City of Edmonton Economic Diversification Briefing Note and Workshop

The City of Edmonton worked with ICLEI Canada in partnership with Zizzo Strategy to develop a briefing note and multi-stakeholder workshop to investigate the opportunities that can arise from a changing climate. The work looked at what economic diversification opportunities exist for Edmonton in light of climate change. By working with stakeholders from Economic Development, Tele-communications, Finance, First Nations, and various community groups we sought to answer questions such as: 

• Will Edmonton become a new tourism hub if it becomes one of the last big cities with sustained winter snow cover?
• Will there be a demand for shoring-up homes to endure prolonged heat waves?
• What role does ICT and artificial intelligence play in creating economic opportunities that are resilient to climate change?

The workshop provided an opportunity for key stakeholders to add their input to the City’s strategic thinking for a thriving economy in a climate-adjusted future. Results from this workshop were integrated into the development of the City’s Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan.

Photos: Edmonton LRT by IQRemix; Sunrise, Edmonton Alberta by Jeff Wallace