Join us in accelerating community-led climate solutions for transformative change!

What if there was a way for diverse actors within a local community to come together in a collaborative space to deepen their climate leadership and accelerate impact on the ground?  

With the support of the Government of Canada and Definity Insurance Foundation, the Community Climate Transitions team at Tamarack is launching the third edition of the Climate Transitions Cohort – and you're invited to apply!

Introduction

Communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. As a systemic issue, the climate crisis is further complicated by challenges such as growing inequality, accelerating environmental degradation, and the rise of global risk events such as the Covid-19 pandemic––all of which continue to take place in a context of unequal power dynamics, rising social isolation, and extractive economic systems.

As interactive and interconnected issues, these factors make local communities more vulnerable to adverse climate impacts, ultimately affecting their capacity to respond swiftly to their intersectional dimensions. For this and many other reasons, the time is now for bold and ambitious collective action. We must accelerate our efforts to tackle the climate crisis and ensure dignity for all so that no one is left behind.

Community Climate Transitions at Tamarack is premised on a deceptively simple question: How can we support local efforts to develop bold and equitable climate transition plans and learn from one another in the process? 

The Climate Transitions Cohort is the beginning of your learning and action journey with Tamarack, designed for changemakers inside and outside of local governments who are looking to develop and implement community plans for a just and equitable climate transition.

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About the Cohort

With the support of the Government of Canada and Definity Insurance Foundation, the Community Climate Transitions team at Tamarack is launching the third edition of the Climate Transitions Cohort.

Over the course of communities' first year with the network, they will join a group of trailblazing communities from across Canada to take part in a cohort learning journey to develop and implement community plans for a just and equitable climate transition. The cohort is intended to be communities' first phase of engagement with the Community Climate Transitions network; we hope they will continue their learning and action journeys with us as returning members over the years to come. 

Community changemakers from inside and outside of local governments are invited to come together, learn how to develop a shared vision for local climate action, and set a common agenda with local stakeholders through a process called Collective Impact: an innovative, whole-community approach that prioritizes multi-sectoral leadership and deep civic engagement in complex decision-making processes such as equitable climate transitions.  
 
In addition to capacity-building and networking opportunities, the Cohort doubles as a community of practice for rapid experimentation and prototyping of solutions aimed at advancing the development (and implementation) of a successful climate transition plan. 

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Why You Should Join the Cohort

Membership to the Cohort grants access to a program unique in its scope and reach in Canada. In your first year, the ambitious program will guide participants through a learning journey that includes: 

• Monthly cohort sessions with guest speakers on a range of relevant topics (plus access to additional workshops and webinars from the broader Tamarack community and its partners);
• Exclusive access to Tamarack webinars and events - online and in-person;
• Six coaching sessions with professional coaches from the Tamarack Learning Centre;
• One-on-one support from the Community Climate Transitions team;
• Access to leading resources on developing transition plans through collective impact and community engagement methodologies;
• An overview of cutting-edge methodologies, evidence-based solutions and governance models to inform your thinking, as well as readings and other relevant educational resources to deepen your understanding of the climate crisis and its implications for municipalities;
• An opportunity for rapid prototyping, and peer feedback on program design, piloting, and launch;
• Access to Tamarack’s case studies, guides and other publications as well as updates on the latest news and events on community climate transition;
• Networking opportunities with key people and institutions in the sector.

For a full list of membership benefits, see our Membership Package for 2024.  

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Who Is Eligible to Apply

The cohort is open to communities across Canada (municipal governments, multistakeholder coalitions, resident-led groups, nonprofits, and others) that are interested in developing a transition plan or updating an existing one, and that meet the following criteria:

• A stated commitment to centering justice and equity in a community’s climate response;
• A stated commitment to engage in the Collective Impact and community engagement processes that are at the heart of CCT's work;
• Having a cross-sector team of participants from the same location will be considered an asset, e.g. someone from local government and someone from the community co-leading this work.
• The capacity to meaningfully engage in monthly cohort activities including, but not limited to, communities of practice, coaching calls, workshops, and homework assignments to get the most out of the learning and action journey. 

Communities must be Tamarack members in order to be eligible. Consult CCT's Membership Package for more information

If your community/group identifies as low-income and/or equity-deserving, you may qualify for CCT’s Community Fund and benefit from a reduced or waived membership fee. Contact us at kieran@tamarackcommunity.ca to know more about CCT's Community Fund.

If you are a francophone community in Canada, we invite you to join the 2024 French-speaking cohort. More information can be found on this dedicated page. 

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Our Learning Journey

Here is an overview of the curriculum for the 2024 Cohort: 

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Timeline

The following timeline provides an overview of important dates prior to the launch of the 2024 Cohort in early February.

We are inviting communities to submit a short application explaining their interest in participating in the 2024 cohort. The application process will be open until December 15, 2023.

Interested in Participating?

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Meet the Team

Laura, Kieran and Astrid will be the core team supporting communities throughout this journey, in collaboration with colleagues from across Tamarack and our Community Climate Transitions network. We are also guided by an Advisory Group of 11 climate and equity leaders who are CCT members and partner organizations.

Have questions?

Email Laura Schnurr: Laura@tamarackcommunity.ca

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Learn More About the 2022 and 2023 Cohorts

In 2022 we had 19 communities in our Cohort and in 2023 we had 30 communities participate in the Cohort between our English- and French-language initiatives. Read the linked blog posts to learn more about the communities and their work.

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In the Press

Check out this media coverage of past Cohorts and stories from participating communities. 

• Hill Times op-ed | Putting Residents and Community at the Heart of Climate Action 
• The Energy Mix| Local Action on Transit, Housing Can Combine Climate and Equity Goals 
• The Energy Mix | Federal Climate Plans Must Embrace Community 
• Podcast Episode | The NewCities podcast threesixtyCITY featured Tamarack's Climate Transitions Cohort 
• Hill Times op-ed | We need whole-community leadership on climate change
• National Observer op-ed | Cities and communities across Canada taking a whole-community approach to climate action

Dive Deeper

Curious to learn more about the Community Climate Transitions world? Here are more resources to get you started on your learning journey!

• Article | The promise of collective impact in supporting a just transition at the community level
• Case study | Implementing a Participatory Climate Action Plan in Halifax 
• Case Study| Transforming the Coasts of New Brunswick Through Community Engagement  
• Blog | Announcing the Six Inaugural Recipients of the Community Climate Transitions Innovation Fund

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