Does your municipality have a tree planting project and want to strengthen the climate resilience benefits of that plan. Are you interested in learning how to effectively communicating the benefits to your community? 

Read our Maximizing the Climate Resilience Benefits of Tree Planting Projects tip sheet to discover strategies to help enhance the climate resilience benefits of your tree planting projects. It also provides examples of how to effectively communicate these benefits to your communities.  

You‘ll learn how to:

• Effectively communicate the climate resilience benefits of your tree planting projects.
• Identify climate risks like urban heat, flooding and poor air quality – and use that data to enhance your project.  
• Design equitable tree planting projects that strengthen your community’s resilience.
• Explain how your planting project complements your municipality’s climate adaptation goals.
• Use diverse tree species in your tree planting projects that contribute positively to future climate resilience. 

This resource was created in partnership by Tree Canada Opens in a new tab. and FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) for the Growing Canada’s Community Canopies initiative, which is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada. 

Are you planning a tree planting project but are unsure how to enhance the biodiversity and ecosystem health benefits? Are you curious about how to communicate those benefits to your community?

Read our Communicating the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Benefits of Tree Planting Projects tip sheet that outlines strategies you can use. These strategies will help you present a business case to council, communicate with residents and other stakeholders, and prepare high-quality tree planting project proposals and funding applications.   

You‘ll learn how to:

• Explain how tree planting contributes to biodiversity and ecosystem health.
• Design tree planting projects that consider and contribute positively to biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
• Design tree planting projects that support ecosystem connectivity and habitat restoration.
• Align your project with existing biodiversity strategies and monitoring practices within your community. 

 Download the tip sheet today 

This resource was created in partnership by Tree Canada and FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) for the Growing Canada’s Community Canopies initiative, which is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada 

This webinar explored the Low Carbon Resilience (LCR) approach—a proven strategic framework that integrates climate considerations into core municipal processes. Discover how your municipality can use LCR to strengthen and accelerate climate planning.

The webinar was delivered in English with French simultaneous interpretation (SI).

Watch the webinar recording to:  

• Understand the core principles of the Low Carbon Resilience (LCR) approach and how it can streamline climate planning.
• Apply LCR to align climate initiatives with your municipality’s existing priorities and systems.
• Exchange ideas with peers and explore practical ways to embed LCR into your community’s planning processes.

Speakers:

• Lauren Vincent (she/her), Associate Director, Action on Climate Team & Simon Fraser University Climate Innovation
• Randy Sa’d (he/him), Executive Director, REFOCUS
• Laura Sampliner (she/her), Manager, Climate Action for the City of New Westminster

Resources discussed in the webinar:  

(Please note that, unless otherwise indicated, the resources below are available in English only.)

• ACT, MCIP's Role in Mobilizing Municipal Climate Action - Action on Climate Team - Simon Fraser University  
• Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership (N-ZAP), The state of climate action in Canadian municipalities (2024) (available in French)
• Abacus Data, Trust, change, and uncertainty: What’s really shaping the Canadian vote (2025)  
• Abacus Data, Issue ownership in the 2021 election  
• ACT, The low carbon resilience planning handbook (2021) (Port Moody highlights on pages 18–19, 24, 54, 85, 95, 106, 119–121)  
• ACT, The low carbon resilience decision tool (2022) (Port Moody highlights on page 10)  
• Integrated Climate Action for BC Communities Initiative (ICABCCI), Partner community profiles: Climate action and key LCR opportunities (Port Moody highlights on pages 12-13)  
• Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), Promoting climate engagement in B.C.: Reactive and proactive strategies report (2025)

FCM’s Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative is delivered through our Green Municipal Fund and funded by the Government of Canada.

Municipalities across Canada are grappling with aging infrastructure and rising operating costs. Energy retrofits present a smart solution with long-term savings—but rarely does a single funding stream cover 100% of the costs. That’s why combining funding sources is essential: it stretches local budgets, lowers financial risk and increases the impact of achievable retrofits.

The Green Municipal Fund’s (GMF) Community Buildings Retrofit (CBR) initiative is designed with that flexibility in mind. Whether you're conducting a feasibility study or implementing a capital project, GMF offers grants and loans that can cover up to 80% of eligible costs. The remaining 20%? It doesn't have to come from your municipal budget—we show you how to tap into other funding sources to bridge the gap.

Why municipal energy retrofits matter

Community buildings—like arenas, pools and libraries—are at the heart of Canadian communities and are among the most expensive assets to operate and maintain. Upgrading these facilities with energy-efficiency measures—such as high-efficiency lighting, solar panels, improved insulation and modern windows—can significantly reduce utility bills, ease pressure on local energy grids, create skilled local jobs, and free up funds for other essential services.

A practical guide to maximize funding opportunities

This new GMF guide is built to help you plan early and fund smart. It outlines key considerations, including:

• where to look for complementary funding programs across Canada
• how to prioritize buildings and retrofit projects
• where and when to seek expert help with your funding applications

Tip: CBR allows you to bundle multiple buildings into one application—saving time, effort and administrative costs.

Making the most of CBR

As a core feature of this guide, the CBR initiative is explored in detail. Learn how to:

• book a one-on-one meeting with a GMF Outreach Officer
• find a database of successful retrofit projects across Canada
• access coaching services to strengthen your application
• stay informed on new funding opportunities and resources 

Read the guide.

Assessing and planning for local climate risks are essential for building a resilient community that can thrive amidst a changing climate. The tip sheets will guide municipalities through key stages in assessing and planning for climate changes, offering practical advice, clear examples and actionable steps.

Use these tip sheets to recognize your existing climate resilience efforts, identify opportunities and roadblocks, envision potential solutions for your community, and access the tools and support needed to implement your adaptation plan.
 

Explore tips for municipal climate risk assessments and adaptation planning

Discover how to get started in some key risk assessment and adaptation milestones with the tip sheets below.

