BRIEF 6 | Why Belonging Matters For Community Climate Action

Written by Jorge Garza, Stephen Ngonain, and Justin Williams

Climate change is reshaping communities across Canada. Floods, wildfires, heat waves, and shifting seasons affect how people live, work, and care for one another. Research and field experience consistently show that the strength of social connections within a community shapes how well it can prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate impacts.

This brief explores the relationship between belonging and climate resilience, drawing on the Tamarack Institute's work with over 130 communities across Canada through the Communities Climate Transitions (CCT) network and the Communities Building Belonging (CBB) network. Communities where people feel connected are better positioned to take collective climate action. Climate initiatives built with community connection in mind earn broader trust and last longer.

Learn more

• BRIEF 1 | Belonging as Relational Infrastructure in Public Health

• BRIEF 2 | Working Together for Safer Communities

• BRIEF 3 | Housing, Home, and Belonging

• BRIEF 4 | Income Security as a Pathway to Belonging

• BRIEF 5 | Youth Employment and Belonging

• BRIEF 7 | Cultural Connection and Belonging