Agents of Change project
Agents of Change: Building volunteer engagement programs to support local climate action
Mobilizing community residents towards net zero and climate resilience goals is a crucial element of any municipal climate action planning process. Yet, that level of outreach and engagement is often lacking. The Agents of Change Project helped participating municipalities conceptualize impactful local volunteer programs tailored to their community and climate mitigation and/or adaptation goals.
Through a collaborative cohort model, ten municipalities explored key considerations like governance structures, partnership models, recruitment techniques, Indigenous engagement, inclusion and equity, approaches to social media, and more. Ultimately, each municipality designed an impactful program tailored to their community and climate mitigation and/or adaptation action goals.
We gratefully acknowledge that the Agents of Change project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada.
New! Resources from our Agents of Change project
Agents of Change Reflections: Lessons Learned by Participating Communities
The Agents of Change Project was a learning journey for all. Over the course of 2022, ten Canadian municipalities worked with ICLEI Canada to design local volunteer engagement programs for climate action. Read case studies from the participating municipalities to discover how ten unique volunteer engagement programs were developed to work towards net-zero and climate resilience, and what lessons were learned along the way.
Municipal Climate Volunteer Training Guide
Design, organize, and deliver climate action volunteer training in your community. This guide is a tool that can be used to work through logistics and considerations of planning and running volunteer training. It includes questions to conceptualize climate action training, key tasks and checklists, as well as tips on delivering and facilitating a successful training. This resource was created based on current best practices and lessons learned from participants of the Agents of Change project.
Climate Communications Workshop in a Box
This “Workshop in a Box” provides everything you need to develop and deliver a climate communications workshop in your community. Resources include: an instructions and facilitator guide, PowerPoint slides, breakout activity materials, and more. The workshop itself is designed to equip participants with climate communications insights and tools (e.g., how to frame climate messages, identify target audiences, develop communication strategies etc.) that will ultimately allow them to support local climate action in their day-to-day work.
Want to learn more about the Agent of Change resources and how to engage community members in municipal climate action? .
Coming up
We will be at the Cities Summit of the Americas
From April 26 to 28, 2023, local leaders from across the entire Western Hemisphere will be meeting in Denver, Colorado to promote regional cooperation. ICLEI Canada’s Megan Meaney and Ewa Jackson will join the diverse and inclusive representatives of government, civil society, business, academia, youth, culture and the arts, and indigenous groups. Check out the engaging program including ICLEI’s session on Urban Development and the Circular Economy.
Featured resources
Small and Rural Communities Climate Action Guidebook
Learn how to overcome climate-related challenges and reduce GHG emissions in small and rural Canadian communities. This guidebook was designed to help small and rural municipalities develop realistic climate action policies, engage and collaborate with the public, build a GHG inventory baseline, generate municipal revenue through climate action, how to overcome sector-specific challenges, and learn from other Canadian municipalities.
From our global network: A Catalogue of Circular Economy Ideas for Local Governments
Curious about how circular economy ideas can be used by local governments? This calatogue includes examples to inspire local government actors to take action and lead the circular transitions in their various roles and localities. It is inspired by actions currently underway in cities around the globe, discussions with local government officials reflecting on challenges and potential circular economy solutions, emerging circular economy research, and ICLEI’s Circular City Actions Framework.
The “Cost of Doing Nothing” toolbox
Have you had the chance to look at the “Cost of Doing Nothing” (CODN) toolbox yet? Building a local business case for adaptation can help decision makers weigh the costs of climate action versus inaction and support adaptation planning. To help municipalities do this, we developed the CODN Toolbox which can be used to frame the costs of climate change in a local context. The toolbox includes a primer document, an editable municipal template and accompanying instructions, a data collection tracking tool, case studies, and supporting appendices.
Special offer for Francophone communities
While the CODN Toolbox provides all the resources needed to write a CODN report, it still requires time and capacity on the part of municipal staff, as well as a good understanding of local adaptation processes. Our team works with municipalities that have limited capacity to write CODN reports. This BARC member-only service is currently available to Francophone communities until April 30, 2023. Download our brochure for more details.
(French)
Events
Webinar: Reflections and resources from the Agents of Change Project
Join us Wednesday April 12 to learn how ten Canadian municipalities built climate engagement volunteer programs to support municipal climate goals, and discover resources to help you do the same in your community.
Photo credit: Ai, Summer connections, 2022. mississauga.ca/publicart
2023 Livable Cities Forum: From intention to implementation
Over the years, the Livable Cities Forum has become Canada’s preeminent event on local climate action for leaders, urban professionals, and on-the-ground practitioners. Join us September 25 to 27 to explore how to build resilient, equitable, and livable communities through the lens of “Intention to Implementation”.
