. They include increasing the insulation values, adding solar shading, increasing natural ventilation or passive cooling , codes for green roofs to reduce urban heat island effects or requiring waterfront properties to have higher foundations. Land use zoning controls are central to investment in urban development . They can reduce risks to areas threatened by floods and landslides. Insurance spreads

1769-747: The 1990s. The number and variety of subtopics has greatly increased since then. Adaptation has become an established policy area in the 2010s and since the Paris Agreement, and an important topic for policy research. Scientific research into climate change adaptation generally starts with analyses of the likely effects of climate change on people, ecosystems, and the environment. These impacts cover its effects on lives, livelihoods, health and well-being, ecosystems and species, economic, social and cultural assets, and infrastructure. Impacts may include changed agricultural yields, increased floods, and droughts or coral reef bleaching. Analysis of such impacts

1830-587: The CFE Board of Examiners’ report, which provides feedback on candidates’ performance and commentary from the Board of Examiners. CPA Canada Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada ( CPA Canada ) ( French : Comptables professionnels agréés du Canada ) is the national organization representing the Canadian accounting profession through the unification of the three largest accounting organizations:

1891-562: The CFE and completing 30 months of approved practical experience, the candidate is designated a Chartered Professional Accountant and may use the CPA post-nominal letters. The Common Final Examination is typically offered twice a year in May (Spring) and September (Fall). During the COVID-19 pandemic , the May 2020 exam was cancelled along with many other CPA modules. The CFE resumed beginning with

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1952-799: The CMA designation. In January 2012, after eight months of discussions between members and stakeholders, the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), the Society of Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada) and Certified General Accountants of Canada (CGA-Canada) published A Framework for Uniting the Canadian Accounting Profession . The document proposed the unification of the separate organizations into one new designation: Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant-CPA. One year later, on January 1, 2013, under

2013-485: The CPA designation. There are over 217,000 members in Canada and internationally who hold the Canadian CPA designation. The CPA Competency Map lays the foundation for the CPA certification program, including education, accreditation, examinations, and practical experience requirements, and describes the knowledge, skills and proficiency levels you must achieve to become a Canadian CPA. One of CPA Canada's mandates

2074-641: The Canada Not-For-Profit Corporation Act, Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) was established by CICA and CMA Canada.The Act supported provincial accounting bodies that were coming together under the CPA designation. On October 1, 2014 CGA-Canada joined CPA-Canada, finishing the process of bringing all of Canada's professional accounting organizations together under the auspices of one nationally recognized organization. Today all recognized provincial and national Canadian accounting organizations are unified under

2135-619: The Global Goal are in development as of 2023. It will support the long-term adaptation goals of the governments that are parties to the agreement. It also aims to fund support for the most vulnerable countries’ adaptation needs in the context of the 1.5/2 °C goal. It has three core components. These are reducing vulnerability to climate change, enhancing adaptive capacity, and strengthening resilience. Adaptation can help decrease climate risk by addressing three interacting risk factors. These are hazards , vulnerability , and exposure. It

2196-606: The IPCC, climate change vulnerability encompasses a variety of concepts and elements, including sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to cope and adapt. Sensitivity to climate change could be reduced by for example increasing the storage capacity of a reservoir, or planting crops that are more resistant to climate variability. It is also possible to reduce vulnerability in towns and cities with green garden spaces. These can reduce heat stress and food insecurity for low-income neighbourhoods. Ecosystem-based adaptation

2257-769: The Martin Family Initiative (first knows as the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative (MAEI) asked CPA Canada to create a mentoring program which would enhance the chances for educational changes for indigenous youth. The program expanded in 2015 to include the McCarthy Tetrault law firm and the Accounting and Legal Mentorship Program (ALMP) found in 29 schools. The program has succeeded in increasing graduation rates, motivated students to stay in school beyond

2318-555: The September 2009 UFE, the Board of Evaluators no longer released statistics on pass rates. The CFE Board of Evaluators began releasing statistics on pass rates along with Board Reports on candidate performance. The following are the first attempts of CFE Pass Rates: Every CFE, the Board of Examiners releases the Honour Roll recipients along with the CFE results. The CFE honour roll members are recognized for their performance in

2379-611: The September 2020 exam. The upcoming CFEs are scheduled between: Students must demonstrate the depth and breadth of their abilities according to the CPA Competency Map. Students answer questions which are presented in the form of business cases that include a combination of both explicit and implicit requirements for each case's "users", followed by a list of exhibits that provide case facts from which observations, suggestions and conclusions are derived. Common scenarios include providing advice on how to conduct an audit, advising

