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

Do you need help starting climate conversations in your municipality? Check out our Talking it Through: A Discussion Guide for Local Government Staff on Climate Adaptation.

This resource was created to help municipal staff talk to decision-makers and elected officials about adapting to the local impacts of climate change. It can help you understand your community’s context, identify your most effective climate action allies, plan the content of your conversations, and navigate those discussions with knowledge and skill.

The guide provides information on:

• Climate change and the local, place-based impacts on built, natural and social systems
• Why local planning and action is needed to adapt and ensure resiliency
• Two key approaches to adaptation: planning-based and operations-based
• Adaptation measures taken by local governments across Canada
• Contextual differences between urban, rural and remote, and northern communities
• Indigenous perspectives on adaptation

The guide includes four key tools to assist your conversations:

• A typology of climate conversations—key factors that determine the types of climate conversations most relevant to your community right now
• Five guiding principles for effective adaptation
• A set of self-assessment questions to help you clarify your adaptation context—your specific needs, objectives, barriers and progress to date
• Five case studies of various approaches to advancing adaptation—representing communities of different sizes, locations, climate hazards and adaptation approaches

When you’re ready to plan your conversation, download our Talking it Through: A Discussion Guide for Local Government Staff on Climate Adaptation PowerPoint Tool—a customizable template you can edit to create a presentation that addresses your community’s unique situation. Detailed instructions have been added to the tool to maximize the impact of your presentation.

Get started:

Download the guide. 
Download your customizable presentation template.

Additional climate adaptation resources

Looking for continued support on your community’s climate adaptation journey? Download this list of additional climate resources.