Tip sheet: Start preparing for climate risk assessment and adaptation plan 

Time investment: 12 minutes

Early preparation is a prerequisite for making your climate risk assessment and adaptation efforts highly effective. Read the tip sheet for support with:

• scoping your project
  • finding the information you need
• bringing together people and resources to support your work

Tip sheet: Start identifying local climate impacts 

Time investment: 8 minutes

Use climate change information to understand how it affects your community. Refer to this tip sheet for support on:

• accessing and interpreting national and regional climate information
• understanding its local significance

Tip sheet: Start assessing your local climate risks 

Time investment: 7 minutes

Assess local climate risks to understand which residents and locations are most at risk. Read the tip sheet for strategies to build and make use of your team’s capacity to assess climate risks.

Tip sheet: Start climate adaptation planning 

Time investment: 9 minutes

Get started on developing climate actions to address prioritized risks and to benefit those who are most impacted. Explore this tip sheet for ways you can choose actions that strengthen your community’s climate resilience.

This tip sheet will help you answer:

• How do we prioritize risk management actions?
• How do we identify and implement actions in ways that are informed by Reconciliation and anti-racism, equity and inclusion?

Getting started

Developing a climate adaptation plan involves managing identified climate risks and creating a roadmap for actions that strengthen community climate resilience. Because of that, identifying and prioritizing adaptation actions is critically important.

How can you develop a climate adaptation plan that effectively addresses climate risks and is designed with the diverse needs of all community members in mind?

Here are some tips to help you get started.

Laying the foundation for adaptation action planning.

1. Set a climate adaptation vision, objectives and goals for your community.

Developing a climate adaptation vision, objectives and goals helps prioritize risk management actions. These elements provide a framework you can use for decisions about which actions you can take and how you might prioritize them. For example, they can act as:

• a goalpost toward which you direct actions, helping align adaptation actions with your community’s aspirations
• a filter to help you efficiently make choices about what actions you will consider

You may have already begun defining the objective of your climate risk assessment in the preparation stage (see Tip sheet: Start preparing for climate risk assessment and adaptation plan). You can use this work as a starting point for reflecting on your climate adaptation vision, objectives and goals.

The ICLEI Changing Climate, Changing Communities: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation (Milestone 3: Plan in the Guide and Worksheet 9 in the Workbook) contains detailed information about the purpose and process of developing your climate adaptation vision, objectives and goals and how to establish them.  

2. Engage impacted communities.

While everyone in your community may be impacted by climate risks, some people will be affected more than others. Effective adaptation planning considers who will be most impacted, why and how. In Canada, this often includes equity-deserving and marginalized communities, such as Indigenous people, newcomers, people of colour, women, people with low income and people with limited mobility. These groups are often underrepresented in decision making but are crucial for developing an impactful climate adaptation plan.

To engage these groups, start by identifying equity-deserving groups in your community. Factsheet: Why equity matters in municipal climate adaptation includes some suggestions on how to do that.  If your climate adaptation team does not yet include representatives of these groups, it is critically important that you invite and compensate them for their participation as soon as possible. This could involve:

• initiating discussions with local and regional First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous Peoples communities and organizations about whether and how they would like to collaborate and/or partner on climate adaptation work
• initiating discussions with equity-deserving groups about whether and how they would like to collaborate and/or partner on climate adaptation work
• allocating financial resources, training and support (e.g., grants, technical assistance and capacity-building programs) to stakeholders and partners from equity-deserving groups  

Additional support can be found in the following resources: 

• GMF Factsheet: Why equity matters in municipal climate adaptation
• GMF Factsheet: Factsheet: Applying an Indigenous inclusion lens to climate adaptation
• GMF Factsheet: Advancing government-to-Nation relationships

Identifying and prioritizing potential adaptation actions.

1. Seek to benefit equity-deserving and marginalized groups.

When developing climate adaptation actions, look for actions that will benefit equity-deserving and marginalized groups. For example: 

Climate adaptation action type	Example actions
Housing and infrastructure	Develop climate-resilient affordable housing projects to protect low-income residents from climate impacts such as flooding and extreme heat. Implement programs to retrofit existing homes in vulnerable neighbourhoods with climate-resilient features such as improved insulation, permeable pavements and urban green spaces.
Public health and safety	Establish cooling centres in low-income and marginalized communities to provide relief during heatwaves. Develop communications for the elderly about staying safe during heat waves. Conduct an audit of emergency processes and buildings to ensure they are accessible to people with disabilities.
Education and awareness	Implement climate education programs in elementary schools to raise awareness among youth.
Biodiversity	Develop programs that incorporate Indigenous knowledges in the protection and restoration of culturally significant sites and landscapes affected by climate change.

 

2. Seek alignment with other plans and processes.

When developing climate adaptation actions, look for ways they can be integrated within other local government plans and processes. For example: 

Climate adaptation action type	Example actions
Housing and infrastructure	Incorporate climate resilience standards into building codes to ensure new constructions are designed to withstand extreme weather events. Update zoning regulations to restrict development in high-risk areas, such as floodplains and coastal zones.
Public health and safety	Develop and implement heat action plans that include early warning systems, public cooling centres and community outreach programs. Integrate climate risk considerations into emergency response plans to ensure preparedness for climate-related disasters.
Education and awareness	Implement climate education programs in elementary schools to raise awareness among youth.   Conduct workshops and training sessions for residents and local businesses on climate adaptation practices and emergency preparedness.
Biodiversity	Establish conservation easements to protect critical habitats and promote sustainable land use practices.

 

3. Work on the most critical climate risks.

One way to identify the most critical risks is to use the results of your risk assessment. Using the climate hazard, likelihood, vulnerability and consequence information, you can determine an overall score for each climate risk. Focusing on the risks with the highest scores can help you direct your efforts.  

Use Worksheet 8 in ICLEI’s Changing Climate, Changing Community: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation for support on ranking climate risks.