2440-497: The UN is running a partnership titled "Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems" to aid high risk countries with neglected warning systems in developing them. Climate Information Services (CIS) (or climate services) entail the dissemination of climate data in a way that aids people and organizations in making decisions. CIS helps its users foresee and control the hazards associated with a changing and unpredictable climate. It encompasses

2501-578: The ability to design and implement effective adaptation strategies, or to react to evolving hazards and stresses. Societies that can respond to change quickly and successfully have a high adaptive capacity. Conversely, high adaptive capacity does not necessarily lead to successful adaptation action. It does not necessarily succeed in goals of equity and enhancing well-being. In general, adaptation capacity differs between high and low-income countries. By some indices such as ND-GAIN , high-income countries tend to have higher adaptive capacity. However, there

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2562-418: The adoption of resilient building codes to mitigate potential damages. Coordination helps achieve goals shared by a range of people or organizations. Examples are information-sharing or joint implementation of adaptation options. Coordination helps use resources effectively. It avoids duplication, promotes consistency across government, and makes it easier for all people and organizations involved to understand

2623-400: The atmosphere, is also known as climate change mitigation . There are some synergies or co-benefits between adaptation and mitigation. Synergies include the benefits of public transport for both mitigation and adaptation. Public transport has lower greenhouse gas emissions per kilometer travelled than cars. A good public transport network also increases resilience in case of disasters. This

2684-500: The climate changes or is expected to change, which is different from place to place. Adaptation is particularly important in developing countries because they are most vulnerable to climate change. Adaptation needs are high for food, water and other sectors important for economic output, jobs and incomes. One of the challenges is to prioritize the needs of communities, including the poorest, to help ensure they are not disproportionately affected by climate change. Adaptation planning

2745-433: The context of climate change covers human, natural, or managed systems. It looks at how they respond to both climate variability and extremes. It covers the ability of a system to adjust to climate change to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with consequences. Adaptive capacity is the ability to reduce the likelihood of negative impacts of climate-related hazards. It does this through

2806-560: The exam that demonstrated academic excellence and exceptional abilities. The Honour Roll recipients are determined as the top 1% of the first-time writers that wrote all three days of the CFE. Among the honour roll members, the prestigious Governor General's gold medal is awarded for the candidate with the highest standing in Canada for a cash prize of $ 5,000, along with 3 provincial gold medalists (top performers in their respective CPA provincial body) each awarded $ 2,500. September 2023: May 2023: Following every CFE, CPA Canada publishes

2867-939: The face of rains and floods. They can help manage impacts and risks to people and nature. The four types of adaptation actions are infrastructural , institutional, behavioural and nature-based options. Some examples of these are building seawalls or inland flood defenses, providing new insurance schemes, changing crop planting times or varieties, and installing green roofs or green spaces. Adaptation can be reactive (responding to climate impacts as they happen) or proactive (taking steps in anticipation of future climate change). The need for adaptation varies from place to place. Different regions must adapt differently because they each face particular sets of climate risks . For instance, coastal regions might prioritize sea-level rise defenses and mangrove restoration. Arid areas could focus on water scarcity solutions, land restoration and heat management. The needs for adaptation will also depend on how much

2928-432: The financial impact of flooding and other extreme weather events. There is an increasing availability of such options. For example, index-based insurance is a new product which triggers payment when weather indices such as precipitation or temperature cross a threshold. It aims to help customers such as farmers deal with production risks. Access to reinsurance may make cities more resilient. Where there are failures in

2989-624: The food supply chain. Thus it can be a risk to food security and nutrition. Adaptation measures can review the production, processing and other handling practices of suppliers. Examples include further sorting to separate damaged products, drying the product for better storage or improved packaging. Other behaviour change options for retailers and consumers include accepting fruit and vegetables that appear less than perfect, redistributing food surpluses, and lowering prices on nearly expired food. Dietary change options in regions with excess consumption of calories include replacing meat and dairy foods with

3050-506: The frequency and severity of extreme weather events and disasters. So adaptation may include measures to increase preparedness and relevant disaster response capacities. For humans, adaptation aims to moderate or avoid harm, and to exploit opportunities. For natural systems, humans may intervene to help adjustment. The Paris Agreement of 2015 requires countries to keep global temperature rise this century to less than 2 °C above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit

