Climate Resilience
Climate change refers to a shift in long-term weather and temperature patterns. Through a combination of factors, the planet has seen global temperatures rise year-over-year. According to NASA, “The effects of human-caused global warming are happening now, are irreversible on the timescale of people alive today, and will worsen in the decades to come.”
This global rise in temperatures disproportionately affects northern regions, with temperatures rising twice as fast in Canada and three times as fast in the North when compared to global averages, according to the discussion paper Preparing for Climate Change: Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy.
From a municipal perspective, adaptation is the most practical approach, although mitigation efforts should also be included in municipal climate action planning. This means adapting to our new climate reality, taking steps to minimize damage from the increasingly severe weather conditions we’re experiencing, and working to reduce the environmental impact of municipal operations.
Local governments can play a key leadership role in climate action through policy, planning, regulation and good governance. To support that leadership action, MNL has compiled climate-related resources for municipal leaders.
Take action
- Develop a climate action plan for your municipality
- This 7-steps guide is a vulnerability and risk assessment tool that is a great starting point for identifying local adaptation priorities.
Reports and print resources
- Takeaway sheets with links to further reading
- Climate Change Town Hall at the 2022 Municipal Symposium takeaway sheet
- 2021 Conference and Trade Show climate change takeaway sheet
- These sheets, compiled by MNL’s Dr. Kathleen Parewick, guides you through must-read climate-related information and points to organizations doing important climate-related work.
- Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) guide to building sustainable communities through asset management
- Sustainable communities minimize their environmental impact and operate with a plan for replacing aging infrastructure.
- FCM Guide for local government staff on climate adaptation
- An excellent resource “to help municipal staff talk to decision-makers and elected officials about adapting to the local impacts of climate change,” as stated in the FCM web page introduction.
- Regional perspectives: Climate Change in Atlantic Canada
- This chapter from the national assessment provides regional perspectives on how climate change is impacting our communities, environment and economy, and how we are adapting.
- MEOPAR National Forum on Coastal Community Resilience final report
- The Provincial Government has climate resources and data here.
- The Federal Government has an online library of climate resources here.
Webinars and video resources
- Video: Climate Change Town Hall, 2022 Municipal Symposium
- Hear from municipal leaders about the climate-related challenges facing communities in N.L.
- Webinar: planning for climate action
- Webinar: ForecastNL: Communities & Infrastructure
Organizations involved in climate action
- MNL has partnered with the following organizations to bring climate action resources and solutions to support local governments in Newfoundland and Labrador
- CLIMAtlantic
- This federally funded regional climate services hub facilitates access to data and information that supports adaptation to climate change in Atlantic Canada.
- econext
- Econext works toward clean and sustainable economic development in N.L.
- Harris Centre
- The Harris Centre’s ForecastNL website has an array of climate-related information.
- CLIMAtlantic
Stay in the loop
Filling out the form (below) will sign you up for climate-related news and updates from MNL. If you already receive MNL emails, this will add you to climate-related emails. If you are not already an MNL mailing list subscriber, and want to recieve news and information from MNL (in addition to climate-related items), you can sign up here.