Living Smarter in a Changing Climate was a very deliberately chosen theme for 2025 Muskoka Summit on the Environment.
By Peter Johnston | Published October 4, 2025
On Friday, the 2025 Muskoka Summit on the Environment took place at Bracebridge’s Muskoka Lumber Community Centre. It was a well-attended, fun and informative day. The chosen theme, Living Smarter in a Changing Climate, reflected both the global urgency of climate change and the practical steps we can take here in Muskoka. But why climate change? And why now?
In 10 short weeks, it will be ten years since the world gathered in Paris and, on 12th December 2015, adopted the Paris Agreement—a legally binding commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit climate change. At the time, there was a real sense of optimism. For the first time, nearly every nation pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently to keep global warming well below 2°C, while striving for no more than 1.5°C.
But the numbers since have told a sobering story. By 2015, the world had already warmed by about 1°C. We were emitting 36 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually, and at that pace, our carbon “budget” to stay under 2°C would be spent by 2043. Instead of cutting back sharply, emissions have continued to climb. In 2024, global emissions exceeded 53 billion tonnes, and the world continued above the 1.5°C threshold, month after month.
Politically, the optimism seen in Paris in 2015 abated as the world was gripped by Covid and has recovered only slowly. Since the pandemic, major energy producers have backed off from commitments to shift away from oil and gas and many countries have slowed their momentum. Particularly concerning is that the USA has withdrawn from the agreement and moved in the opposite direction.
The consequences are now visible everywhere—rising seas, melting glaciers, unprecedented floods, raging wildfires, and relentless heatwaves. Few doubt any longer that climate change is real and accelerating.
Here in Muskoka, it is still possible to feel sheltered from the world’s turmoil. A quiet paddle across a misty lake or the call of loons on a moonlit evening still feels timeless. But Muskoka is not immune to climate change. Our winters are becoming more erratic and violent, as last year’s heavy snowfalls and devastating ice storm showed us. Extreme events are no longer rare—they are the new normal.
And climate change is not only about the weather. It touches our economy, our infrastructure, and our way of life. Tourism, which sustains much of Muskoka, depends on the very lakes, forests, and clean air now under stress. Local farmers, builders, and municipal planners are already grappling with shifting conditions. The choices we make today will determine how well Muskoka adapts and prospers tomorrow.
That’s why the Summit theme is not simply about acknowledging climate change but about living smarter in response to it. Muskoka’s communities can lead by example—by reducing emissions in daily life, by planning for more extreme weather, and by adapting to new fire and flood risks.
To “live smarter” means rethinking how we build, travel, work, and care for our environment. It means finding smarter ways to conserve energy, protect our watersheds, reduce waste, and make our towns more resilient. It also means investing in solutions that help Muskoka thrive in the decades to come—so that future generations can enjoy the same natural beauty and quality of life we cherish today. The 2025 Muskoka Summit on the Environment was one day but the task ahead is every day.
In the end, caring for our environment is caring for ourselves. By embracing the theme of Living Smarter in a Changing Climate, we are recognizing that adaptation and resilience are not optional—they are essential. Together, we can shape a better Muskoka and contribute to a more sustainable world.
This is No. 17 in the current series of articles from Muskoka Watershed Council edited by Dr Peter Sale on the theme, Living Smarter in Muskoka. Its author is Peter M Johnston, a Gravenhurst resident, District of Muskoka Councillor, Member of Muskoka Watershed Council, and an individual who understands the threats to Muskoka from climate change.
First Published by MuskokaRegion.com