Building climate resilience through partnerships and capacity development
Sponsored by University of Waterloo Climate Institute
Communities across Canada are on the front lines of climate change. Every municipal role, from finance and planning to infrastructure and community development, has a stake in building resilience.
As climate change impacts intensify, municipalities must prepare their workforce with the skills and knowledge to address local risks effectively.
Research institutions are essential partners in closing capacity gaps that limit effective climate action across both public and private sectors. By delivering targeted, practical training, these partnerships equip a wide range of learners – beyond climate professionals – with the tools needed to advance resilience, equity, and shared prosperity.
This collaborative approach recognizes that climate adaptation requires expertise across all municipal functions, not just environmental departments.
Professional Development for All
The Municipal Climate Adaptation Certificate, developed by the University of Waterloo’s Climate Institute, exemplifies this capacity-building approach.
Designed specifically for municipal staff, Indigenous community members, and elected officials across Canada, the certificate provides foundational climate adaptation expertise tailored to key municipal roles. The program offers specializations in:
- infrastructure engineering
- accounting and financing
- community planning
- governance
- health and well-being
- nature-based solutions
The certificate delivers courses in flexible online formats with real-world Canadian case studies. This allows professional development to be accessible to municipalities of all sizes.
Participants complete foundational climate risk training, choose role-specific specializations, and apply their learning through practical capstone projects relevant to their communities.
Climate Action in Action
In the City of Waterloo, environmental sustainability and climate action are strategic priorities established collaboratively by council, staff, and community input.
The city has set ambitious targets – reducing corporate greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and achieving net-zero by 2050 – and has already cut corporate emissions by 40 per cent since 2010. These objectives guide decision making across all municipal operations, embedding climate considerations into infrastructure, procurement, and service delivery.
Climate action presents a unique challenge for elected officials. It requires investment and action today for benefits that may not be immediately realized or easily quantified.
Municipalities excel at measuring costs, but quantifying the benefits of climate adaptation and sustainability initiatives remains challenging. This reality demands visionary leadership from elected officials willing to advance actions they know will benefit their communities, even when those benefits resist simple measurement or immediate demonstration.
Even without perfect ways to measure sustainability benefits, their value and importance remain clear. Municipal leaders who champion climate action know that building resilience today protects communities, economies, and the environment for future generations. MW
✯ Municipal World Executive and Essentials Plus Members: You might also be interested Devin Causley’s article: Lessons from the front lines of climate change.
Mayor Dorothy McCabe is the mayor of the City of Waterloo and represents the city as a councillor with the Region of Waterloo.
Sarah Burch, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo, is the executive director of the Waterloo Climate Institute, and holds a Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Governance and Innovation.
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