FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Muriel Vincent, Communications and Social Media Coordinator
The Climate Reality Project Canada
Email: mvincent@climatereality.ca
Cell: (514) 963-8405
MONTREAL, February 23rd, 2021 - The National Climate League (NCL) is a yearly project developed by the Climate Reality Project Canada, first launched in Winter 2018. The NCL is an exercise in participative democracy, highlighting local solutions that help improve the lives of everyday Canadians and sets Canadian municipalities on a path to carbon neutrality by 2050.
To quantify those positive impacts and #MeasureWhatMatters, the way we track progress on 15 primary and 15 complementary indicators across our 23 hub cities. We chose these indicators based on 5 impact on GHG emissions, and whether the average citizen cares about that particular indicator improving. We’ve developed 15 primary and 15 complementary indicators that are representative of living a better and more sustainable life. At a citizen’s request, municipalities submit data for each indicator based on a variety of methodologies that the team at the Climate Reality project Canada has established
Why Municipal Action Matters
Cities consume over 70% of the world’s energy sources; tackling the problem at a smaller urban scale could therefore be the key to unlocking a just recovery and a greener future. In fact, the IPCC is preparing a report, set to be released in the coming years, detailing the potential governance and policy actions urban areas can take in the fight against climate change. Climate action and policies should trickle up and not trickle down, because cities are much more aware of what goes on within their regions, and can develop solutions that are both environmentally and culturally specific to them. The National Climate League therefore presents a key opportunity for a more participative democracy, resulting in the creation of public policy that is not only informed by the public, but citizen-led and driven.
How Can Citizens Change their Communities?
Citizens call on their city councillors and municipal staff to submit data on thirty different indicators to an open database available to all. With this methodology of data collection, it engages citizens in all aspects of the policy process. This keeps citizens involved, with meaningful and impactful public participation. It also provides the opportunity to get to know who their elected officials are, and allows them to hold them accountable when it comes to their climate commitments. Individuals can use the National Climate League Standings, and the data in our open database, to advocate and lobby for policies that help improve the lives of people in their community.
###
About The Climate Reality Project Canada
The Climate Reality Project Canada is the Canadian branch of the Climate Reality Project, founded in 2006 by former Vice President of the United States and Nobel Laureate Al Gore. Its mission is to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across all levels of society. It does so by training a vast and international network of Climate Reality Leaders to become effective communicators on the science and solutions to climate change.
There are 31,385 Climate Reality Leaders worldwide, of which 1,395 are in Canada. Their mission is to spread awareness amongst their peers and to advance solutions to the climate crisis. The Climate Reality Canada is also the founder of the Community Climate Hubs initiative, which aims to decarbonise cities across the country.
For more information, visit www.climatereality.ca or follow us on Twitter: @Reality_Canada.
For more information about the National Climate League visit www.NCL-LNC.ca.