Recent News
Announcing the Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership
We’re pleased to finally share news about Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership (N-ZAP) – one of 24 projects supported by the Government of Canada through the Climate Action and Awareness Fund 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 (GHG) emissions.
N-ZAP is a collaboration between three project leads: University of Waterloo, ICLEI Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as well as 11 external academic partners, 8 national organizations, and over 10 municipal partners. Over the next 4 years we will be collaborating across 5 working groups towards our main goal of supporting Canadian municipalities to monitor, measure and achieve their GHG mitigation goals.
An Update from the Biodiversity COP15
The 7th Summit for Subnational Governments & Cities took place December 11th and 12th at the Biodiversity COP15. With over a thousand registrants, this high-level Summit gathered governors, mayors and other subnational government leaders from around the world to strengthen contributions from subnational governments and cities in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF). The Summit also welcomed 35 new cities to the CitiesWithNature global partnership initiative. CitiesWithNature is recognized by the UN Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity as the platform for subnational governments, cities, and other local authorities to report on their actions and voluntary commitments to the GBF.
Sign up to ICLEI’s Cities Biodiversity Center’s email list or follow them on social media to receive updates on the outcomes of COP15 and the implications for local governments as they unfold over the next week.
COP27 In Brief
The eyes of the world were on Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt for two weeks in November as they hosted the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Read ICLEI’s post COP27 blog post to get up to speed and understand the implications for local governments.
Featured Resources
biodiverCITIES: A Primer on Nature in Cities
This Primer is intended for urban decison-makers who want to explore new approaches to local biodiversity and see examples of where biodiversity has been successfully integrated into municipal services and programs. The Primer outlines the role of decision-makers in mainstreaming biodiversity as a local issue by presenting a range of case studies and mechanisms that currently exist for local governments, and featuring best practices that have produced positive results. The biodiverCities Primer was developed by ICLEI Canada and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
biodiverCITIES: A Handbook for Municipal Biodiversity Planning and Management
This handbook is an informative and action-oriented resource to motivate change through the development of a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) using a “Milestone” based framework. Each Milestone represents a step in the planning and management process, beginning with the creation of a Biodiversity Team in the first Milestone, and culminating with a review and update of the BAP in the final Milestone. The biodiverCITIES Handbook also provides case studies and other resources to help communities achieve their biodiversity goals and objectives.s.
New Resources
Equitable Climate Adaptation: Considerations for Local Governments
This resource addresses the barriers preventing local governments from taking action to support climate change adaptation in a way that prioritizes equity and community engagement. The resource aims to create a case for this approach and offers tangible, actionable ideas and tools for partners in local government.
Cost of Doing Nothing Toolbox
When investing in climate action, local decision makers need to weigh the costs of action versus inaction. The Cost of Doing Nothing (CODN) toolbox provides a jumping off point to help municipalities assess these costs within a local context and support their climate adaptation planning process. The toolbox provides municipal decision makers with guidance on collecting locally-relevant data to weigh the costs of inaction when investing in climate action.
Northern Canada Chapter Communication Resources
Share the Northern Canada chapter of the Canada in a Changing Climate: Regional Perspectives Report and its content with your audience. We worked with Natural Resources Canada to develop communication resources that are designed specifically to be used by organizations whose work and interests align with the content of the Northern Canada Chapter.
Discover New examples of Adaptation Actions from Across Canada
We recently added new adaptation examples to Canada’s Map of Adaptation Actions. The map also features an updated filter display, the ability to share specific search results, easier access to FAQs, and a new page with links to other resources.
Recent Reports
3rd Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities (BARC) Impact Report
How is BARC helping Canadian communities prepare for a changing climate? Over the years, BARC has grown to become much more than a program. Since 2007, well over 100 Canadian municipalities have used BARC’s framework, tools, and resources to guide their adaptation and resilience building efforts. Read our reflections from the field, vision for the future, and learn about BARC’s impact on communities across Canada in the 3rd BARC Impact Report.
Highlights from the 2022 Livable Cities Forum
More than 300 delegates from across Canada and the United States attended the 10th Livable Cities Forum which was held in Victoria, BC from October 3-5, 2022. We discussed the synergies that exist between efforts to address social vulnerabilities and efforts to increase climate resilience and achieve net-zero goals through an equity lens. Read the highlights report for events highlights, takeaways, and more.
Looking Forward to 2023
2022 was a busy and rewarding year for the ICLEI Canada Team. After two years of working remotely throughout the pandemic, we re-opened our Toronto and Montreal offices and also decided to host the 2022 Livable Cities Forum as an in-person event in Victoria, B.C. Our team welcomed Curniss McGoldrick, Josh Padolsky, Pavils Hawkins, and Collin Neveroff and had three interns join us to help with various projects. We look forward to continuing to advance local action on climate change and biodiversity and to sharing updates, resources, events, and opportunities with you as we move into 2023. Until then, happy holidays from the ICLEI Canada team!
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Contact us to learn more about our network, services, and events.
ICLEI Canada
401 Richmond St W (Suite 204)
Toronto, ON M5V 3A8
iclei-canada@iclei.org