ACT is excited to launch the NbS Regulatory Mechanisms Tool! This toolkit is the first resource in ACT's Natural Solutions Initiative Strategy Series. The toolkit was developed to help local governments introduce new, or strengthen existing, regulatory mechanisms to advance the use of nature-based solutions (NbS) in their communities. In many cases, NbS tend to be implemented on a project-by-project basis. With increasing recognition of the values of NbS for both people and other species, communities are seeking ways to mainstream and upscale these types of projects. To achieve this goal, local governments have a variety of regulatory tools at their disposal, which can be used to facilitate or require the use of NbS. The NbS Regulatory Mechanisms Toolkit aims to support this work by showcasing regulatory mechanisms and other government powers that can advance NbS in communities. Read the newly published report here: https://lnkd.in/ezQuQWeH The toolkit was authored by ACT's own Carley Termeer with support and review from the rest of the team. Alison Shaw Chaeri Kim Lauren Vincent
ACT - Action on Climate Team
Research Services
Vancouver, British Columbia 571 followers
The first university-based think tank in North America dedicated to climate change solutions and low carbon resilience.
About us
A research initiative in the Faculty of Environment at SFU, supported by SFU researchers and faculty as well as experts from other institutions, ACT advances adaptation research in Canada and internationally through academic, corporate and community research, events, networks and affiliations, with a core focus on analysis of adaptation options, policy recommendations and guidelines for all levels of government as well as professional practice sectors. Our topic areas include impacts resulting from current and projected climate changes in key areas of concern, encompassing water and food security, infrastructure, energy, biodiversity, population displacement, and more. We research solutions and develop resources, bringing the results together in beautifully designed, accessible reports and resources that identify policy opportunities and practical guidance on bridging from theory to action. ACT also contributes extensively to outreach and education on sustainable adaptation across Canada and internationally and works to amplify and leverage the complementary work of others. Since 2016, ACT has been developing a focus on streamlined climate actions and processes, an approach known as low carbon resilience (LCR), designed to ensure that emissions reduction and adaptation are integrated and mutually reinforcing, avoiding the risks of counteraction and failure posed by proceeding in silos. This work also seeks to identify actions with the widest levels of potential co-benefits for health, equity, biodiversity, and other areas of concern. ACT is partnered with numerous regional and national organizations as well as national and provincial professional associations, and many others. Our findings have stimulated new policymaking and research as well as widespread public and media interest. ACT’s advisers include senior policy and practice experts from government and academia.
- Website
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https://www.sfu.ca/act.html
External link for ACT - Action on Climate Team
- Industry
- Research Services
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2006
- Specialties
- climate change, climate adaptation, low carbon resilience, local government, governance, biodiversity, nature based solutions, green infrastructure, ecosystem services, infrastructure, and risk and vulnerability
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
515 W Hastings St
3351
Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 5k3, CA
Employees at ACT - Action on Climate Team
Updates
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Will you chip in to support the work of people who are stewarding the land, waters, and salmon in the Okanagan bioregion and beyond? Regenerative funding for initiatives like the Okanagan Catalyst Network are helping to prioritize community-based governance in support of watershed health and resilience. Donate today: https://lnkd.in/g7a-cWub
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Green infrastructure was put to the test earlier this month during Vancouver's latest atmospheric river event, and "performed beautifully"! Read on to see how projects like these can contribute to water management during rain events. 🌧️ https://lnkd.in/ehXq8nWc
This community rain garden 'worked perfectly' during B.C.'s most recent atmospheric river | CBC News
cbc.ca
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📖 We are excited to announce the recent release of "Nature First Cities", a book from Herb Hammond and Simon Fraser University's own Cam Brewer and Sean Markey. The book deals with the question of how to invite nature into a city without pushing people out of the way. The authors make the case that both nature and people belong in cities, intertwined as co-creators of the urban landscape. Nature belongs where we are, and we belong in nature. When done well, nature-based solutions shouldn't require a choice between humans and nature. Read on to learn more!
