Amy Lubik, Lisa Helps, Rik Logtenberg: B.C.'s local governments asking province for funding and partnership to tackle climate adaptation
Credit to Author: Hardip Johal| Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2020 03:59:51 +0000
In 2019, local governments across B.C. declared climate emergencies, followed by countless council meetings and conferences about the ways that climate change will impact our communities. We have, quite literally, obsessed over what we can do to respond to this crisis, particularly for marginalized or vulnerable community members.
The B.C. government is currently formulating a B.C. Climate Adaptation Strategy. The Climate Caucus, a network of local government leaders and NGO representatives on the frontlines of climate change, has offered input about the challenges our residents face and what needs to be included in the provincial plan. We’ve also requested the provincial government work with us, and with Indigenous communities, on an ongoing basis, to combat and adapt to climate change through the lens of decolonization, health and well-being, equity and inclusion, racial and social justice, and ecological integrity.
As the level of government that is closest to people’s everyday lives and as those responsible for approximately 60 per cent of infrastructure in the province, local governments are keenly aware of what needs to be done to adapt to climate change. For example, on the coast, we need to prepare for sea-level rise and extreme rainfall and flooding with the reinforcement of bigger, higher-capacity storm drains and reservoirs. In the Interior, we need to get ready for the “new normal” of wildfires by reforming the forestry practices that exacerbate the risk while we better prepare our communities for when disaster hits.
Local governments are also asking the province to provide funding and evidence-based guidance to enhance the built environment of our towns and cities in harmony with our local ecosystems. Research shows that greening streets, walls and roofs, planting trees, and restoring wetlands and other natural assets are essential steps to adapting to the changing climate.
We also need to prioritize our social infrastructure. Social supports, housing, and increasing community belonging will lead to healthier, more vibrant and more resilient communities: a sense of place and strong connections to neighbours will carry us through even the toughest times.
Local governments understand that food security/sovereignty is threatened by both poverty and climate change, which in turn has the possibility to widen social inequalities including increasing the price of healthy food. Among other measures, we are asking that the province index social support levels to the price of food.
The province’s adaptation strategy must also include wide-scale education, from the youngest child to the most experienced politician, to promote understanding of what we really face, including that while all of Canada is threatened by climate change, the impact will not be equally felt. Some communities will be hit harder than others, and many places around the world have been and will be hit even harder.
To address the challenges ahead, local elected officials are asking for regular, predictable funding from the provincial and federal governments to help with adaptation. Local governments already face enormous cost pressure from overdue infrastructure maintenance, so the estimated $5.3 billion that we’ll need to adapt to climate change must come from new funding. With access to only eight to 12 cents of every tax dollar and with limited avenues to generate more revenue, the shortfall we face is staggering (and for small local governments, who don’t have the necessary staff and resources to apply for grants to support climate action, the problem is even worse).
We are also asking for enabling legislation that increases our sphere of jurisdiction to reflect the climate challenges we face in our communities. We have the local expertise; we need the funding and the authority to put it into practice.
We also know that action will only cost more the longer we wait — recent assessments find $5 to $6 saved for every dollar invested in adaptation activities to reduce risk and disaster losses. We recommend, as was supported by majority vote at the 2019 Union of B.C. Municipalities conference, that provincial financing be redirected from lower-priority expenditures (including fossil fuel subsidies) to local government adaptation and resilience efforts.
We are asking for the B.C. Climate Adaptation Strategy to support, empower and resource our communities and help us to use the climate crisis as an opportunity to create resilient, compassionate and connected communities across British Columbia.
Port Moody Councillor Amy Lubik, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, and Nelson Councillor Rik Logtenberg are members of the Climate Caucus, an organization of local elected officials and NGOs across Canada concerned about climate change, which has gathered input from across B.C. for a submission to the B.C. government.