Scaling up local climate action: A survey of climate policy priorities in the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities region

Abstract

Regional planning can help functionally-connected communities share expertise and the costs of climate action and amplify collective concerns and needs to upper-level governments. Understanding communities’ climate impacts, policies and barriers to action is foundational to the development of regional-scale climate planning. In support of a nascent climate strategy in the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities region of British Columbia, our study employs a web-based survey of local government officials (n=106) to identify the existing climate impacts, policy priorities, barriers, and opportunities that guide climate policy-making in the region, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that nearly all communities have experienced climate-related impacts and have implemented a variety of climate policies. However, local governments face substantial barriers—including a lack of financial resources, authority and staffing capacity—to pursue climate action and planning.