We continued our focus on the climate action mapping project, updating and augmenting data collected last year on climate action by local municipalities. We are delighted to see municipalities giving more attention to climate change. Special kudos goes to Grey County and the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula for completing their climate action plan (CAP), after extensive public consultation and involvement. Also, the municipalities of Georgian Bluffs and West Grey began and continue to develop their CAPs. The City of Owen Sound’s Official Plan (February 2022, Section 6.1.2.1) includes the stated intention to develop a CAP and it has a Corporate Climate Change Adaptation Plan aimed at understanding the impact that climate change has on city services and infrastructure and to increase their resiliency.

While there is still a disappointing lack of focused climate action among many regional municipalities, an increasing number of municipalities are demonstrating an awareness of climate change planning and the challenges it poses for us all. Several now have initiatives in place aimed at mitigation or adaptation. The Official Plans of some municipalities (e.g., Blue Mountains, Brockton, and Collingwood, and Kincardine), reflect the need to adapt to climate change through land use and greener development patterns, greener energy, and energy efficiency options. Some municipalities currently are reviewing their Official Plans, and we hope to see a greater emphasis on climate change in the revised versions. Blue Mountains, Collingwood and Kincardine have focused on sustainability. Blue Mountains has a Sustainability Fund, and its Corporate Strategic Plan has sustainability as a key pillar. Collingwood’s Sustainable Community Plan (2008) was developed specifically to respond to anticipated “local forces of change” including climate change. Kincardine has an Integrated Sustainability Plan and 7 Council endorsed several climate adaptation projects in May 2022. Other municipalities acknowledge the need to respond to climate change in their Asset Management, Transportation and Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plans. In the charts the below: blues indicate a citizen’s action group in the municipality, the darker blue, new this year. Green indicates municipal climate action by the municipality, darker green is new progress this year.