3111-508: The global south. Behavioural adaptation is a change in the strategies, practices and actions that help to reduce risk. These can include protecting homes from flooding, protecting crops from drought, and adopting different income-earning activities. Behavioural change is the most common form of adaptation. Food waste spoilage increases with exposure to higher temperatures and humidity. It also increases with extreme events such as flooding and contamination. This can happen at different points in

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3172-805: The national level, adaptation strategies appear in National Adaptation Plans (NAPS) and National Adaptation Programmes of Action ( NAPA ). They also occur in national climate change policies and strategies. These are at different levels of development in different countries and in cities. This is discussed further in the section below on "implementation". Cities, states, and provinces often have considerable responsibility in land use planning, public health, and disaster management. Institutional adaptation actions occur more frequently in cities than in other sectors. Some have begun to adapt to threats intensified by climate change, such as flooding, bushfires, heatwaves, and rising sea levels. Managing

3233-648: The private insurance market, the public sector can subsidize premiums. One study identified key equity issues for policy considerations: Government-subsidized insurance, such as the U.S. National Flood Insurance Program, comes under criticism for providing a perverse incentive to develop properties in hazardous areas. This increases overall risk. Insurance can also undermine other efforts such as property level protection and resilience to increase adaptation. Appropriate land-use policies can counter this behavioural effect. These policies limit new construction where there are current or future climate risks. They also encourage

3294-600: The requirements of the main international accounting certification bodies. CPA Canada recognizes many post-secondary institutions (PSIs) and accredit them to deliver part or all of its educations requirements from preparatory courses and Professional Education Program (PEP) at the undergrad and graduate levels. These accredited programs feature accredited courses that result in either a graduate diploma or master's degree. The University of Waterloo School of Accounting and Finance , York University's Schulich School of Business and Brock University's Goodman School of Business offer

3355-510: The secondary level, and helped them find jobs, especially in the legal and accounting industries. The organization helps develop public policy through its involvement in the process. CPA Canada contributes its expertise on many issues relating to tax and fiscal policy, financial literacy, skills development, climate adaptation , immigration, trade, ethics, good governance and accountability. They are also called on to opine on budget prioritization, tax reform and responsible budgeting. Goals include

3416-455: The section below "by type of climate change impact". Because of changes in extreme weather and sea level rise , due to climate change, the UN has recommended early warning systems as key elements of climate change adaptation and climate risk management . Flooding, cyclones and other rapidly changing weather events can make communities in coastal areas, along floodzones and reliant on agriculture very vulnerable to extreme events. To this end

3477-618: The setting of accounting, auditing and assurance standards for business, non-profits and government, issues guidance and leadership connected to accounting, auditing, assurance and financial literacy, and generally supports the profession of accounting in Canada. Historically, Canada had three nationally recognized accounting classifications until 2013: Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and Certified General Accountant (CGA). The national CA and CGA designations were created by Acts of Parliament in 1902 (CA) and 1913 (CGA). The Canada Corporations Act of 1920 established

3538-453: The strengthening of financial literacy and supporting infrastructure projects that stimulate productivity. The organization offers guidance on accounting and business issues to its members and others through its publications, webinars, videos, blogs and other types of media. Among the subjects addressed are sustainability, tax, management and the future of financial reporting. Before CPA candidates can acquire certification they must complete

3599-402: The temperature increase to 1.5 °C. Even if greenhouse gas emissions are stopped relatively soon, global warming and its effects will last many years. This is due to the inertia of the climate system . So both carbon neutrality ("net zero") and adaptation are necessary. The Global Goal on Adaptation was also established under the Paris Agreement. The specific targets and indicators for

3660-562: The way conditions vary rather than changes in average conditions. For example, the average sea level in a port might not be as important as the height of water during a storm surge. That is because a storm surge can cause flooding. The average rainfall in an area might not be as important as how frequent and severe droughts and extreme precipitation events become. Climate change contributes to disaster risk. So experts sometimes see climate change adaptation as one of many processes within disaster risk reduction . In turn, disaster risk reduction

3721-454: The work. In the food production sector, adaptation projects financed through the UNFCCC often include coordination between national governments and administrations at the state, provincial or city level. There are fewer examples of coordination between community-level and national government. Individuals and households play a central role in adaptation. There are many examples particularly in

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