Watch the replay: The climate benefits of ground source heat pumps
Are you interested in using ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) to reduce your municipality’s carbon footprint? Watch this March 29, 2023 webinar replay to learn about the benefits of GHSP technology, the business case for their installation, and how to overcome common challenges from industry experts.
Watch the replay: Introducing the “Cost of Doing Nothing” toolbox
The Cost of Doing Nothing Toolbox was developed to help local decision makers weigh the costs of action versus inaction when investing in climate action. Watch this webinar replay from November 16, 2023 to learn how the City of Windsor and the City of Hamilton developed local business cases for adaptation, and how you can use resources from the toolbox to do the same in your municipality.
Registration for LCF 2023 is now open
f you know you would like to attend LCF this year, take advantage of early bird rates and the fact that registrations can be transferred between individuals until September 21, 2023. Special LCF rates are also available for local governments that are ICLEI or BARC members. Online registration is quick, secure, and available directly on the LCF website.
Reach us
ICLEI Canada
401 Richmond St W (Suite 204)
Toronto, ON M5V 3A8
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Q&A with the Team Behind Climate Insight
Discover how others are using the platform, how it has evolved since 2024, and what new features we are working on.
Climate Insight is a free, online platform that empowers communities across Canada with the data and information needed to build low-carbon, resilient housing and infrastructure. Its functionality, features, and content are continuously updated to better serve communities as they confront the growing challenges of climate change.
In light of Climate Insight’s most recent update, which launched on April 29, 2026, ICLEI Canada’s Managing, Engineering, and Project Directors share their thoughts on Climate Insight, its features and its future.
Sheri and Josh, you have both worked for municipal governments. If you had access to Climate Insight while you were in those roles, what features would you have used most?
Sheri Young, Project Director, Climate Insight (SY): Most often? The Solutions Finder. I would run every permit request through the Solutions Finder and attach the results to every application. I would actually also do that with the Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA) tool. Both of these tools can initiate discussions and provide background support for any project at any stage, whether it’s prioritizing projects, building a business case, or looking for ways to add resilience to existing infrastructure.
Joshua Kelly, Engineering Director, Climate Insight (JK): For me, it would be the map and the RRA tool. I used to work to integrate climate considerations into the community’s asset management systems. The climate and social vulnerability data available on Climate Insight’s map provide valuable tools to inform and support asset-related decisions. To take this one step further, our asset management systems were also increasingly considering risk, and I would have used the RRA as a low-barrier access point to complete climate risk assessments for community infrastructure internally, without the need to allocate resources to bring in external consultants.
“If I were still working at the Town of Okotoks, I would use Climate Insight to run every permit request through the Solutions Finder, and attach the results to every application.”
— Sheri Young, Project Director
Nearly two years into Climate Insight, how are communities using the platform?
Ewa Jackson, Managing Director, ICLEI Canada (EJ): We built Climate Insight to help fill capacity gaps so that all Canadian communities can realize their ambitions. The good news is that we’re seeing that this is already happening.
For example, the Town of New Glasgow, NS used the Climate Insight map to layer climate, infrastructure, and social vulnerability data to help choose sites for new Resilience Hubs. The map makes it possible to look at complex systems without having to tap a huge number of experts.
The RRA tool is another great example of this. It takes a few hours to complete, and produces a more detailed assessment than other free tools, without requiring months of work and resources. It can be filled in by anyone who is knowledgeable about their community—not just engineers or technical experts. The City of Winnipeg, MB had staff across departments use the RRA to help move through planning more efficiently, identify where to focus resources, and to spark discussions around climate early in project processes.
One more example: a municipal practitioner in Quebec told us they use Climate Insight both to validate their work and to demonstrate proof of concept. They use the Solutions Finder, for example, to get ranked options, and use that ranking to let their Council know which solutions are worth investing in.
“We built Climate Insight to help fill capacity gaps so that all Canadian communities can realize their ambitions, and we’re seeing that this is already happening.”
— Ewa Jackson, Managing Director
Protecting new and existing critical infrastructure from the impact of climate change is a priority for communities across Canada. What is a Climate Insight tool or feature that can be used to do this?
JK: If I had to pick one tool, I would say the Solutions Finder. The Solutions Finder can help move from identifying critical infrastructure and planning for climate impacts to actually finding solutions tailored to a specific project and set of requirements.
Beyond a single feature, I’d also recommend using Climate Insight as a starting point as you begin identifying climate risks to your critical infrastructure and planning for those risks. You can start with the map and Community Profiles to get a snapshot of local socio-economic, infrastructure and climate data, and of the likelihood of experiencing different climate hazards in your community. Then, complete a risk assessment for your infrastructure project using the RRA tool. You will end up with valuable information that can support decision-making and help you find solid infrastructure options through the Solutions Finder.
“Climate Insight can be used as a starting point if you are beginning the process of identifying climate risks to critical infrastructure, assessing those risks, and finding solutions.”