In addition to determining a risk score as described above, consider that criticality is influenced by your vision, objectives and goals. This will help ensure you are taking the most impactful actions. For example:  

• If your vision is, “A resilient community that thrives in the face of climate change, ensuring the sustainability of our natural and built environments,” some of the most critical risks might be those threatening key infrastructure and biodiversity.  
• If one of your objectives is, “Enhance public health and safety in response to extreme climate events,” some of the most critical risks might be those with the greatest potential to harm public health and safety.
• If one of your goals is, “Reduce the vulnerability of low-income neighbourhoods to flooding,” some of the most critical risks might be flood risks likely to affect low-income neighbourhoods. 

4. Look for mutual benefits.

Review other plans and initiatives your municipality has in place to identify opportunities to align climate adaptation actions with other organizational objectives. By aligning climate actions with existing plans, you can maximize resources and achieve multiple community objectives simultaneously.

Some examples to illustrate these mutual benefits are:

• Look in your community’s Emergency Management Plan for objectives related to climate risks such as flooding or wildfire.  
• Align climate adaptation actions with public health plans by addressing heatwaves through cooling centres or increased green spaces, which improve air quality and reduce urban heat islands. 

5. Learn from your neighbours.

Learn from the experiences of neighbouring municipalities and other jurisdictions (e.g., regional districts). By examining their climate adaptation actions, you might be able to identify best practices and common pitfalls. 

6. Work with your strengths and challenges.

When trying to prioritize adaptation actions, it can be helpful to identify the key strengths and challenges that will influence your efforts. Strengths can include factors such as community support, political will and available funding, while challenges might involve financial limitations, staffing shortages or technical expertise gaps. Understanding these factors helps prioritize feasible and impactful actions, ensuring that your plan is realistic and aligned with your community's capabilities.

The ICLEI Changing Climate, Changing Communities: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation Worksheet 11 provides detailed instructions and examples to help you identify strengths and challenges and use them in planning. 

Next steps

Developing a climate adaptation plan is a crucial step in strengthening community climate resilience, but it's just one part of the process. Ongoing efforts to implement the plan, integrate it into municipal plans and processes, and continuously monitor and review progress are essential to being a climate-ready community. 

Explore the Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool for additional insight and support in developing a climate adaptation plan. You can use the tool to evaluate your existing climate adaptation efforts, pinpoint areas for improvement and chart a clear plan for strengthening your community’s adaptation efforts. 

This tip sheet will help you answer:

• How do we develop competencies required to complete climate risk assessments?
• How do we assess the risk of climate impacts we have identified? And how do we do so in a way that is informed by Reconciliation and anti-racism, equity and inclusion (AREI)?

Getting started

Develop your capacity to assess local climate risks.

This involves enhancing your organization’s skills, knowledge, experience and tools to analyze and evaluate climate impacts.

How can you develop the skills, knowledge, experience and tools needed to assess local climate risks?

Here are some tips to help you get started.

Addressing climate change requires diverse tools and people with skills, knowledge and experience from various disciplines, backgrounds and educations. You likely have people within your organization who have relevant competencies (for example, those identified in Tip sheet: Start preparing for climate risk assessment and adaptation plan.) Where you have gaps in competencies, there are some steps you can take to address them.

Here is an overview of skills, knowledge, experience and tools that are relevant to analyzing and evaluating local climate risks and some actions you can take to fill gaps you may have: 
 

Skills and knowledge

Skill and knowledge category	Description of skill and knowledge
Community context	your community’s specific needs, values and concerns
Basic climate science literacy	the causes and impacts of climate change, the science behind climate information and how climate trends influence hazards
Indigenous knowledges	the historical and current practices, processes, protocols and experiences of local and regional First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous Peoples communities and organizations
Risk assessment techniques	how to identify, analyze and evaluate risks, including understanding probabilities and consequences
Information management	how to collect, manage and interpret climate data
Communications and engagement	how to work with and involve local and regional First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous Peoples communities and organizations as well as other jurisdictions, institutions, organizations, communities of practice and/or stakeholders how to work with equity-deserving communities in Canada
Institutional knowledge	Lessons learned and other reflections from past projects and initiatives.

 

Here are some ways to fill skills and knowledge gaps: 

• Identify organizations in your region who are doing climate work and may be able to support you. These could include, for example, universities or non-profit organizations.
• Attend workshops on climate science fundamentals and other climate resilience training opportunities such as those listed on the Green Municipal Fund’s page Climate resilience training from GMF Partners.
• Purchase or acquire access to tools such as ICLEI’s Building Adaptive and Resilience Communities (BARC) Online Tool.  

Tip: The Canadian Centre for Climate Services hosts a Library of climate resources. 

• Identify and reach out to representatives of different community groups to participate in their processes.
• Hire qualified consultants.
• Apply for government funding to support capacity-building initiatives.

Experience

Category of experience	Description of experience
Organizational experience	working with your organization’s processes, procedures, infrastructure systems and services
Previous climate or related projects	contributing to similar projects that can provide practical insight
Cross-departmental collaboration	working on initiatives with different municipal departments
Relationship building	developing meaningful and trusting relationships with community members

 

Some examples of activities to fill experience gaps include: 

• Pair less experienced staff with long-term employees to share institutional knowledge and lessons learned.
• Conduct an organization-wide survey to see who already considers climate change in their work and in what ways.
• Work with universities to develop co-op work experience programs.
• Partner with non-governmental organizations.
   

Browse the Green Municipal Fund’s website for a comprehensive list of reports, guides, case studies, templates and more to help fill gaps in skills, knowledge and experience.

Assess climate risks across your community.

Use the skills, knowledge and experience you have to effectively assess climate risks in a way that accounts for the varied impacts of climate change on different people and areas within your community.

Without prior experience, how can we assess local climate risks?

Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Use a framework that meets your needs.

