priorities

financing

One of the greatest impediments to equitable climate action by cities is the lack of resources. Constitutionally, municipalities lack the financial authority to raise revenue that the provincial and federal government possess yet they are on the front-line of every climate crisis in this country. There is excellent work being led by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Big City Mayors’ Caucus to negotiate a new Municipal Growth Framework that will provide new, diverse, predictable and more equitable ways to fund local governments. 

The Covid pandemic, increased flooding, wild fires, heat domes and drought have exacerbated structural inequities in communities. Local governments have had to take swift action to safeguard the health and well-being of their residents and have innovated new financing tools and partnerships to meet their needs. They have created the LC3 networks, piloted PACE programs, forged partnerships with philanthropic communities and program related investors, launched new indigenous led financial institutions and negotiated new partnerships like the Permanent Urban Transit Fund with the federal government.

As financial institutions and investors are recognizing the impact of climate on their portfolios and are taking steps to mediate their risks, new innovations are emerging.

Urban Climate Leadership is working across sectors to strengthen new financial opportunities for local governments to step up their climate action. And we are identifying arenas where collaborative action needs catalytic support.

project

profile

Installing heat pumps in low-rise

multi-unit residential buildings

  • Financing heat pumps in low rise multi-urban residential units (MURBs) is a complex undertaking. The historical “three-story walkup” building was the favourite form of purpose-built rental, equity cooperatives and small-scale strata development in the 1950 to 1970s, when the federal government had a strong housing investment program. In Metro Vancouver alone there are 5400 such buildings.

    Now these low rise MURBs present a significant obstacle for local governments to meet their climate targets. The cost to install heat pumps is far in excess of the capacity of people on limited incomes to afford and the subsidies that might exist for decarbonizing single-family homes, do not exist in these buildings. There are also dozens of other obstacles that impact the timing, decision-making process, technologies and cost related to the deployment of heat-pumps in older buildings.

    Urban Climate Leadership is working in partnership with an advisory committee and dozens of civil servants, residents, civic organizations, private suppliers, and financiers to collaboratively design a solution that will support the adoption of heat-pumps in low rise MURBs. By using the Belmanor story as a case study, we will create a series of tools and templates that can be scaled across the country.

municipal procurement

Local government has a limited number of tools in their tool box to advance equitable climate solutions. Procurement is one of the most powerful tools that cities can use to advance their social and environmental goals. By prioritizing sustainable and low-carbon goods and services, municipalities not only reduce their carbon footprint but also drive market demand for eco-friendly products and build our social economy. Through strategic procurement practices, cities can catalyze innovation, support local green businesses, and foster resilient, equitable climate-smart economies. 

Unfortunately, with the exception of the conversation of city fleets to EVs, there are few examples of strong Requests for Proposals from local governments that adequately rank and award equity and decarbonization efforts by suppliers of goods and services. Urban Climate Leadership will work with the networks, business associations, researchers and advocates to develop case studies in specific areas of municipal procurement.

Urban Climate Leadership will work with the networks, business associations, researchers and advocates to develop case studies in specific areas of municipal procurement. We will build on the excellent work of existing collaborations like the Canadian Coalition for Sustainable Procurement, Buyers for Climate Action, Buy Social and others to scale impact, transform markets and catalyze new thinking.

insurance

In the United States we are seeing a trend in insurance companies pulling out of insuring communities impacted by flooding and wildfires. In Quebec, Desjardins Credit Union made a recent decision to withdraw from writing mortgages on homes in high-risk flood zoners.

Municipalities are on the front line of increased flooding, sea level rise, slides and wildfires.

As communities are experiencing catastrophic disasters caused by climate change, the pressure on governments to provide support increases. As communities rebuild, many are asking what happens when insurance companies and banks refuse to provide coverage or mortgages? Resettling is an unlikely option for most people. But can we support rebuilding homes where insurance companies won’t go? Can we expect financial institutions to back stop mortgages and loans in these areas?

Climate Proof Canada is a national coalition of Canadian business representatives, disaster relief organizations, municipalities, Indigenous organizations, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and think tanks that believe Canada must prepare for the present and growing effects of climate change through building a more disaster-resilient country. The Insurance Bureau of Canada houses the initiative and has provided important leadership in guiding Canadian policy makers to incorporate climate resilience into its policies. Urban Climate Leadership will work with Climate Proof Canada to develop a BC based case study that surfaces local solutions to the issue of insurance in climate vulnerable communities.

transportation

For years, urban transportation planning was conducted by government agencies that focused on the movement of goods and people. Climate change has ushered in a whole new era of thinking, innovations and approaches to mobility that require deep collaborations among orders of governments, businesses, transit workers, active transportation advocates, mobility innovators, health agencies, researchers and equity seeking groups. 

Urban Climate Leadership’s approach to mobility links transportation with land-use planning and centres health, equity, economic development and resilience. This climate informed approach broadens the ecosystem of solution providers and relies on collaborative visioning, design and implementation from private, public and nonprofit actors. It advances multi-modal and integrated transportation options, considers new forms of transportation financing, explores how data and AI can support planning, probes the electrification of our fleets, demand transportation, vehicle to grid programs and other low-carbon transportation innovations.