Taking Action on Green Resilience: Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Synergies

Climate change impacts are already causing environmental, social, health, and economic problems for Canadian communities, and these are projected to increase. There is widespread recognition that we must plan responses to these impacts (climate change adaptation), and that reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (climate change mitigation) is a crucial priority if we are to minimize them. Communities can maximize the effectiveness of actions and increase funding opportunities by advancing these approaches through integrated “Green Resilience” (GR) strategies.This report draws together content and conclusions from a workshop entitled “Taking Action on Green Resilience” hosted by ACT, SFU and the consulting firm Green Resilience Strategies (GRS) at the 2017 ICLEI Canada Livable Cities Forum in Victoria, BC. The workshop brought together 40 public and private sector climate change practitioners from across Canada with expertise in urban planning, municipal policy, energy systems, buildings, engineering and communication. This report provides examples of GR measures, summarizes key benefits, provides insights on how to identify, fund and implement GR opportunities, and recommends new or updated research, analysis, technical assistance, incentives and regulations identified by participants as necessary to advancing GR practices.