Book Launch Nature-First Cities: Restoring Relationships with Ecosystems and with Each Other By Cam Brewer, Herb Hammond and Sean Markey Check out the book here: https://lnkd.in/giNvSm5H Nature belongs in cities, but how do we put nature first without pushing people aside? Nature-First Cities reveals the false dichotomy of that question by recognizing that people and nature are not separate. Western urbanization has meant the tragic, ongoing expulsion of nature, which is engendering biodiversity loss and inequality, thwarting economic potential, and severely affecting health. As a result, productivity drags, and the distress signals of a planet in crisis are ignored. Nature-First Cities charts a different direction, applying the science and practice of nature-directed stewardship to cities. Informed by decades of experience, tested through case studies, and linking bottom-up initiatives with government responsibility, this methodology for urban ecosystem restoration is uniquely effective at revitalizing our strained cities. Nature is woven into networks, distributed equitably across all neighbourhoods, and partnered with the urban density that is essential for addressing the climate crisis. This practical framework for urban planning reinforces our place in nature both physically, by ensuring that cities are replete with biodiversity and intact ecosystems, and conceptually, by rebalancing our relationships with the planet and with one another.
Nature-First Cities
naturefirstcities.com
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Check out this interesting book talk! If you're passionate about urban sustainability, you won't want to miss this upcoming discussion featuring Nico Larco, Professor of Architecture at the University of Oregon, and Kaarin Knudson, Mayor-Elect of Eugene, as they explore their latest book, The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook. This handbook brings together valuable insights and best practices for creating more resilient, sustainable cities, making it a great resource for urban planners, designers, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of our urban spaces. https://lnkd.in/gNc9bSmQ
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Our colleagues at Hey Neighbour Collective and Happy Cities are continuing their 'Housing That Connects Us' webinar series. 🏡 Join Hey Neighbour Collective and Happy Cities on Thursday, October 3, 2024 from 10:00 – 11:00 AM PST for a dynamic conversation about their recently launched Building Social Connections toolkit, a resource designed for planners and housing professionals to ensure denser housing also supports community resilience and social connection. Webinar details and a link to register can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gpYM6Tuj
Our 'Housing That Connects Us' webinar series is back! Please join us and Happy Cities on Thursday, October 3 at 10 AM PST for a dynamic discussion about a toolkit of design resources we're launching that planners and housing professionals can use to ensure denser housing **also** supports community resilience and social connection. Planners and housing professionals have a critical opportunity to ensure that new homes not only meet supply and affordability goals—but also support the health and happiness of residents. Our new toolkit is packed with policy and design tools to ensure that new multi-unit housing provides more than just a roof overhead—a safe home where people of all walks of life can grow, meet neighbours, and feel a sense of belonging to their community. By joining this webinar, you will learn: 🤝 How planners, architects, and housing developers and operators can apply the design actions in the toolkit to ensure denser housing also supports community resilience and social connection. 🎨 How design strategies in the toolkit can nurture wellbeing in housing for people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, household sizes, and incomes. 💭 Opportunities for upcoming engagement with the project in fall 2024 and beyond. We hope to see you there! #HousingThatConnectsUs https://lnkd.in/gpYM6Tuj
Join the next ‘Housing That Connects Us’ webinar: Design tools to support wellbeing
https://www.heyneighbourcollective.ca
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It’s been a busy couple of weeks for ACT! Our team has been away presenting at multiple conferences and networking with changemakers both in Canada and internationally. 🤝 📢 First, Chaeri Kim, our NSI research manager and postdoctoral fellow, was invited to present Low Carbon Resilience (LCR) on a global stage at the 2024 Sejong International Net Zero Forum, highlighting its impact and relevance beyond borders. She shared insights from experiences with Canadian local governments that co-evolved LCR pathways. The forum focused on “Innovative Technology and International Cooperation for Achieving a Carbon Neutral City.” Participants shared innovative technologies, policies, and planning approaches, while also building consensus on the importance of cooperation for the transition to carbon neutrality and effective climate response. Key takeaways from the forum and the panel discussion included: 👉 Sharing knowledge and experience through international cooperation is vital to achieving carbon neutrality. 👉 Promoting climate awareness and involving citizens in climate action are key drivers for the transition to carbon-neutral cities. 👉 Embedding climate action in education is crucial for fostering a new generation of environmentally conscious leaders and driving long-term sustainability. Second, ACT was represented by Alison Shaw and Lauren Vincent at the #Innovate4Cities Conference in Montréal last week. 