Tip sheet: Start involving diverse voices in municipal climate adaptation

This tip sheet will help you answer:  

• How can we connect with equity-deserving groups on climate adaptation work?  
• How can we raise awareness and educate others if we have limited resources?

Getting started

Identify equity-deserving groups in your community. 

Identifying equity-deserving groups in your community means considering who lives there, what their identities are and what their lived experiences may be.

How can you identify equity-deserving groups in your community?

Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Consider who lives in your community.

Equity-deserving groups are people who, because of systemic discrimination, face barriers that prevent them from having the same access to the resources and opportunities available to other members of society, and that are necessary for them if they are to attain just outcomes. These communities are often underrepresented in decision-making processes. In your community, this may include:

• Indigenous Peoples: First Nations, Métis and Inuit people and communities, including urban Indigenous communities  
• newcomers to Canada: a self-identified group that may include people who have obtained landed immigrant status, refugee status or permanent resident status up to five years prior to a given census year  
• people who are part of LGBTQ2+ communities: people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, Two-Spirit and others who represent the wide spectrum of gender identities, sexual orientations and romantic orientations not explicitly named  
• people living with disabilities: people who have a long-term or recurring physical, mental, psychiatric, intellectual or sensory impairment that, in interaction with various attitudinal and environmental barriers, hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. This is a self-identified status and does not require an external or formal recognition of disability.  
• people with low income: individuals or households earning significantly less than the median income level in their area, placing them at an economic disadvantage compared to the general population. People with low income often face barriers to accessing essential services like healthcare, education and housing, which can perpetuate cycles of poverty and social exclusion.  
• racialized persons: a person or group of people categorized according to ethnic or racial characteristics and subjected to discrimination on that basis
• religious minority groups: a group of people who share religious characteristics differing from those of the majority or dominant population, and who often experience discrimination or exclusion  
• rural and remote residents: individuals living in areas characterized as rural. As an equity-deserving group, these residents may face challenges such as reduced access to critical services and economic opportunities compared to their urban counterparts.  
• women: all people who identify as women

In addition to reflecting on what you already know about your community, other ways of identifying equity-deserving groups include:

• using data such as income, disability, race and ethnicity, language, gender and age
• connecting with other public service providers such as public health, housing and library services
• researching and connecting with different community groups through targeted outreach or events
• reviewing past community engagement initiatives to identify who was or was not involved

Involve equity-deserving groups. 

Asking for participation from equity-deserving groups can be challenging if they face, or have experienced the impacts of, discrimination. In addition, no equity-deserving group or individual within an equity-deserving group is the same. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to involving them in climate adaptation.  

How can you involve equity-deserving groups in climate adaptation work in ways that are considerate and inclusive of their needs?  

Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Understand the lived experiences of equity-deserving groups.

Many equity-deserving groups experience burdens that create barriers to their involvement in climate adaptation work. Before seeking to involve equity-deserving groups, it is important to take the time to understand their experiences within both the broader community and with your organization, and how that experience may impact their motivation or ability to engage. For example:

• Some groups may be distrustful due to past or current harms.
• Some groups may be struggling to meet their basic needs and therefore may not have the capacity to participate.
• Some groups may have been excluded and overlooked in decision making and thus not want to participate.  

2. Clarify the level of participation you are looking for.

Being clear on what type of involvement you are looking for helps maintain transparency and set clear expectations. In doing so, you can help members of equity-deserving groups or organizations who represent them understand their role and the impact of their contributions. 

Tip: The IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation can help you identify the level of participation you are looking for.

3. Evaluate your organization’s capacity to engage equity-deserving groups.  

Not every organization can do everything, and it's better to do less but do it well than it is to over-commit and not be able to achieve your goals. Because of that, doing an honest assessment of the resources and capabilities of your organization is an important step to take before seeking to involve equity-deserving groups. Here are some examples of steps you can take:

• Review your current staff resources.  
• Consider what skills and training are needed for engagement with equity-deserving groups.  
• Assess the available budget for engagement activities. For example, can your organization provide an honorarium to Indigenous individuals?
• Be transparent about your limitations with community partners.  

4. Work with local organizations.

In some cases, equity-deserving groups may be represented by local non-profits, advocacy groups and community organizations. Reaching out to those organizations can help alleviate some of the demands placed on equity-deserving groups. These organizations often have deep community connections and understand local needs. Here are some examples of good first steps:

• Identify organizations that work with or represent different community groups.
• Schedule initial meetings to discuss your climate adaptation goals.
• Understand barriers to participation (timing, location, language, childcare needs).
• Ask how they typically engage with their communities.
• Attend community events to learn and build relationships with different members of the community.

5. Find out what works for them.  

Every equity-deserving group is different, and assumptions about engagement can lead to ineffective approaches and, in some cases, can risk causing further harm. Instead, directly asking members of equity-deserving groups or organizations that represent them about their preferences for participation will help you come up with engagement approaches that are respectful and accessible. Examples of respectful and accessible engagement approaches may include:

• Go to where people are, rather than asking people to participate in stand-alone engagement events. Work with partners to incorporate engagement into other community events or gatherings.
• Provide multiple opportunities for engagement (in-person and virtual, different times of day) and have childcare available.  
• Compensate participants for their time through an appropriate honorarium or gift card to a local business. 

Explore GMF’s Factsheet: Applying an Indigenous inclusion lens to climate adaptation to learn about integrating an Indigenous lens and Indigenous knowledge into your climate work.  

Read Beyond Inclusion: Equity in Public Engagement from Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue for additional support  in engaging the public.  

6. Check in and report back.  

Involving equity-deserving groups in climate adaptation work should be an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Regular communication helps build a trusting relationship and creates opportunities to learn and improve. For example, you could create structures for:  

• scheduling meetings with community organizations
• receiving feedback (e.g., an anonymous survey)
• reporting back on how community input has been used
• celebrating progress and shared achievements 

Next steps

Involving equity-deserving groups is an important part of building the core of your climate adaptation efforts—people, partnerships and governance. For more support to get started on strengthening people, partnerships and governance, explore the following tip sheets:

• Tip sheet: Start resourcing your municipality for climate adaptation
• Tip sheet: Start collaborating on municipal climate adaptation
• Tip sheet: Start building council momentum for climate adaptation

Explore the Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool for additional insight and support. 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