advancing collaborative climate action in british columbia
webinar series
Together for Climate Webinar Series
In June 2020, ICLEI Canada delivered the third provincial workshop as part of the Together for Climate project as a series of four-online events. The series covered a variety of topics related to climate change adaptation planning with themes including partnerships, communications, financing and monitoring and evaluation. The objectives of the webinar series are:
- To help municipalities and sustainability practitioners learn about implementation-ready climate adaptation plans
- To bring together participants from across Vancouver Island participating in the Together for Climate project, while showcasing the achievements of the project thus far and connecting to practitioners from across Canada.
The sessions were delivered by a diverse group of speakers representing local governments, university-based resource hubs, and non-profit organizations from across Canada.
Session One: Working Together – Advancing Climate Adaptation Through Strategic Partnerships
June 1, 2020 10:00-11:30 AM (PT)
The first in the series of webinars offered an introduction into the various types of collaboration and partnerships ranging from transactional to strategic and fully integrative. Speakers kicked-off a discussion on why strategic or transformative partnerships around climate change are necessary rather than more traditional or “transaction-based” partnerships Case studies of various partnership models were presented.
Session speakers and presentations:
– Hana Lapp, ICLEI Canada – The Power of Partnership
– Amy Daca, City of Burlington – How Does Your Raingarden Grow?
– Andrea Byrne, City of Prince George – Working Together: Collaborative Partnerships for Adaptation Planning
– Julie Cayley, Severn Sound Environmental Association – Small Rural Municipalities Partnering in Leadership

Session Two: Having the Climate Conversation – Getting the Message out and Inspiring Change
June 2, 2020 10:00-11:00 AM (PT)
This interactive workshop offered an opportunity to learn foundational skills about climate communications and gave participants a chance apply them using real-world climate solutions. Content centred around strategically identifying key audiences, tailoring messages, and developing communications strategies using a variety of channels.
Session speaker and presentation:
– Ewa Jackson, ICLEI Canada – Having the Climate Conversation

Session Three: Who Pays the Bill? Financing Adaptation Actions
June 3, 2020 10:00-11:30 AM (PT)
Local governments in Canada are using a variety of tools, and accessing a variety of new funding sources, to pay for adaptation actions. This webinar covered some of the tools that have seen greater uptake/innovation including: Conventional sources (Gas Tax, Invest in Canada Funding, etc.), Merit-based funds (MCIP, GMF, MAMP, Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund), and Carbon Price Revenues. Following this, presenters shared their experiences with identifying funding and financing options for adaptation plans.
Session speakers and presentations:
– Deborah Harford, ACT-SFU – Financing Tools for Municipal Adaptation
– Chandra Tomaras, City of Edmonton – Climate Resilient Edmonton
– Devin Causley, Federation of Canadian Municipalities – Funding Strategies for Climate Adaptation
– Shannon Miedema, City of Halifax – HalifACT 2050: Acting on Climate Together

Session Four: You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure – Establishing Monitoring Frameworks for Adaptation
June 4, 2020 10:00-11:30 AM (PT)
The purpose of this webinar is to discuss challenges and best practices for measuring progress on adaptation at the local level. Panelists began by introducing monitoring and evaluation work completed to date in each of their respective municipalities. Constraints to establishing adaptation indicators, such as uncertainty, timescales, measurement of avoided impacts, availability of data, and lack of available resources, were discussed along with potential strategies for other municipalities moving forward.
Session speakers and presentations:
– Al Douglas, Climate Risk Institute – Monitoring and Evaluation for Adaptation
– Erin Desautels, City of Surrey – You Can’t Monitor What You Don’t Measure
– Tamsin Mills, City of Vancouver – Hotter, Wetter, Wilder: Climate Resilience at the City of Vancouver
– Karina Richters, City of Windsor – Monitoring and Reporting on Adaptation in Windsor

About the Together for Climate Project
ICLEI Canada has received two years of funding from the Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) to work with 8 local and regional governments in British Columbia to develop climate adaptation strategies. This builds capacity for each community to engage with local stakeholders and receive input from a wide range of experts. The Together for Climate project also provides these communities with the opportunity to come together and share their challenges and successes based on their unique strengths and risks, while connecting them to a broader network of practitioners working on climate adaptation across the province and country. Through assessing their vulnerability and risk to climatic changes, each community is able to prioritize action-setting and create a plan that is locally relevant and implementation-ready.


Photos: White Fawn Lily by Alanah Nasadyk (Flickr); Harbour by Bolun Huang (Flickr); Flowers “Together” by Danna (Flickr); “Climate Change is Real” by Eden, Janine, and Jim (Flickr); Stairs image (Flickr)