Communities Climate Transitions Newsletter - June 2023
Dear there,
It’s been a challenging few weeks in Canada with wildfires spreading across the country, causing devastation to communities and resulting in rising ecoanxiety about what the future holds. Our hearts are with everyone who has been affected by these events, either directly or indirectly, and all those taking action towards a more sustainable and just future.
We are also excited to launch a brand-new Innovation Fund for Community Climate Transitions (CCT) members to seed, sprout and scale community-led climate action projects, thanks to our partnership with Definity Insurance Foundation.
Looking ahead to the fall, we’re offering a sneak peek into our second annual national gathering! Keep reading to save the date and to be the first to hear announcements on this year’s impressive range of speakers, masterclasses, panels and more.
Our latest case study documents the impressive ways that residents have mobilized to bring a climate action plan to life in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Atlantic Canada’s largest urban area.
Read about the innovative property tax the City introduced to finance its interventions, and the ways in which the plan is being integrated into other key strategic areas.
A ‘well-being economy’ is a reimagining of economic purpose that puts people and the planet at the center. This case study documents the pioneering work of WEAll Can, the Well-being Economies Alliance (WEAll) for Canada and Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which is part of the global WEAll global network.
Keep reading to learn how actors across Canada are introducing wellbeing economy frameworks in their communities, and how you can access a treasure trove of examples, guides, other resources to help you take action where you are.
With this series, we want to celebrate the work of pioneering environmental leaders from all walks of life who are putting their talents in support of transformative socio-ecological change.
Our second installment celebrates the stories and lives of women fighting climate change around the world.
Co-authored with our friends at David Suzuki Foundation and featuring the amazing leadership of several Climate Transitions Cohort members and alumni including Regina, Montreal, Halifax, Salt Spring Island and Collingwood, The Hill Times’ Environment Policy Briefing ran this piece as a cover story.
This month, CCT launched an Innovation Fund to support six climate-related projects that help communities mitigate and/or adapt to climate change, focusing on innovative, participatory, equitable and multisolving approaches.
Format: Virtual gathering with in-person meet-ups in several cities
We’re excited to announce the theme of our second annual gathering: Leading Courageously. The event will take place virtually from November 14-15 with in-person meetups in several cities.
We know the time to act is now. We also know that our leaders are not doing enough to swiftly address the multiple crises confronting us today. In the spirit of Grace Lee Boggs’ famous words – ”we are the leaders we’ve been waiting for” – our highly anticipated event recognizes that hope alone is not enough to sustain us through these challenging times. We need the courage to act, the courage to make bold choices, and the courage to redefine what leadership looks like in the first place.
Explore timely, hands-on resources to inspire and prepare us for the work we must advance in communities from coast to coast to coast;
Learn how to build intersectional campaigns that target concurrent issues such as housing affordability, poverty and inequality, and the climate crisis;
Attend inspiring keynote speeches, panel discussions, masterclasses and workshops to help co-create a new model of leadership rooted in care, empathy, and love.
Deep canvassing is an effective deep engagement method that uses listening and story sharing with others who feel differently about an issue. As an approach, it centres vulnerability, honest curiosity and non-judgment.
Join us on June 28 to learn more about deep canvassing, how Neighbours United has successfully employed the practice, and opportunities for bringing this to your community to build a movement for change.
Partnership with QUEST Canada on promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in municipal climate action Over the past year, our team was pleased to serve as a subject matter expert on QUEST Canada’s Equitable Engagement project, which aims to incorporate EDI principles into community energy and emissions planning. Check out the announcement.
New Advisory Group formed to guide CCT’s work We’re excited to share that we created an Advisory Group of incredible experts and practitioners from across sectors and with diverse lived experiences to help shape our work. The group includes several CCT members advancing change in communities across the country, as well as partner organizations including Definity Insurance Foundation, Climate Caucus, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Foundation for Environmental Stewardship, and Federation of Canadian Municipalities. We’ll be sharing more details soon so stay tuned.
Two opportunities to participate in Tamarack’s equity, diversity, inclusion, justice, and reconciliation (EDIJR) journey Tamarack is on a transformative journey toward a brighter, more diverse future. If you're a member or learner in the Tamarack community, we have two upcoming opportunities for you to be a part of this journey: (1) provide input into our EDIJR Audit; and (2) join our community of practice for Black, Indigenous and Racialized members. Learn more and sign up.
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The Community Climate Transition Newsletter is brought to you by:
Tamarack Institute, University of Waterloo, 140 Westmount Road North, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G6, Canada, 519-885-5155
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