Climate Adaptation Challenge

The Climate Adaptation Challenge was delivered in partnership with the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre and All One Sky Foundation. The City of St. Albert and Sturgeon County were selected to participate and in 2021-22 they were led through the Climate Resilience Express Planning Guide, developing climate adaptation plans based on local climate data, existing plans, historical experience with climate impacts and extreme weather, and local priorities.

Sturgeon County

Sturgeon County’s climate adaptation action plan identified 19 climate impacts, including 15 risks and four opportunities. 26 action items were identified through a collaborative consultation process.

Read the Case Study

City of St. Albert

The City of St. Albert’s climate adaptation action plan identified 23 climate impacts, including 19 risks and four opportunities. 51 action items were identified through a collaborative consultation process.

Read the Case Study

The program’s purpose

Alberta municipalities are at the forefront of climate change impacts. As a response to current and future climate conditions, local climate adaptation planning increases the resiliency and prosperity of local communities. The Climate Adaptation Challenge helped participating municipalities start on their climate adaptation work. 

Participating municipalities each received 650 hours of capacity building support, learning to access and use climate science and local knowledge to identify vulnerabilities and assess climate risks. This time included direct support working through each step in the Climate Resilience Express Planning Guide:

• Scoping the climate adaptation planning process
• Developing a stakeholder engagement plan
• Compiling climate trends and projections
• Understanding local vulnerabilities
• Developing climate impact statements
• Assessing climate change risks and opportunities
• Determining priorities for action planning
• Defining actions to manage priority climate impacts and consequences
• Assessing and prioritizing actions

This process culminated in the formulation of a Climate Adaptation Action Plan that included:

• Summary of relevant community plans, policies, and bylaws  
• Summary of historic experience with climate impacts and extreme weather  
• Summary of local climate change projections  
• Climate impact statements with definitions and thresholds  
• Climate change risk assessment results  
• Summary of action planning research  
• Summary of public engagement outcomes  
• Climate Adaptation Plan