As we prepare to launch the 6th edition of the National Climate League standings report on October 3rd, we interviewed several volunteers who helped collect data from their local municipalities for this latest edition. The NCL 6th edition standings report is a critical tool that activists can use to hold their local municipalities' climate action plans accountable by comparing each city to one another and tracking their performance. Without volunteer participation, a project

These indicators track the state of the natural urban environment, which is also linked to human health. How much green space is therein a community? Do its residents enjoy clean air? Why this Indicator is Important Urban green space includes parks (which may have playgrounds or other infrastructure), as well as less managed natural spaces such as riverbanks and urban forests. Urban greenspace has a variety of climate, environmental, and social benefits. It can help provide c

While much of our food comes from outside our communities, municipalities can also support more local food production, which is also more sustainable and lower carbon.How many sites of urban food production does a community have? Why this Indicator is Important Our urban agriculture indicator captures the number of community gardens, urban farms, and orchards within the city. These are sites of communal food production, usually managed by the city or a nonprofit, sometimes co

Cutting down on the waste we produce and conserving the water we use means our communities are producing less emissions, as well as being easier on our natural resources. Municipalities can support households in doing both these things with good programs and education. How much waste do households in a community produce? How much water do people use every day? Why this Indicator is Important We measure water consumption as the amount of residential water consumption in litres

These indicators track the state of the natural urban environment, which is also linked to human health. How much green space is there in a community? Do its residents enjoy clean air? Why this Indicator is Important Air pollution includes fine particulate matter, ground-level ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. It comes from human-driven sources like fossil fuel burning vehicles, burning natural gas, certain industries, or natural events like wildfires.1 Poor air quality increases

Switching to renewable energy from fossil fuels is the foundation of climate action. Many kinds of renewable energy (such as solar) can be locally generated within municipality boundaries. How much of a community’s energy mix is renewable? Why this Indicator is Important This indicator looks at the portion of a city’s electricity generated from renewable sources. Electricity can be generated from non-renewable sources (such as coal), or renewable (such as solar). In provinces

Buildings are one of the most impactful areas where a municipality can reduce its emissions. Increasing energy efficiency can also make housing costs more affordable. Housing prices have been increasing, and ensuring people can afford housing is important for tackling poverty. How affordable is housing in a community? How many of its buildings are sustainable? Why this Indicator is Important Buildings account for Canada’s third largest source of GHG emissions at 18%.1 As clim

Buildings are one of the most impactful areas where a municipality can reduce its emissions. Increasing energy efficiency can also make housing costs more affordable. Housing prices have been increasing, and ensuring people can afford housing is important for tackling poverty. How affordable is housing in a community? How many of its buildings are sustainable? Why this Indicator is Important Climate change and housing access are parallel crises that need to be tackled togethe

These indicators track municipal governance and management on climate and sustainability. Who is making decisions and are they representative of the community? What commitments has the municipality made? Are they backing up those commitments with adequate resources? Why this Indicator is Important Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) is a program of the Federation for Canadian Municipalities (FCM)1 and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability Canada,2 open to any Canadian

These indicators track municipal governance and management on climate and sustainability. Who is making decisions and are they representative of the community? What commitments has the municipality made? Are they backing up those commitments with adequate resources? Why this Indicator is Important According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment report, if we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C, we need to, globally, reduce greenhouse gas

One of the challenges of the NCL has been ensuring small and rural communities are being fairly represented. We have tried to select indicators that apply across many different contexts, but this is not always possible (public transit, for example, is an important urban climate solution that does not work as well in a rural community). There is also generally less data available for small communities. To address this issue, we have collected five case studies from small commu

The National Climate League is an annual initiative that tracks the performance of municipalities on 26 climate and sustainability indicators The National Climate League is an annual initiative that tracks the performance of municipalities on 26 climate and sustainability indicators—from green space, to housing affordability, to renewable energy, to transit ridership. Every year we publish our results in the National Climate League Standings, comparing how municipalities acro

These indicators track municipal governance and management on climate and sustainability. Who is making decisions and are they representative of the community? What commitments has the municipality made? Are they backing up those commitments with adequate resources? Why this Indicator is Important Cities can set targets and create plans to achieve climate and sustainability targets—however, these will only be achieved if the city has dedicated a sufficient number of staff wit

These indicators track how well municipalities are providing options and infrastructure that makes sustainable transportation possible. How easy is it to travel by public transit, walking, biking, and electric or shared vehicles? Why this Indicator is Important Efficient, effective, affordable public transit cuts pollution, automobile congestion, commuter times, and greenhouse gas emissions.1 Approximately 20% to 40% of people do not drive due to income, ability, age, or choi

These indicators track how well municipalities are providing options and infrastructure that makes sustainable transportation possible. How easy is it to travel by public transit, walking, biking, and electric or shared vehicles? Why this Indicator is Important Walkability measures how easy it is for residents to travel around the city by foot, including being able to access workplaces, schools, grocery stores, and other essential services and amenities. By decreasing emissio

These indicators track municipal governance and management on climate and sustainability. Who is making decisions and are they representative of the community? What commitments has the municipality made? Are they backing up those commitments with adequate resources? Why this Indicator is Important This indicator, which is new this year, looks at the proportion of women and non-binary representation on city councils across Canada. While not explicitly linked to lowering GHG em

Our complementary indicators examine which municipalities have key foundational policies in place for strong climate and sustainability action. These policies are likely to positively influence a municipality’s performance across almost all of the primary indicators. Climate Plan: No city can systematically and drastically reduce its GHG emissions without a climate plan, which takes a city’s emissions targets and identifies specific pathways for how those targets will be achi

These indicators track how well municipalities are providing options and infrastructure that makes sustainable transportation possible. How easy is it to travel by public transit, walking, biking, and electric or shared vehicles? Why this Indicator is Important Reducing individuals’ reliance on personal cars brings a wide range of social, economic, and environmental benefits, thereby contributing to the general well-being of citizens and to fostering a more just society. Redu

Celebrating climate ambition across Canada FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 17/03/22 Sofia Vedechkina Communications Manager The Climate Reality Project Canada svedechkina@climatereality.ca (514) 293-1285 MONTREAL, March 17, 2022 – For the fourth year in a row, The Climate Reality Project Canada (CRPC) is releasing its National Climate League (NCL) Standings . One of the 2022 Clean50 Top Projects honourees, the NCL is a yearly project developed by the organization that was f

These indicators track how well municipalities are providing options and infrastructure that makes sustainable transportation possible. How easy is it to travel by public transit, walking, biking, and electric or shared vehicles? Why this Indicator is Important The transportation sector accounts for 27% of GHG emissions in Canada.1 Half of this is attributed to cars, vans, and light-duty trucks. Switching to electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrids can reduce these emissions. Sales