— Josh Kelly, Engineering Director
For users specifically interested in using Climate Insight to support housing projects, where is a good place to start?
JK: Short answer, anywhere. There is data and information throughout Climate Insight to support housing projects regardless of whether you are starting from a place of climate action, development, or supporting infrastructure.
EJ: That’s right—there are so many great housing resources on the platform. I’d say that homeowners, developers, and organizations supporting them can start with the Climate-Smart Home Explorer. Municipalities might want to begin with the library’s housing filter to find housing-supportive infrastructure options, case studies, tools, as well as codes, standards and guidelines. And the Solutions Finder is a good first stop for anyone. My biggest advice is to check back often because we are constantly adding and updating all of these housing resources.
Climate Insight is constantly evolving to meet its users’ needs. Since it launched in the fall of 2024, new features have been added every six months, and new content is updated monthly. Why do you think these updates are so important?
SY: Local governments are dealing with aging infrastructure and changing populations—not to mention limited budgets—which means doing more with less in an ever-changing landscape. Climate Insight’s regular updates and enhancements ensure you can always access the most up-to-date resources and tools to increase the resilience and reduce emissions of the infrastructure your communities depend on. Plus, local leaders and practitioners are speaking to us as they use the platform. This means that we can be responsive in our updates, reflecting your ideas and needs in the platform as it evolves.
“Local leaders and practitioners are speaking to us as they use the platform. This means that we can be responsive in our updates, reflecting their ideas and needs in the platform as it evolves.”
— Sheri Young, Project Director
What is an upcoming feature you are particularly excited about?
EJ: It’s really exciting to work on a platform that constantly evolves. It means we can publish tools as soon as they’re helpful to you, and then can keep updating and adding to them over time to make them better and better.
We’ve got a great new costing tool that we’re about to release alongside the Climate-Smart Home Explorer, which compares home improvement options’ costs at build with occupant savings or avoided costs. In other words, the Climate-Smart Home Explorer will soon become even more useable! I’m also looking forward to a map update, which will add more layers and new analytical capabilities that include things like per capita and benchmarking information.
JK: Being an engineer and having worked with map-based data tools, I am most excited about upcoming enhancements to the map, as well as the Community Profiles. We started Climate Insight with a relatively simplistic map interface, which has put some constraints on our bolder ideas for mapping spatial and community-related data. We are working on exciting new enhancements to the map that will allow us to support more data, more analyses, and make Climate Insight’s place-based tools even more useful.
SY: I am very excited about expanding our content on equity across the platform. I don’t want to give away too much, as we are still very much in the planning stages. But, I can say that we are looking into developing a very cool new feature that will make it easier to identify how and when equity considerations can be integrated into your infrastructure projects, to ensure a low-carbon, resilient future for all. And in the meantime, I also can’t wait to play with a new land use planning tool coming in September to compare the impacts of different types of neighbourhood density and home types.
Q&A with the Team Behind Climate Insight
Discover how others are using the platform, how it has evolved since 2024, and what new features we are working on.
Climate Insight is a free, online platform that empowers communities across Canada with the data and information needed to build low-carbon, resilient housing and infrastructure. Its functionality, features, and content are continuously updated to better serve communities as they confront the growing challenges of climate change.
In light of Climate Insight’s most recent update, which launched on April 29, 2026, ICLEI Canada’s Managing, Engineering, and Project Directors share their thoughts on Climate Insight, its features and its future.
Sheri and Josh, you have both worked for municipal governments. If you had access to Climate Insight while you were in those roles, what features would you have used most?
Sheri Young, Project Director, Climate Insight (SY): Most often? The Solutions Finder. I would run every permit request through the Solutions Finder and attach the results to every application. I would actually also do that with the Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA) tool. Both of these tools can initiate discussions and provide background support for any project at any stage, whether it’s prioritizing projects, building a business case, or looking for ways to add resilience to existing infrastructure.
Joshua Kelly, Engineering Director, Climate Insight (JK): For me, it would be the map and the RRA tool. I used to work to integrate climate considerations into the community’s asset management systems. The climate and social vulnerability data available on Climate Insight’s map provide valuable tools to inform and support asset-related decisions. To take this one step further, our asset management systems were also increasingly considering risk, and I would have used the RRA as a low-barrier access point to complete climate risk assessments for community infrastructure internally, without the need to allocate resources to bring in external consultants.
“If I were still working at the Town of Okotoks, I would use Climate Insight to run every permit request through the Solutions Finder, and attach the results to every application.”
— Sheri Young, Project Director
Nearly two years into Climate Insight, how are communities using the platform?
Ewa Jackson, Managing Director, ICLEI Canada (EJ): We built Climate Insight to help fill capacity gaps so that all Canadian communities can realize their ambitions. The good news is that we’re seeing that this is already happening.