Chapter 10 | Urban Politics of Climate and Energy Transitions

Key Messages

Transformative change in urban areas requires that we embrace a broader understanding of what makes for a good life, and develop contextual understandings of what drives existing inequalities and how this is linked to climate action
At present, however, many municipalities approach climate action as additional activity for which new money must be discovered, as opposed to a new lens that should guide all decision-making. Our ideas about urban futures and what progress must look like are currently limited by a particular set of interests
Indigenous-led community energy transitions are not only about the policies of settler-Indigenous relations, but also about the politics of knowledge and articulating the transformation of our relationships with energy based on Indigenous ways of knowing

Canadian municipalities are not sufficiently engaging residents in climate planning
The settler-colonial context of Canada makes it particularly important for settler local governments to engage with local Indigenous governments as rightsholders warranting a nation-to-nation engagement approach, as called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Not all municipalities across Canada have set net-zero or 100% emission reduction goals by 2050, or interim targets for 2030
Canadian municipal climate plans often lack the implementation plans that would commit resources to achieve targets and redirect capacities through regulatory and program interventions
Equity ownership of renewable energy projects for Indigenous communities offers a possible mechanism for reconciling the damage of colonization and capitalism, and enabling Indigenous-led energy development

Provincial and national jurisdictions should create a policy context acknowledging the necessity of creating plans to accomplish the managed decline of fossil fuel production and rapid decarbonization to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels.
Municipalities should apply a climate lens to all decision-making and mainstream GHG and resilience goals into institutional operations beyond environment or sustainability divisions.
Municipalities should expand the application of equity-based approaches to climate action by increasing citizen participation and experimentation with policy tools like justice partnerships, equity advisory boards, equity tools, and justice indicators.
Indigenous community-led renewable energy development should be enabled, including through enacting FPIC in energy policies.
Municipalities should set net-zero or 100% emission reduction targets and receive support from other levels of government and agencies to develop and carry out implementation plans.