Finding and Strengthening Informal Peer Communities in the

Finding and Strengthening Informal Peer Communities in the GHG Toolkit for Alberta Municipalities Project Presented by Linda Harvey Upwind Downwind Conference, Hamilton, Ontario February 27, 2012 s

Overview • Drivers behind the Toolkit project – 2009 context • • • How the Toolkit concept evolved Research & learning Lessons learned Legacy Conclusion

2009 Context • Calgary Community GHG Reduction Plan – Funded by FCM, AENV and The City of Calgary • Alberta 2008 Climate Change Strategy policies emerging – Municipal Climate Change Action Plans • AUMA Municipal Climate Change Action Centre • Alberta Climate Dialogue community engagement

Furious activity is no substitute for understanding. H. H. Williams

Two questions • What’s the best way to develop the municipal climate change action plans? – Collaborate and coordinate • How can the province ensure that municipalities are engaged in policy development? – Resources, empowerment

Collaboration & coordination • City of Calgary, City of Edmonton • Alberta Environment & Water • Alberta Energy • Association of Urban Municipalities of Alberta (AUMA) • Pembina Institute • Alberta Climate Dialogue • Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Resources & empowerment • The Alberta Toolkit project emerged as a way to: – Leverage resource investment and establish synergies between the Calgary Community GHG Reduction Plan project and other initiatives. – Ensure municipal expertise adds to development of the Alberta Municipal Climate Change Action Plans – Provide citizens and their municipalities with deliberative processes and new systems and structures to effectively address complex issues such as climate change.

Two products: • A user-friendly “document” – a collectively developed resource for municipalities working on community GHG reduction programs—Intelligent Futures • An ongoing, collaborative network (community of practice) – to leverage the initial investment of resources and continue the peer dialogue and learning that was established along the way —Intelligent Futures

A focus on learning

Specific research • “Governance Options for GHG Reduction” Report— Pembina Institute • “Community GHG Measurement System Review”— ICLEI • Peer learning – Action research that would increase the knowledge and capacity of participants

Specific research (cont’d) • Deliberative democracy & appreciative enquiry --Alberta Climate Dialogue – Unique academic & professional insight to a municipally-led engagement program – Increased municipal awareness of new methods of public engagement through access to a significant body of knowledge (beyond what is typical) – Advice on managing local variables with replicable practices for success (i. e. a toolkit, not a template)

Bringing municipalities together

Lessons Learned: Peer Communities • Municipalities are effective as an informal peer community as well as being a partner in multistakeholder groups. • Informal peer communities provide different insight than formal peer communities.

Lessons Learned: Technology • Efficient formal support for informal peer communities • A tool for municipalities to meet their local need for action, measurement and engagement • Can’t replace, but can enhance the face-to-face collaboration that has produced results in the past • Extends the life of project engagement

The legacy – for now … • City of Calgary completes the project with Intelligent Futures – December 2011 • Alberta Environment & Water funds the Alberta Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (AMCCA) • AMCCA incorporates operation of the Toolkit into their mandate • Calgary hands the Toolkit over to AMCCA

Conclusion • Informal peer communities may be hiding in plain sight—they may be an untapped resource for achieving [environmental] goals.

Linda Harvey The City of Calgary Environmental and Safety Management linda. harvey@calgary. ca