There are many resources that include risk assessment frameworks useful for climate risk assessments and adaptation planning. These include, for example: 

• ICLEI’s Changing Climate, Changing Communities: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation and C40 Cities’ Climate Change Risk Assessment Guidance are useful if you are planning a  community-wide assessment on various services and sectors.
• Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC)’s Large Portfolio Assessment Manual can be used if you are focusing your assessment on impacts to infrastructure assets.

2. Familiarize yourself with the foundations of a climate risk assessment. 

Regardless of the framework you choose, there are foundational concepts that underpin the climate risk assessment process. Climate risk, as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is the “potential for adverse consequences.” It is a function of three things: the likelihood of a climate-related event (a climate hazard) occurring, the vulnerability of the systems it affects and the potential impacts of the event. To conduct a climate risk assessment, you need to consider the following:

 

Identify a local climate hazard.

Common questions to answer:	For example:
What climate hazards has my community faced? What climate hazards does/will my community face?	Those you identified in Tip sheet: Start preparing for climate risk assessment and adaptation plan.

 

Estimate the likelihood of an event related to that climate hazard.

Common questions to answer:	For example:
How often has this climate hazard occurred historically? What do climate models predict about the future frequency and intensity of this hazard?	Likelihood scores as outlined in the ICLEI Changing Climate, Changing Community: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation Worksheet 8 Risk Assessment

 

Assess your community’s vulnerability to the climate-related event.

Common questions to answer:

For example:

How able is our community to adjust to changes, minimize damage, take advantage of opportunities and cope with the effects of climate change? Are there people, livelihoods, species, ecosystems, infrastructure or cultural assets in our community that could be negatively impacted by climate change? Which areas and populations in our community are most vulnerable to this hazard? What factors contribute to their vulnerability (e.g., socio-economic status, infrastructure quality, health conditions)?

Vulnerability ratings outlined in the ICLEI Changing Climate, Changing Community: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation Worksheet 7 Vulnerability Assessment

 

Determine the potential impacts of the climate-related event.

Common questions to answer:	For example:
What are the potential consequences of this climate hazard on the components within the scale of our climate risk assessment?	Those you identified in Tip sheet: Start identifying local climate impacts.

Next steps

Once you have assessed local climate risks, you will be in a good position to start developing your climate adaptation plan. For support on getting started with this next phase of work, read Tip sheet: Start climate adaptation planning.

Explore the Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool for additional insight and support in analyzing and evaluating local climate risks. You can use the tool to evaluate your existing climate adaptation efforts, pinpoint areas for improvement and chart a clear plan for strengthening your community’s adaptation efforts. 
 

You may have already done some groundwork by considering local climate changes, setting boundaries for your project, figuring out what information you have and what you still need, and bringing together people with the right skills. With this preparatory work in place, you will want to start identifying the climate impacts in your area.

Tip: If you have not done this preparatory work or are about to start it, read Tip sheet: Start preparing for climate risk assessment and adaptation plan.

This tip sheet will help you answer:

• How can we use national or regional climate information to understand climate change in our local area?
• What climate hazards are relevant to my community right now? And how might they change in the future?
• How will different people and parts of my community be affected by climate change?

Getting started

Understand local climate changes

This means connecting climate information to events like extreme heat, heavy rainfall, flooding, drought and sea-level rise.

How can you identify and understand the climate changes relevant to your community?

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Identify local climate information.

Your assessment will likely include two types of climate information: qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative information typically includes historical and future weather and climate data as well as numerical likelihood and impact scores, while qualitative information typically includes information acquired through experience and observation.

ClimateData.ca has a glossary of key terms that can help you identify and interpret information about local climate impacts.

Both types of climate information are available from many different sources and at various scales, ranging from international to local scales. While it’s important to keep the broader climate change context in mind, your focus should be on how your local climate is changing and will continue to change. Resources like ClimateData.ca and Climate Atlas of Canada can help by providing downscaled climate information specific to your location. You might also already have climate information on hand; for example, operations staff may have recorded information about your community’s response to past climate events such as floods or wildfires.

The Climate Atlas of Canada has Indigenous map layers with climate data for First Nations, Inuit communities and Métis homelands. It also provides resources to learn about Indigenous knowledges and climate change. You can find more on the Climate Atlas of Canada’s page about Indigenous knowledges.

 

At this stage, you should also identify which community members you will seek information from and how. For example,

• engaging local and regional First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals, communities and organizations according to their engagement protocols
• hosting community dinners for urban Indigenous people
• conducting interviews with local businesses
• facilitating focus-group sessions with representatives from local organizations such as advocacy groups and volunteer organizations
• conducting an online survey to gather input from the public

2. Interpreting local climate change information

Processing large amounts of climate change information can be overwhelming. To make sense of it, look at what the data says about past and future key climate indicators within various categories. For example:

• indicators related to temperature: mean summer temperature, the number of days above a specified temperature threshold, the length of a frost-free season
• indicators related to precipitation: number of days with a rainfall amount above a specified precipitation threshold, maximum amount of precipitation in a single day, number of consecutive dry days
• indicators related to sea ice: total area of sea ice, proportion of sea ice area made up of multi-year sea ice

More climate indicators are outlined and discussed in the Government of Canada’s page about climate indicators.

Patterns in these climate indicators are used to describe climate hazards. The process you use will depend on the information you are using and the risk assessment framework you are working within. For example:

Scenario 1: You start by selecting a climate indicator to investigate temperature indicators. 

Using ClimateData.ca, you find and record the historical and projected (future) number of days with temperatures greater than 32 °C and find:

• historical: 0
• future: 3

Your interpretation of this information is that you can expect to see more frequent very hot days. You might decide to record your findings like this:

Climate indicator	In the past, we have experienced…	In the future, we can expect to experience…	Climate hazard	Information source(s)
Temperature	0 days where temperature reaches > 32 °C	3 days where temperature reaches > 32 °C	Extreme heat	ClimateData.ca

 

Scenario 2: You start by identifying a climate hazard relevant to your community.

