N-ZAP
Net-Zero Action Research PartnershipNet-Zero Action Research Partnership
The Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership (N-ZAP) is a collaboration between three project leads: the University of Waterloo, ICLEI Canada, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) as well as 11 external academic partners, 8 national organizations, and over 15 municipal partners. Over 4 years, we will be collaborating across 5 working groups towards our main goal of supporting Canadian municipalities to monitor, measure, and achieve their greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation goals.
Get Involved With N-ZAP: Become a Pilot City
N-ZAP is recruiting 250 Canadian municipalities to participate as pilot cities or case study subjects. Interested? Get your city involved with N-ZAP as we study and create improved methods for how local governments monitor, measure, and reduce local GHG emissions. We are currently recruiting Canadian municipalities to participate as pilot cities or case study subjects and:
- Contribute to the climate conversation at a national level and advance local GHG reduction efforts
- Showcase their work and efforts of its climate policy in a publicly accessible database
- Gain access to cutting-edge resources on climate budgeting, measurement and collaborative governance as they become available
Register your municipality’s interest in becoming a pilot community.
About N-ZAP
N-ZAP was established to support Canadian municipalities in monitoring, measuring, and achieving their GHG mitigation goals. N-ZAP is a partnership between the University of Waterloo, ICLEI Canada, FCM’s GMF, 11 other Canadian universities, nine other national organizations, and 15 municipal governments across Canada. The full list of N-ZAP partners is available on the project partners page on the University of Waterloo’s N-ZAP website.
This research partnership was formed to study and improve systems for measuring, analyzing, and monitoring corporate and community GHG emissions to enable the enhanced quantification of GHG emissions and new methods of identifying mitigation opportunities and evaluating their effectiveness. The research partnership also aims to ensure that all emissions reduction projects, policies, and programs are aligned with Canada’s national reduction commitments.
Working Groups
N-ZAP is composed of five working groups, bringing together academics, municipal practitioners, and members from diverse organizations. In addition to collaborating with each other, these working groups have distinct objectives and focus areas.
- Working Group 1: Determine the current state of GHG emission reduction targets, measurement, monitoring, and planning in Canadian municipalities.
- Working Group 2: Advance standardized measurement systems and tools (indicators) that can also be used to identify mitigation opportunities and further social equity.
- Working Group 3: Enhance municipal monitoring and disclosure, and integrate net-zero accounting and climate budgets into municipal level decision making to enhance transparency on action and gaps, drive planning to close gaps, and provide accountability.
- Working Group 4: Enhance community-wide emissions measuring and monitoring (collaborative governance) and ensure equitable, diverse, and inclusive engagement in climate action, measurement, and monitoring.
- Working Group 5: Mobilize knowledge resources and tools to diverse audiences using accessible and inclusive formats.
Learn more about each working group and their deliverables.
N-ZAP Resources
Resource: Climate Budgeting Guide
Climate budgeting can help local governments incorporate climate commitments into decision-making and budget allocation. But what does this look like in practice? And how can Canadian municipalities get started with climate budgeting? The new Climate Budgeting Guide is designed to help Canadian municipalities on this journey. Download the guide from the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) website.
Resource: Community Partnerships for Equitable Local Climate Action
The Community Partnerships for Equitable Local Climate Action guide was created to provide Canadian municipalities with best practices for structuring partnerships. It was created through N-ZAP based on data collected from 12 partnerships comprising 55 total partners across Canada.
Resource: N-ZAP Database
The N-ZAP database contains valuable information you can use to benchmark your community against the state of climate mitigation in communities across Canada. Access the database from the Waterloo Climate Insitute‘s website.
Resource: The State of Climate Action in Canadian Municipalities Report
The State of Climate Action in Canadian Municipalities summary report includes details on municipal climate action plans, targets, interventions, and stakeholder engagement methods used by municipalities. Download the report from the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) website.
Webinar Recording: A Guide to Climate Budgeting in Canadian Communities
Curious about climate budgeting? Watch this webinar replay from June 19, 2025, to learn all about climate budgeting—what it is, how it works, why it matters, and how some Canadian municipalities are already using climate budgeting to drive municipal climate action.
Webinar Recording: Building community partnerships for equitable local climate action
How can your municipality build strong community partnerships to reach climate targets? Watch this webinar replay from July 24, 2025, to learn how to build, strengthen, and maintain strong partnerships that achieve climate targets and equity goals.
Webinar Recording: Taking the Temperature on the State of Climate Action in Canada
Hear directly from the State of Climate Action in Canadian Municipalities report authors and discover how new research findings can set an important baseline to guide Canadian municipalities toward a better future.
Article: How Canadian Municipalities Approach Local Climate Action Monitoring, Evaluating, and Progress Communication
Discover what practices are used by Canadian municipalities to measure emissions, set GHG reduction targets, and monitor and report on climate actions.
Discover More on N-ZAP Partner Websites
N-ZAP is a research partnership funded by the Government of Canada through the Climate Action and Awareness Fund (CAAF) and jointly led by the University of Waterloo, ICLEI Canada, and FCM’s GMF, working with 11 other academic institutions, and 8 national organizations and 15 municipal partners. It is one of 24 projects supported by the Government of Canada through CAFF that will advance science and technology to combat climate change. These projects will strengthen Canada’s science capacity to identify, accelerate, and evaluate actions toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
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We respectfully acknowledge that ICLEI Canada’s work happens across Turtle Island which has traditionally been and is home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples since time immemorial.