📢 Alison Shaw presented on the work being done by SFU Climate Innovation and the unique approach being employed at SFU to coordinate and leverage climate research and action across the institution. 📢 Lauren Vincent presented on ACT’s Low Carbon Resilience work, and ACT’s plans to roll this approach out to municipalities throughout Canada. Stay tuned to learn more as this project develops! There were an incredible number of speakers and changemakers present over the three-day conference which sought to bring together academia, government, civil society, and industry at the intersection of cities, climate science, and innovation. Some key takeaways included: 👉 Climate action is not inherently just. Many existing approaches to climate action in cities leave behind those most vulnerable, especially those living in informal settlements. 👉 Universities increasingly represent an important point of connection between academics and practitioners. A two-way flow of information of co-creating research and mobilizing knowledge is crucial to successful community-engaged research. 👉 Climate risk must be embedded into cities decision-making processes. Local risk assessments should be conducted using scientific information, Indigenous Knowledge, and local knowledge of impacts (from the recent IPCC Special Report on Climate and Cities) The ACT team is now back in Vancouver and ready to leverage the knowledge and connections we’ve all made to continue to accelerate city climate action! 🌱
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Calling all students interested in climate resilience! r3.0 is offering free tickets for students to attend their conference, 'Tipping Points On Tipping Points - Building Necessary Collapse Resilience' on September 10th and 11th. Find more details below! ACT’s Executive Director Dr. Alison Shaw will be presenting online at the r3.0 conference. r3.0 stands for redesign, resilience and regeneration. Learn more about the r3.0 conference here: https://lnkd.in/gwzTEqCP
FREE TICKETS FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND the r3.0 11th International Online Conference 'Tipping Points On Tipping Points - Building Necessary Collapse Resilience', on September 10/11! Are you a bachelor or master student, enrolled at a University or University of Applied Science, r3.0 offers a unique opportunity: for every for-profit ticket sold we grant a stipend ticket to attend the conference free of charge. If you are interested in the Conference and its four interrelated themes on how to build necessary collapse resilience, please send an email to hello@r3-0.org, including your full name, email address, enrolment proof (pdf or jpg) and a short explanation why you are interested to participate, and we will grant as many stipends as possible. We will do this in a first come - first serve manner. As we expect more for-profit ticket sales in the coming 10 days we will continue until and including Friday, September 6. See more about the conference at https://lnkd.in/e8QSWjVX.
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Have a look at the new FEMA National Resilience Guidance! With the goal of increasing community and national resilience, the Guidance: 1. Promotes a common understanding of resilience. 2. Emphasizes the critical relationship between chronic community stressors and acute shocks. 3. Addresses the resilience roles of individuals, organizations, and all levels of government. 4. Provides an actionable approach to resilience planning and implementation. Incorporates a community resilience maturity model that walks through concrete steps to build resilience. Find the full document here: https://lnkd.in/eEAw-WEc
National Resilience Guidance
fema.gov
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"Climate change is one of the most pressing and complex global challenges facing our world and communities today—one that requires academics, researchers, and community members across the street and across the world to collaborate, share knowledge and build on each other’s strengths." Join ACT's Executive Director, Dr. Alison Shaw at the Celebration of Excellence & Engagement on November 7, 2024. #COEE2024 The Symposium is full of climate experts speaking on topics ranging from accelerating place-based climate innovation to transforming energy systems across local, national, and global scales. Find more details here: https://lnkd.in/gHQ2m2Qb
The first panel discussion at Simon Fraser University's Community-Centered Climate Innovation Symposium will focus on accelerating place-based climate innovation and action for the polycrisis. Meet the esteemed panelists: ✅ Dr. Anne Salomon, Professor, Undergraduate Program Chair, Academic Integrity Advisor, SFU’s School of Resource & Environmental Management ✅ Dr. Nicholas Reo, Associate Professor; Canada Excellence Research Chair in Coastal Relationalities and Regeneration, SFU Indigenous Studies ✅ Dr. Zoe Todd, Associate Professor; Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Governance and Freshwater Fish Futures, SFU Indigenous Studies ✅ Chairperson Khelsilem Tl'aḵwasiḵ̓an Sxwchálten, Squamish Nation (Khelsilem T.) Moderator: Dr. Alison Shaw, Executive Director, SFU Climate Innovation 📍 Vancouver, BC | November 7 at 10:30am Register for the symposium alone or as part of the RSC’s Celebration of Excellence and Engagement conference before October 4: bit.ly/3zCRQbz #COEE2024
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