Your community experienced a flood last year that caused significant infrastructure damage. From conversations with members of the local First Nation, you learn that the local landscape has been changed by flooding numerous times in the past. Using the Climate Atlas of Canada’s climate change map, you see that the amount of rain to fall in your region on the wettest day of the year is expected to increase from 28 mm to 31 mm, an increase of 9 %. You can record your findings like this:

Climate indicator	In the past, we have experienced…	In the future, we can expect to experience…	Climate hazard	Information source(s)
Flooding	28 mm of rain on the wettest day of the year damage to infrastructure by floods landscape changes due to flooding	31 mm of rain on the wettest day of the year	Flooding	local knowledge Climate Atlas of Canada

Understand local climate change impacts

Understanding past, present and future local climate conditions and associated hazards is part of knowing how your community may be impacted by climate change. Various places and people in your community will experience these impacts differently. That means you will need a good understanding of both the climate changes and the unique context and characteristics of your community.

How can you develop an understanding of the impacts climate hazards have on your community in a way that accounts for your community’s unique and diverse characteristics?

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Identify impact(s) of each climate event.

Identifying the potential impact of a climate event involves asking yourself, “If or when this climate hazard occurs, what will the outcome be?” Some key considerations that will help you answer this question are:

• What and who will be impacted? Identify what and who will be impacted within the scale you have chosen.
• How will it/they be affected? Describe the effect.

Climate hazard	What and who will be impacted?	How will it/they be affected?
Wildfires	Community	The young, elderly, and those living with existing health conditions may experience greater health impacts of smoke inhalation. Those experiencing houselessness may not have access to evacuation support services.
	Environment	Biodiversity loss may occur. Habitat destruction can result from severe climate events.
	Municipal facilities	Evacuation centres may be overwhelmed. Regular municipal functions may not be able to run.

 

2. Characterize the identified impacts.

For each climate impact, it can be helpful to describe some characteristics. For example, is the climate impact:

• Indirect or direct?
  • direct impacts: These are immediate consequences of a climate hazard. For example, the direct impact of extreme heat could be heatstroke and dehydration.
  • indirect impacts: These are secondary effects that occur because of the direct impacts. For example, an indirect impact of flooding could be the disruption of supply chains due to damaged transportation infrastructure.
• Positive or negative?
  • negative impacts: They harm the physical boundaries, service areas and/or thematic components within your established scale. For example, the negative impacts of sea-level rise could be coastal erosion and loss of animal habitat.
  • positive impacts: They can benefit the physical boundaries, service areas and/or thematic components within your established scale. For example, a positive impact of warmer temperatures is an extended growing season for certain crops.

There are many ways to organize this information. What is most important is that the approach you take works for your organization. ICLEI’s Changing Climate, Changing Communities: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation Worksheet 6(b) offers a good start for a community-level assessment outline.

Next steps

Once you have identified climate impacts in your community, you will be in a good position to assess climate risks and select the best course of action for your community. For support on getting started with this next phase of work, read Tip sheet: Start assessing your local climate risks.

Explore the Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool for additional insight and support in identifying local climate impacts. You can use the tool to evaluate your existing climate adaptation efforts, pinpoint areas for improvement and chart a clear plan for strengthening your community’s adaptation efforts.

Are you searching for best-in-class and tested resources to help your local government adapt to the challenges of climate change? Check out our curated list of reports, guides, case studies, templates and more, all aimed at supporting you in advancing your community’s climate resilience. 

Our library is organized according to the stages in the adaptation process that many local governments move through during climate resilience work. It is intended for communities in Canada across a range of population sizes, climate readiness levels and climate impacts. We have prioritized resources that centre an equity lens, feature nature-positive solutions and are from the past five years. 

Libraries

These Canadian resource libraries and databases are aimed at a municipal audience to help you find the information and tools most relevant to your needs.

Title	Source	Type	Description
Climate Insight	ICLEI	Portal	This portal features a comprehensive array of climate information, data and tools to advance resilient infrastructure planning. It includes: a map layering socioeconomic, infrastructure, and climate data; a resource library; a learning centre with information on climate impacts; and a solutions finder questionnaire to find tailored resources.
Climate-Related Resources for Local Governments	Government of Canada	Library	This page focuses on risk assessments and adaptation planning. It contains links to climate datasets, tools, guidance and related resources from sources including the federal government, provincial and territorial governments and established international organizations.
CLIMAtlantic AdaptationLibrary	CLIMAtlantic	Library	This library holds a vast collection of climate adaptation documents and tools relevant to Atlantic Canada and beyond.
ClimateData.ca	Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners	Portal	This portal provides recent climate data in accessible formats to support decision-makers. The website’s learning zone provides materials and training to help people better understand climate science.
Climate Atlas of Canada	Prairie Climate Centre	Library	This interactive tool integrates climate science, mapping, videography and storytelling to enhance users’ understanding of climate change in Canada and to inspire action.
Resources, Natural and Nature-Based Climate Change Adaptation Community of Practice	New Brunswick Environmental Network	Library	This page is dedicated to peer-to-peer learning, information exchange and sharing of best practices on natural and nature-based climate change adaptation approaches. The website’s resources section includes a cost/analysis tool, video courses, webinar recordings and a resource library.
Ouranos website	Ouranos	Library	Ouranos is a Quebec-based collaborative innovative hub bringing together a diverse consortium of experts and decision-makers. Their website holds a vast array of data-driven reports, scientific studies and other publications and learning materials.
ORCCA Resource Library	Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation	Library	This searchable library contains resources and tools to support adaptation work in Ontario, including reports, videos and infographics.
Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium Publications Library	Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium	Library	This repository contains technical and scientific resources on climate impacts, particularly in the Pacific and Yukon regions.
ClimateWest Publications Library	ClimateWest	Library	This library of publications provides climate information relevant to Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan, including a repository of reports and guides on climate adaptation.
Intact Centre Reports and Resources	Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation	Library	This collection includes recent reports, infographics and press releases on climate adaptation.
Asset Management Ontario Case Studies	Asset Management Ontario	Case studies	A collection of Ontario-based case studies introducing asset management themes through a climate change lens.
ReTooling Climate Change Adaptation Resources	ReTooling for Climate Change	Library	This searchable database of adaptation tools and resources can be filtered by topic, adaptation stage, resource type and region.
Climate Caucus Handbooks	Climate Caucus	Guide	This collection of toolkits offers inspiring examples, best practices, case studies, sample motions and more to support local government climate action in areas including adaptation and climate justice.

