In Spring 2021, Council approved the Corporate Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCCAP) and passed a motion to declare a climate crisis in Lincoln. Council recognizes the urgent need to take action to mitigate the effects of climate change and to deepen the Town’s commitment to protecting Lincoln’s economy, ecosystems, and community from climate change. The CCCAP includes 47 actions that the municipality will undertake to adapt to climate change. These actions contribute to eight high-level goals that the Town will strive.
The purpose of the Corporate Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCCAP) is to prepare the Town of Lincoln to adapt to anticipated climatic change and extreme weather, thereby minimizing the severity of the resulting impacts. These actions contribute to the following eight high-level Goals that the Town will strive towards as it implements the CCCAP:
Goal 1: Integrate climate change considerations into Town strategies, plans, policies, procedures, operations, & services
Goal 2: Increase resiliency & adaptive capacity within economic development, community services, parks, & recreation
Goal 3: Protect natural resources, promote ecosystem services, & minimize environmental degradation
Goal 4: Mitigate harmful consequences of extreme weather & emergency events
Goal 5: Minimize health & safety risks to community members and staff
Goal 6: Foster Lake Ontario shoreline resilience through planning, management & protection
Goal 7: Consider climate change impacts in built infrastructure & asset management
Goal 8: Increase climate change literacy among staff & public
The CCCAP is intended to be a living document and will be updated periodically to reflect implementation progress, new opportunities, and scientific advancements.
The CCCAP is further only 1 cog in an overarching system of climate change plans and environmentally focused documents/strategies that together will see Lincoln thrive in a sustainabile manner into the future. Two additional climate change plans, the Coprorate Climate Change Mitigation Plan (CCCMP) and the Community Low-Carbon Resilience Plan (CLCRP) are currently under development and will bolster the effectiveness of the CCCAP once they are complete.