5 Reasons for Why Municipalities are Innovation Hubs in the Fight Against Climate Change

Jennifer Wong, Manager, Sustainability at City of Markham discusses how municipalities are driving climate action through sustainable urban planning, partnerships, and policy innovation. By piloting green technologies, securing funding, and fostering community engagement, they can create real-world solutions that reduce emissions, enhance resilience, and support economic growth.

Municipalities are increasingly becoming vital hubs for climate change innovation due to their unique position at the intersection of local governance, community engagement, and environmental sustainability. Typically at the frontlines of climate change, municipalities experience the direct effects of extreme weather, natural disasters, and environmental disruptions, which impacts local wildlife, residents and community members, and infrastructure. Solutions for climate change thrive in real-life situations and environments to test the successes and opportunities of new and innovative technologies and strategies, helping municipalities across Canada reach their sustainability goals.

Here are five reasons why municipalities are key players in the fight against climate change:

1. Local Impact and Adaptation

• Tailored and Locally Relevant Solutions: Multi-stakeholder engagement from residents, BIAs (business improvement area associations), commercial and industrial sectors provide tailored recommendations and direction for new projects and technologies to be incorporated into a municipality. Local voices provide targeted solutions and identify concerns that improve the operations of a local jurisdiction, but also increase climate adaptation and mitigation action that best suit their needs.
• Urban Planning and Development: Municipalities play a significant role in shaping how people interact with the natural and built environment. Incorporating sustainability solutions into urban planning processes help municipalities integrate climate-resilient infrastructure, green spaces, energy-efficient buildings, and zero-to-low-emission transportation systems to build healthier and resilient communities.

Local Example:

The City of Markham in partnership with the Cities of Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Brampton developed the Sustainability Metrics Program which evaluates and scores the sustainability performance of new development across the city. The program is a point-based, three-tiered system to encourage developers and builders to achieve complete and sustainable communities.

2. Collaborative Approach

• Pilot Programs: Municipalities provide good testing grounds for innovative climate solutions, such as renewable energy installations (solar, wind and hydro), efficient home heating technologies, and electric vehicle charging networks. It is important for these technologies to be tested in communities at a smaller scale to ensure that they are low-risk and safe for public use before deployment at a larger scale.
• Public-Private Partnerships: Municipalities are well-positioned to establish new partnerships with businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders, fostering collaboration on climate-focused innovations. By leveraging resources and identifying common objectives, municipalities can support larger-scale projects that can achieve outcomes that individual organizations might not be able to implement alone.
• Community Engagement: Municipalities often work with and listen closely to their communities to raise awareness about climate issues and encourage participation in sustainability programs. Citizen-led initiatives can complement municipal efforts and provide grassroots engagement to community members, leading to a more integrated approach to tackling climate change.

Local Example:

The Power.House Hybrid Project (PHH) is a great example of collaboration and innovation. This project was made possible through a multi-partnership with Alectra Utilities, Enbridge Gas, Natural Resources Canada, Toronto Metropolitan University and the City of Markham. PHH integrated a hybrid set of electrical and thermal equipment into a virtual power plant platform in 10 Markham homes to move towards net zero emissions. Five homes were equipped with an air handling unit, tankless gas water heater, air source heat pump, thermal storage tank, and a micro combined heat and power system or a high efficiency boiler. All 10 homes were equipped with roof mounted solar panels, battery storage system, and a level 2 electric vehicle charger.

The objective was to demonstrate how integration and control of electrical and thermal technology in existing single-family homes built post 1980s can successfully lower greenhouse gas emissions without compromising on home comfort. The project was also designed to explore how homes with deep energy retrofits can help lead the transition away from current large, centralized power generation sources to decentralized, home-based, cleaner power generation. Data from the project helped to optimize system configuration and design for future installations. The outcomes of the project also enhanced education and messaging on the technologies to residents who are considering deep home energy retrofits for their property.

3. Innovation in Policy and Technology

• Green Technologies: Municipalities can foster the adoption of green technologies like smart grids, energy-efficient building materials, and water conservation systems, all of which help mitigate climate change.
• Policy Leadership: Municipalities can develop progressive policies, strategies and regulations that promote sustainability, like green building standards and zero-waste initiatives. These policies often serve as models for federal, provincial or regional governments, and provide leadership while attracting new partnerships to further increase its successes.

Local Example:

Community Energy Plans for Secondary Plans (CEPs) are an example of policy leadership that the City of Markham developed in collaboration with local landowners and developers. Using policy and industry experience, the objective of CEPs is to provide guidance and encourage the development industry to build communities that are more energy efficient than what is set by the Ontario Building Code. An outcome of a CEP includes optimizing passive solar energy gains through thoughtful building orientation to reduce energy consumption from future occupants for heating and cooling.

4. Funding and Grants

• Government Funding Programs: Provincial and Federal governments offer funding programs for municipalities to advance climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. These funds also allow municipalities to invest in cutting-edge solutions and infrastructure upgrades to improve climate resilience while encouraging partnerships with industry leaders to support implementation. Additionally, funding these initiatives provides encouragement for staff and Council to implement future innovative projects to reach the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
• Private Funding Opportunities: Through partnerships with external stakeholders, private funding can provide more flexibility with piloting and implementing smart technologies. 

Local Example:

The Springwater Geo-Exchange Community Development was a 312-home community development in the City of Markham that provided innovative heating and cooling through a geo-exchange system. This technology is the first of its kind in Canada and was cost-competitive to traditional heating and cooling systems found in traditional homes. The partnership included Enwave Energy Corporation, Mattamy Homes Canada with The Atmospheric Fund supporting the front-end engineering study for the project. Without this partnership, the project would have likely stayed as a concept and traditional development processes would have resulted for the sub-division.

5. Social and Economic Benefits

• Job Creation: Municipal climate initiatives, such as retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency or developing sustainable transportation systems, create green jobs that boost local economies while contributing to climate goals.
• Social Equity: Climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities. Municipalities are analyzing ways to design inclusive climate policies and programs that promote equity, ensuring that vulnerable populations are protected from climate risks and have access to sustainable opportunities.

Local Example:

The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) is a partnership funded by the Province of Ontario to provide small-to-medium sized businesses with real world environments to pilot their innovative technologies to improve mobility in the Cities of Markham and Vaughan. This opportunity allowed businesses to showcase their solutions while attracting new partners and customers, creating jobs and increasing the export of made-in-Ontario innovations around the world. Projects included: connected and autonomous vehicle technologies, electric vehicle technologies, smart intersections and smart city solutions amongst others.

Conclusion

Municipalities play a pivotal role in the global efforts to combat climate change. Through innovative local policies, technologies, and partnerships, municipalities are driving real-world solutions that both address local environmental challenges and contribute to broader global sustainability goals. With the right partners, investments, support, and governance, municipalities will continue to lead the way in climate change innovation. Create the change you want to see in your community by working with your local municipal representatives and like-minded leaders and organizations to build momentum for collaboration and innovation.