Episode 85: Climate Change and FSC – What Is a Climate Vulnerability Assessment? Featuring Dr. Sheri Andrews-Key and Kevin Gillis

Title: Episode 85: Climate Change and FSC – What Is a Climate Vulnerability Assessment? Featuring Dr. Sheri Andrews-Key and Kevin Gillis Author(s): Worm, Loa Dalgaard Description: Climate change is often described as uncertain and complex, yet forest managers still need to make decisions today. In this second episode of the Climate Change and FSC mini-series, we move from framing the challenge to exploring one of the key practical tools used to support climate adaptation in forestry: climate vulnerability assessments. Host Loa Dalgaard Worm is joined by Dr. Sheri Andrews-Key from the University of British Columbia and Kevin Gillis from Mistik Management Ltd. Together, they unpack what a climate vulnerability assessment is, why it has become an important tool for climate adaptation, and how it can be applied in real-world forest management. Drawing on hands-on experience and a detailed case study from Mistik Management, the conversation explores how vulnerability assessments help identify climate risks such as wildfire, extreme weather, and operational disruption, and how they can be embedded into existing forest management systems, certification requirements, and long-term planning. The episode also looks at how these processes support better decision-making, accountability, and engagement with communities and Indigenous knowledge, while remaining useful in the face of ongoing uncertainty. This episode is part of a three-part series examining how FSC Canada is working to integrate climate adaptation into forest management standards and to develop practical tools that support forest owners and managers in responding to climate change.