 

Multi-stage resources

These comprehensive resources offer insight on multiple stages of the adaptation process.

Title	Source	Type	Description
Changing Climate, Changing Communities: Guide and Workbook for Municipal Climate Adaptation	ICLEI	Guide	This guidebook acts as a framework, built around milestones, to assist local governments in creating their adaptation plans. It is accompanied by a 17-sheet workbook to help guide the process.
Climate Change Adaptation Resource Pathway	Natural Resources Canada	Tool	This interactive tool guides adaptation practitioners at all levels through a vast array of information and tools related to climate adaptation.
Equitable Climate Adaptation: Considerations for Local Governments	ICLEI	Guide	This resource provides examples and promising practices to dismantle the barriers that prevent local governments from centering equity and community engagement in their adaptation measures.
National Adaptation Strategy	Government of Canada	Strategy	The federal government’s national adaptation strategy, launched in 2022.
Factsheet: Why equity matters in municipal climate adaptation	FCM	Factsheet	This factsheet demystifies the concept of “equitable climate adaptation” by outlining important terminology, explaining why equity matters and discussing how a multi-solving approach that centres equity is integral to successful risk reduction.
Indigenous Climate Change Adaptation Planning Toolkit & Course	Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources	Training	This free, asynchronous online course teaches participants how to use the six guidebooks that comprise the Indigenous Climate Change Adaptation Planning Toolkit developed by CIER.

 

People, partnerships and governance

People, partnerships and governance are the backbone of an effective adaptation journey. They involve securing council commitment and establishing governance structures, resourcing and relationships for internal and external collaboration. Equally important are awareness, education, and engagement activities that meaningfully involve equity-deserving communities.

Title	Source	Type	Description
For our future: Indigenous Resilience Report	Natural Resources Canada	Report	This Indigenous-led report highlights Indigenous knowledge, perspectives and experiences related to climate change impacts and adaptation.
Integrating Climate Considerations: Governance and Operations	FCM	Guide	This resource equips users to integrate climate change considerations into day-to-day municipal operations and governance, highlighting the role of every municipal employee in addressing climate change impacts and providing guidance on questions to ask and tools to use for effective climate action.
Talking it through: Guide for local government staff on climate adaptation	FCM	Guide	This guide supports local government staff in speaking with senior decision-makers and elected officials about climate change and the need to build resilience. It includes various tools and case studies to help guide this work.
Learning Journey: Climate Resilience and Asset Management	FCM	Toolkit	This four-part learning journey consists of an instruction video, two factsheets and a guide to help users navigate the steps of integrating climate resilience into municipal asset management.
Getting Started: Exploring Entry Points into Adaptation	ICLEI	Guide	This resource offers comprehensive guidance on integrating climate change adaptation into municipal decision-making, emphasizing diverse entry points such as asset management, public health and land use planning.
10: A Guide to Advancing Climate Equity Through Place-Based Collaboration	Tamarack Institute	Guide	This comprehensive guide on collaborative, place-based approaches to advancing climate equity is comprised of 10 questions to assess readiness, 10 great ideas, 10 inspiring stories, 10 useful resources and 10 ways to get started.
Practice Guide for Advancing Climate Equity in Coastal Climate Change Adaptation	SHIFT Collaborative, prepared for Natural Resources Canada	Guide	This practical guide offers guiding principles, reflection prompts and potential actions to embed equity in coastal climate change adaptation projects across all stages, from ideation to monitoring and review.
Factsheet: Applying an Indigenous Inclusion Lens to Climate Adaptation	FCM	Factsheet	This factsheet highlights how integrating an Indigenous lens and Indigenous knowledge into climate strategies can enhance resilience and strengthen environmental strategies, as well as contribute to broader goals related to Reconciliation.
Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool	FCM	Tool	This tool helps local governments evaluate and improve their climate adaptation strategies through a comprehensive self-assessment and customizable roadmap. The tool offers a clear framework for understanding current resiliency, identifying priority areas for progress, and integrating climate adaptation into municipal processes.
Course: Building Climate Resilience with Asset Management	FCM	Training	This self-paced online course designed for municipal practitioners equips participants with strategies to integrate climate action into asset management planning, including setting levels of service through a resilience lens.
National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires	National Research Council of Canada	Guide	This guide provides research-based best practices on reducing the impact of wildfires in urban-wildland interfaces, including assessing hazards, managing vegetation and construction and enhancing community and emergency planning measures.

 

Risk and adaptation planning

Risk and adaptation planning begins with identifying and evaluating local climate data, risks and vulnerabilities to assess the potential impacts of climate change on a community, including through an equity lens. This assessment then informs the development of a climate adaptation plan, which outlines actions, priorities and objectives to reduce vulnerabilities and increase climate resilience.

