Building a legacy of local climate action | Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Local governments are at the frontlines in the fight against climate action. In Canada, municipalities have influence over roughly 50 percent of the nation’s GHG emissions and the ways we live, work and play can have a huge impact. By matching the federal government’s emissions reduction targets of 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, municipalities alone could get us halfway to Canada’s emissions reduction target of net zero by 2050.

The Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP) was a six-year, $75 million dollar program. In those six years, we provided funding, resources and training to help over 700 local governments meet the challenge of climate change head on.

While MCIP has officially come to an end, our legacy of local climate action lives on. With our support, municipalities built more resilient communities, reduced GHG emissions and adapted to climate-induced changes like flooding and extreme heat. This report covers the duration of MCIP’s lifecycle, from 2016 to 2022.

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What you’ll find inside

Our impact
Find key facts and figures detailing how MCIP activities supported local climate action

Grants for municipalities
See how $57 million in MCIP funding supported 322 climate projects in over 700 municipalities

GHG emissions reductions
Learn how 121 municipalities are expected to reduce yearly GHG emissions by 228,205 tonnes per year, the equivalent of growing 3,773,389 tree seedlings over 10 years

Climate resilience and adaptation
Read about innovative climate adaptation projects and their impacts on local communities

A national network
Discover how our national network of over 50 technical training partners supported climate action in over 420 municipalities and First Nations communities

Guides and resources
Find easy-to-understand guides, tools and other resources to help you strengthen your climate skills and knowledge and overcome specific challenges

Featured resources

Discover tools, guides and more to help your municipality reduce greenhouse gasses and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

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Municipal climate change staff guide

This step-by-step guide will help you from your first day through your first year in your role as a municipal employee working on climate change.

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Talking it through: Guide for local government staff on climate adaptation

This guide helps municipal staff talk to decision-makers and elected officials about adapting to the local impacts of climate change.

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Learning journey: Climate resilience and asset management

This web page explains how climate action and asset management can fit together for municipalities. Resources include a video, fact sheets and a guide.

Take the journey

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Integrating climate considerations series

This series helps municipalities to integrate climate considerations into their governance activities and daily operations, identify climate change impacts that may affect their service delivery plans, and incorporate climate data and key considerations into community planning.

Featured case studies

Find inspiration for climate action in these MCIP success stories

Montreal’s skyline in the fall, filled with yellow and red trees.

Water Square: A good way to reduce the impacts of intense rainfall in urban Quebec?

Learn how Montréal, Quebec developed its first water square. See how the community plans to sustainably manage rainwater and improve citizen quality of life.

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Climate change adaptation through an equity lens

Learn how the City of Vancouver consulted its most vulnerable residents to incorporate their needs and experiences into climate adaptation initiatives.

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Case study series: Using climate data to drive adaptation

Read our case study series to discover how communities across Canada are using data to inform local climate adaptation planning.

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Spotlighting local climate action

From 2021-2022, FlipSide Sustainability developed four briefing notes showcasing policy highlights from MCIP.

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Climate action & innovation in Canadian municipalities

Read the briefing notes to learn more about the impact of local climate innovations supported by MCIP.

Read the briefs

The Municipalities for Climate Innovations Program was a six-year, $75 million program funded by Infrastructure Canada and delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). We provided grants, training and information to help Canadian municipalities take action to reduce GHG emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

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