Urban Climate Leadership, is a Pan-Canadian project of MakeWay, dedicated to dismantling obstacles to equitable climate action by local governments. In acknowledging the distinctive challenges faced by cities, the initiative assembles a diverse array of stakeholders to collaboratively advance systems-changing solutions in four critical areas: financing, municipal procurement, insurance, and transportation.

Urban Climate Leadership is guided by a set of core principles:

Equity – we commit to fair and just distribution of resources, opportunities, and benefits, ensuring that impacted and vulnerable communities are not disproportionately affected by climate change. We strive to address historical and systemic inequalities, fostering inclusive and just solutions to climate change.

Collaboration – we recognize that no one sector or actor can create systems change. We draw on the best practices in convening and facilitation to create collaborative solutions to complex urban challenges.

Evidence-based – we harness the power of information to inform decision-making and we seek new ways of collecting, tracking and communicating data and best practices.

Transparency – we are open and accountable and share our work through non-commercial, publicly accessible channels.

Urban Climate Leadership is led by Shauna Sylvester, a Senior Fellow of the Definity Foundation and an award-winning social entrepreneur, facilitator and environmental leader with over 30 years executive experience working with non-profits, cooperatives and post-secondary institutions. Shauna is the former Executive Director of the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, for US and Canada and co-founder of five initiatives: the SFU Public Square, Renewable Cities, Carbon Talks, Moving in a Livable Region. and the IMPACS – the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society. Shauna has a long history of working across sectors and with cities in advancing climate solutions.