FAQs

The Winnipeg Climate Action Plan sets out a list of short-term actions that we need to take to reach our long-term climate goals. It sets out the steps the City will take to cut emissions, use less energy and to get ready for climate-related risks. These risks can include extreme heat, fires, smoke, flooding, drought, and storms. 

The plan focuses on:  

• Lowering emissions: Cutting emissions from transportation, buildings, waste, and energy. 
• Resilience: Preparing for climate and infrastructure risks.
  
  

The plan was approved by Council in 2018. The plans short-term actions ended in 2022.

We review and update plans regularly so they stay useful and keep up with changes in laws, technology, City services, and community needs.

Climate impacts are changing. The chance of extreme heat, storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires is increasing. The need to cut pollution and use less energy is also becoming more urgent.

As the climate continues to change, the well-being of communities is at risk. Climate planning and solutions are changing quickly to address these risks. It’s important that our climate action plan keeps up with these changes and the community’s needs.

Updating the Winnipeg Climate Action Plan helps us take stronger, more coordinated action to protect residents, homes, and the services people rely on.

There are three phases to the project:

1. Understand the climate context – We will review what is working well, where we need to be better, and best practices. We will ask Winnipeggers how climate change is impacting them and to share their ideas. This will identify opportunities and constraints for developing effective actions.
2. Analyze risks and emissions – We will better understand the risk of climate hazards on people, built and natural infrastructure and services. We will review and update actions to cut pollution and use less energy.
3. Design actions – We will come up with the most pressing actions to goals; define roles, responsibilities, timelines and resource needs; develop a framework to track, check and report on progress. We will invite Winnipeggers to give their feedback on the recommended direction of the plan.

We will also ask Indigenous Rightsholders, equity representatives, climate experts and those delivering affected services to participate in developing the plan. We will involve them in all three phases of the work to help shape the research, analysis and direction of this work.

We are working with these groups because: 

• Climate impacts affect people differently. They often make existing inequities worse. For example, some lower-income residents in older buildings may not have access to air conditioning during a heat wave.
• Climate action and reconciliation go hand in hand. Working together on the Winnipeg Climate Action Plan is an opportunity to move both forward. 
• Indigenous knowledge, cultures, and traditional practices are essential to meaningful climate action.
• We want to bring Indigenous and Western knowledge together to shape the updated plan. 

We are inviting Indigenous Rightsholders to collaborate with us in research, analysis and direction setting. We are also asking them to help us define what respectful, meaningful collaboration should look like. With this approach, Indigenous Rightsholders will help shape how the work will be done. We want to honour Indigenous rights, follow appropriate protocols, and create space for Indigenous knowledge in the Winnipeg Climate Action Plan.

Climate Action requires collective action. The action plan will identify recommended actions and the responsibilities, timelines and resources needed to implement them. We expect that the plan will identify actions that the City can take on its own and actions it can take with others. The City will lead actions for its services, buildings, and infrastructure.

The plan will also identify how to monitor, evaluate and report on progress.