Engage the Community

Local governments are ideally placed to directly engage communities about awareness and action on climate change. The City of Vancouver's "Oneday Vancouver" program is an example of a creative educational and outreach tool to motivate citizens to take action.  One way to start engaging the community is through partnerships with local environmental groups that are keen to educate and support climate change initiatives. Your local BC Sustainable Energy Association chapter is a good place to start. The City of Dawson Creek has been working with the Pembina Institute, while concerned residents in Central Saanich have started the Central Saanich Energy Committee.

FCM has developed some ideas for municipalities thinking about how to engage the community during the development of climate ‘local action plans': http://www.sustainablecommunities.fcm.ca/files/PDF/final_CP_eng_layout_2003.pdf

There are many ways to engage the community.  Some of which are explained below.  

Public Involvement

• when issues are complex
• when critical information is lacking or uncertain
• when issues are marked by high levels of conflict or concern
• when goals and priorities are unclear
• when success depends on public support or action

You may not need comprehensive public involvement to initiate efficiency programs in municipal facilities. However, when evaluating alternative plans for community development patterns, neighbourhood design standards or community energy supply systems, effective public involvement will be essential.

Public meetings and open houses are good ways of providing information to the public and getting feedback on development proposals. However, the "inform" and "collect feedback" methods of public involvement are increasingly seen as limiting - by both planners and the public - and more interactive methods are being devised.

The public can be an invaluable source of knowledge, instinct and innovation. Here are some ideas for tapping that resource -

• Workshops: Design facilitated task-oriented meetings that involve a small number of participants and have a "problem-solving" purpose. Workshops are effective for setting goals, identifying and evaluating options and making an action plan.
• Focus Groups: Invite a small group of participants to provide feedback on a specific issue and use the meeting to gauge the likely response of a broader group. Focus groups help to provide a detailed understanding of the concerns of either a specific constituency or a broad spectrum of interests. They can be useful for assessing the acceptability of certain energy strategies in the local community.
• Advisory Committees: Form advisory committees to deal with a complex policy development or planning issue over a fairly long time frame. Functions range from identifying issues, to evaluating options to developing action plans.
• Monitoring Committees: Form "watchdog" committees to monitor results. These are like advisory committees in that they deal with complex planning issues over a long time frame, but are more focused on the implementation of action plans. They can dramatically improve the chances of maintaining commitment and progress over time.
• Target Briefings: Use presentations to a selected constituency - usually one that is more adversely affected by a problem or option than the general public - to clarify issues and build consensus.
• Design Charrettes: Get everybody in the same place at the same time and "don't let them leave" until they jointly agree to a design. Successful charrettes ensure action because all the issues are brought out, because stakeholders formulate the design, and because all participants commit to the goals and products of the exercise.
• Programs for Local Business and Developers: Most enterprises, small and large, are looking for opportunities to save money. Sometimes just by providing information on cost-saving opportunities, businesses become leaders and catalysts of change. Reward innovative businesses who achieve significant energy and other resource savings by developing and publicizing "green business" awards. Look for ways to disseminate "best practices" and to support green business and industry networks. Regional Districts can offer similar programs for municipalities.

Here are some ideas for more effective communications -

• Get a Champion: A strong, committed individual can inspire new ways of looking at things. Most successful community energy strategies have been launched by one "prime mover". However, Champions don't stick around forever, so make sure things will continue to happen after they've moved on.
• Attract Opinion Leaders: People with stature or voice in the community should be sought out to endorse principles and make business happen.
• Provide Feedback: Maintain the momentum of a good start. Celebrate success and, if necessary, make course corrections early.
• Tell People About What Others Are Doing: Renew social standards by publicizing what others are doing. The effects can be startling.
• Use Personal Communication and Visual Media
  • Tell stories. They are far better absorbed and remembered than impressive statistics. When you do use numbers, use them in a way that has personal meaning. For example, "which is faster, car or bicycle?"
  • Educate Children: Most adults do not grasp the enormity of many of the energy and environmental challenges we face. Nor is it easy for them to change old habits. Children, however, are forming their initial impressions of the world, and will absorb and personalize information. A well-educated next generation will be more receptive to change than the current one. After all, they're the ones who will be affected.
  • Use Visualization Techniques: Say "moderate density" and "mixed use" to many suburban dwellers and the reaction will be anything but positive. But show some pictures of great urban designs, and people have a whole new perspective. Computer-aided models are one way of providing an interactive, fun, and educational experience. Citizens can build a common vision of the physical characteristics they'd like to see in future designs and become informed about new possibilities. They can rate viewscapes on a scale of one to ten, and the results can be used by planners and developers as input to the design process