From Planning to Implementation:
Overcoming Challenges in Local Climate Action

Description

This webinar is the first of a four-part series on how cities and communities can overcome the hurdles of moving from climate plans into action and measurable results. It is co-hosted by Climate Reality Project Canada, Climate Caucus, Clean Air Partnership, David Suzuki Foundation, and the Tamarack Institute.

Part 1: Social Barriers to Climate Action Implementation | October 7, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET
Part 2: Technical Barriers to Climate Action Implementation | November 4, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET
Part 3: Institutional and Political Barriers to Climate Action Implementation | December 2, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET
Part 4: Financial Barriers to Climate Action Implementation | January 13, 2025 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET

This is the second webinar series from this group of collaborators. The first occurred in 2023-2024 and focused on the intersections of the climate and affordability crises. Catch up on key takeaways from the sessions and watch the recordings here.

Part 1: Social Barriers to Climate Action Implementation

October 7, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET

According to a May  2024 report by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, ICLEI Canada and University of Waterloo, 63% of municipalities surveyed had climate plans and roughly half had set climate targets. Of these two groups, only 16% and 22%, respectively, had made progress towards their community and corporate emissions targets.

Based on these findings, there is a significant gap between those with local climate targets and plans and those making progress towards them.

This webinar series will dig into why this gap exists and what can be done to close it. Each webinar in the series will dive into a different set of challenges that communities commonly face in the implementation phase: social, technical, institutional and political, and financial barriers.

In this first webinar of the series, we will explore social barriers that often hinder the implementation of effective and equitable local climate action plans. Misinformation and a lack of public engagement on climate initiatives can lead to pushback, making it challenging to implement climate actions.

Join us to hear from our speakers on tools and best practices for effectively engaging communities to enable implementation of local climate plans.

Speakers

Amber Bennet, Executive Director, Re. Climate

Amber Bennet is the Executive Director of Re. Climate and is one of Canada’s top climate communication strategists and capacity builders. She will share tools and strategies on overcoming polarizations, communicating urgency and motivating change.

Denise Withers, Communications Specialist

By combining storytelling and design thinking, Denise helped the District of Sooke develop and launch its innovative climate plan. She will talk about the role narrative played in the success of the plan and provide insights into the art of weaving compelling stories that resonate with diverse communities, and fostering a shared commitment to climate action.

Yas Hassen, Consulting Director, Tamarack Institute

Yas is an Associate Director and part of Tamarack's Skills for Change team. They are dedicated to community development and engagement, prioritizing ethical co-creation and collaboration.

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Part 2: Technical Barriers to Climate Action Implementation

November 4, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET

Municipalities face significant challenges in advancing their climate initiatives due to several technical barriers. A lack of in-house expertise often hampers the ability to design and implement effective climate strategies, leaving gaps in critical areas of action. Furthermore, inadequate data on local climate impacts and greenhouse gas emissions complicates efforts to plan and monitor progress, reducing the effectiveness of climate actions. Additionally, many municipalities struggle with limited access to advanced technologies and infrastructure, which can slow the adoption of innovative climate solutions. 

Join us for this webinar as we explore these technical barriers and share examples of how municipalities are overcoming them to advance local climate action.

Speakers

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Part 3: Institutional and Political Barriers to Climate Action Implementation

December 2, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET

When it's time to start implementing local climate plans, a set of challnges often arise that are political and institutional in nature. Municipal governments often come up against established procedures and resistance to change that can slow down the adoption of new climate policies and practices. At the same time, implementing climate plans effectively often requires deep levels of coordination and collaboration across municipal departments and agencies and with other local actors in the community, yet this type of coordinate can be challenging to achieve. Within municipalities, it can also be complex and time-consuming to achieve policy integration, incorporating climate objectives into existing plans and policies. Finally, communities do not exist in isolation; rather, they must operate within the broader landscape of provincial/territorial and federal governments whose support for climate action can vary greatly. Future proofing climate action is thus essential in guarding against shifting politics. 

This webinar will dive into some of these barriers and explore how they can be overcome.

Speakers

Julius Lindsay, Director of Sustainable Communities, David Suzuki Foundation 

A noted environmental leader with over 15 years of experience, Julius initiated and managed the development of climate change plans, programs and policies in Mississauga and Richmond Hill, two of the biggest cities in Ontario, throughout the 2010s. In his current role with DSF, he is working to accelerate and empower climate action in cities across the country. He is a co-founder of the Black Environmental Alliance, an organization created to support black people who work in the environmental sector, and co-leads the Prismatic Project, which seeks to centre Indigenous and Black perspectives in climate action in Canada.

Brian Montgomery, Climate Action and Resiliency Advisor, City of Maple Ridge

Brian’s climate change and resiliency work has been in municipalities and communities, and with partners and other levels of government in Ontario, Yukon, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and British Columbia. His work has navigated areas of planning, public health, risk management, infrastructure, municipal services, finance, culture, resource management, emergency management and energy.  

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Part 4: Financial Barriers to Climate Action Implementation

January 13, 2025 | 1:00-2:00 PM ET

Financing is one of the most common challenges local governments face when looking to put their climate plans into action. Municipal governments are limited in the tools available to them to raise revenue, being largely dependent on property taxes, user fees, and funding from other levels of government. Though climate mitigation and adaptation will ultimately result in cost-savings for governments and residents alike, many projects require significant initial investment, which can be a deterrent for cash-strapped municipalities.  

However, municipalities are also creating new and innovative solutions, creating taxation structures,  working with new partners, and tapping into new sources of revenue. This webinar will feature a discussion of the range of different climate financing options available to municipalities, as well as a case study of one community's successful approach to financing climate action. 

Speakers

James Byrne, City of Peterborough

Will Cole-Hamilton, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

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