Title	Source	Type	Description
ClimateData.ca	Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners	Portal	This portal provides recent climate data in accessible formats to support decision-makers. The website’s learning zone provides materials and training to help people better understand climate science.
Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC) Resources	PIEVC	Library	This website contains a variety of information and tools—including a resource catalogue, assessment tool and protocol—that can be used to inform engineering decisions to integrate adaptation measures into infrastructure.
Canada’s Changing Climate Report	Environment and Climate Change Canada	Report	This extensive report, led by Environment and Climate Change Canada and published in 2019, discusses the factors propelling climate change and projections for the future.
Learning Journey: Climate Resilience and Asset Management	FCM	Toolkit	This four-part learning journey consists of an instruction video, two factsheets and a guide to help users navigate the steps of integrating climate resilience into municipal asset management.
Getting Started: Exploring Entry Points into Adaptation	ICLEI	Guide	This resource offers comprehensive guidance on integrating climate change adaptation into municipal decision-making, emphasizing diverse entry points such as asset management, public health and land use planning.
Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up	Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation	Tool	This self-assessment questionnaire helps municipalities assess their specific flood hazards and implement preparedness measures. The resource includes a tool, a report and an infographic.
HealthyPlan.City	The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE)	Map	This interactive map, with integrated case studies, can be used to analyze various environmental health inequities and inform equity-based adaptation planning. Data is currently available for municipalities larger than 30,000 residents.
From Risk to Resilience: Indigenous Alternatives to Climate Risk Assessment in Canada	Yellowhead Institute	Report	This report presents an approach to risk assessment that is rooted in Indigenous knowledges and takes a holistic view of the broader social-ecological system, in contrast with “standard” risk assessments, which tend to prioritize built infrastructure.
Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool	FCM	Tool	This tool helps local governments evaluate and improve their climate adaptation strategies through a comprehensive self-assessment and customizable roadmap. The tool offers a clear framework for understanding current resiliency, identifying priority areas for progress, and integrating climate adaptation into municipal processes.
Course: Building Climate Resilience with Asset Management	FCM	Training	This self-paced online course designed for municipal practitioners equips participants with strategies to integrate climate action into asset management planning, including setting levels of service through a resilience lens.
National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires	National Research Council of Canada	Guide	This guide provides research-based best practices on reducing the impact of wildfires in urban-wildland interfaces, including assessing hazards, managing vegetation and construction and enhancing community and emergency planning measures.

 

Implementation and integration

Implementation and integration involve putting your climate adaptation plan into action by embedding it into organizational systems, processes and decision-making across departments. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation help local governments track progress toward adaptation objectives and refine implementation strategies along the way.

Title	Source	Type	Description
Nature is Infrastructure: How to Include Natural Assets in Asset Management Plans	Natural Assets Initiative	Guide	This guidebook aims to help local governments integrate natural asset management into their planning by bridging the gap between mainstream infrastructure practices and natural asset solutions.
Integrating Climate Considerations: Governance and Operations	FCM	Guide	This resource equips users to integrate climate change considerations into day-to-day municipal operations and governance, highlighting the role of every municipal employee in addressing climate change impacts and providing guidance on questions to ask and tools to use for effective climate action.
Tools: Operations and Maintenance for Climate Resilience	FCM	Tool	This page provides strategies and tools to help municipalities integrate climate considerations into their daily operations and maintenance activities, offering resources such as handbooks, worksheets, and factsheets tailored to different asset classes.
Case Study Series: Using Climate Data to Drive Adaptation	FCM	Case studies	These case studies show how five municipalities used data from the Canadian Centre for Climate Services to improve their resilience.
Talking it through: Guide for local government staff on climate adaptation	FCM	Guide	This guide supports local government staff in speaking with senior decision-makers and elected officials about climate change and the need to build resilience. It includes various tools and case studies to help guide this work.
Learning Journey: Climate Resilience and Asset Management	FCM	Toolkit	This four-part learning journey consists of an instruction video, two factsheets and a guide to help users navigate the steps of integrating climate resilience into municipal asset management.
Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool	FCM	Tool	This tool helps local governments evaluate and improve their climate adaptation strategies through a comprehensive self-assessment and customizable roadmap. The tool offers a clear framework for understanding current resiliency, identifying priority areas for progress, and integrating
Course: Building Climate Resilience with Asset Management	FCM	Training	This self-paced online course designed for municipal practitioners equips participants with strategies to integrate climate action into asset management planning, including setting levels of service through a resilience lens.
National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires	National Research Council of Canada	Guide	This guide provides research-based best practices on reducing the impact of wildfires in urban-wildland interfaces, including assessing hazards, managing vegetation and construction and enhancing community and emergency planning measures.

 

Project design

Project design shapes concrete actions that follow up on priorities and opportunities identified through a risk assessment or climate adaptation plan. This phase takes into account factors such as resources, capacity and equity, and involves multiple activities: setting goals and objectives, assessing existing relevant plans and tools that could guide the work, engaging rights holders and stakeholders, assigning roles and responsibilities, and project scoping.

Title	Source	Type	Description
Map of Adaptation Actions	Government of Canada and partners	Library	This interactive, searchable map rounds up case studies of adaptation actions undertaken across Canada.
ClimateData.ca	Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners	Portal	This portal provides recent climate data in accessible formats to support decision-makers. The website’s learning zone provides materials and training to help people better understand climate science.
Case Study Map, Natural and Nature-based Climate Change Adaptation Community of Practice	New Brunswick Environmental Network	Case studies	This map offers details about projects throughout Canada that employ nature-based methods to either mitigate or adapt to climate change.
Codes, Standards and Guidance for Climate Resilience	Infrastructure Canada	Guide	This resource outlines the impact of climate change on Canada’s infrastructure, highlighting the importance of integrating climate resilience considerations into infrastructure planning and decision-making, and shares initiatives to enhance climate resilience through standards, codes and adaptation strategies.
Natural Assets Bolster Climate Resilience	FCM	Library	This page provides resources to help municipalities enhance their understanding, valuation and management of green infrastructure.
Nature-based Infrastructure for Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management: A Canadian Design Guide	National Research Council Canada	Guide	This detailed guide provides evidence-based and technical guidance on selecting, designing and adaptively managing nature-based infrastructure for coastal flood and erosion risk management in Canada.
10: A Guide to Advancing Climate Equity Through Place-Based Collaboration	Tamarack Institute	Guide	This comprehensive guide on collaborative, place-based approaches to advancing climate equity is comprised of 10 questions to assess readiness, 10 great ideas, 10 inspiring stories, 10 useful resources and 10 ways to get started.
Adaptation Actions to Implement Climate Resilience	FCM	Tool	This tool provides extensive examples of adaptation projects, categorized by project type and including information on hazards addressed, co-benefits and tips to maximize impact.
Factsheets: Working with nature to improve infrastructure project outcomes	FCM	Factsheet	This factsheet outlines benefits of and strategies for integrating nature-based solutions into infrastructure project planning, including best practices to enhance biodiversity and a case study.
Practice Guide for Advancing Climate Equity in Coastal Climate Change Adaptation	SHIFT Collaborative, prepared for Natural Resources Canada	Guide	This practical guide offers guiding principles, reflection prompts and potential actions to embed equity in coastal climate change adaptation projects across all stages, from ideation to monitoring and review.
Climate Ready Infrastructure Service	Canadian Urban Institute	Expert Consultation	This capacity-building initiative offers small municipalities and Indigenous communities free guidance from a roster of climate and infrastructure experts to integrate climate resilience into infrastructure projects.
National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires	National Research Council of Canada	Guide	This guide provides research-based best practices on reducing the impact of wildfires in urban-wildland interfaces, including assessing hazards, managing vegetation and construction and enhancing community and emergency planning measures.

 

Project implementation

Project implementation involves putting the project design into action, which often requires procuring expertise and resources. This phase continues to rely on meaningful engagement, collaboration and communication to keep the project on course to meet objectives and achieve equitable impacts.

Title	Source	Type	Description
Map of Adaptation Actions	Government of Canada and partners	Library	This interactive, searchable map rounds up case studies of adaptation actions undertaken across Canada.
Case Study Map, Natural and Nature-based Climate Change Adaptation Community of Practice	New Brunswick Environmental Network	Case studies	This map offers details about projects throughout Canada that employ nature-based methods to either mitigate or adapt to climate change.
Nature-based Infrastructure for Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management: A Canadian Design Guide	National Research Council Canada	Guide	This detailed guide provides evidence-based and technical guidance on selecting, designing and adaptively managing nature-based infrastructure for coastal flood and erosion risk management in Canada.
Adaptation Actions to Implement Climate Resilience	FCM	Tool	This tool provides extensive examples of adaptation projects, categorized by project type and including information on hazards addressed, co-benefits and tips to maximize impact.
Practice Guide for Advancing Climate Equity in Coastal Climate Change Adaptation	SHIFT Collaborative, prepared for Natural Resources Canada	Guide	This practical guide offers guiding principles, reflection prompts and potential actions to embed equity in coastal climate change adaptation projects across all stages, from ideation to monitoring and review.

 

Project monitoring and evaluation

Project monitoring and evaluation assesses and measures a project’s impact once implementation has begun. Through a combination of data-based indicators and stakeholder engagement, project leaders gauge progress towards predefined objectives related to climate resiliency, social equity and more. Regular reporting, communication and outreach are essential to keep rights holders and stakeholders engaged. Insights from ongoing evaluation can inform and be used to adapt implementation strategies and project maintenance, while also providing opportunities to share success stories and lessons learned.

Title	Source	Type	Description
Canada’s Changing Climate Report	Environment and Climate Change Canada	Report	This extensive report, led by Environment and Climate Change Canada and published in 2019, discusses the factors propelling climate change and projections for the future.
Case Study Series: Using Climate Data to Drive Adaptation	FCM	Case studies	These case studies show how five municipalities used data from the Canadian Centre for Climate Services to improve their resilience.
Learning Journey: Climate Resilience and Asset Management	FCM	Toolkit	This four-part learning journey consists of an instruction video, two factsheets and a guide to help users navigate the steps of integrating climate resilience into municipal asset management.
Nature-based Infrastructure for Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management: A Canadian Design Guide	National Research Council Canada	Guide	This detailed guide provides evidence-based and technical guidance on selecting, designing and adaptively managing nature-based infrastructure for coastal flood and erosion risk management in Canada.
Practice Guide for Advancing Climate Equity in Coastal Climate Change Adaptation	SHIFT Collaborative, prepared for Natural Resources Canada	Guide	This practical guide offers guiding principles, reflection prompts and potential actions to embed equity in coastal climate change adaptation projects across all stages, from ideation to monitoring and review.
Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool	FCM	Tool	This tool helps local governments evaluate and improve their climate adaptation strategies through a comprehensive self-assessment and customizable roadmap. The tool offers a clear framework for understanding current resiliency, identifying priority areas for progress, and integrating climate adaptation into municipal processes.

 

Financing adaptation

Financing adaptation involves building confidence in climate resilience financial models and fostering investment in climate adaptation by developing sustainable and equitable models. This includes attracting public and private investors to help finance resilient infrastructure.

Title	Source	Type	Description
Cost of doing nothing: A Toolbox for Building a Local Business Case for Adaptation	ICLEI	Toolkit	This toolbox helps municipalities assess the costs of inaction and supports climate adaptation planning by providing guidance on collecting local data and contextualizing it nationally and provincially/territorially.
Investing in Canada’s future: The cost of climate adaptation	FCM	Report	This report highlights the pressing requirement for substantial investments in local climate adaptation, emphasizing the critical role of such investments in helping communities adapt to climate change and mitigate risks from extreme weather events.
Financing Resilient Infrastructure Project	ICLEI	Toolkit	This page describes a collaborative effort in 2023 to identify and prepare resilient infrastructure projects for financing, aiming to leverage private capital alongside public funding to address climate impacts, and shares a toolkit on financing such projects.
Getting Nature into Financial Reporting: Natural Asset Disclosures for Local Governments	Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation	Guide	This guide helps local governments integrate the financial value of the services provided by natural assets such as wetlands, rivers and forests into their financial reports.