Climate Change

Climate Change Action in Lincoln

In May 2021, Town of Lincoln Council passed a motion to immediately 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 its economy, ecosystems, and community from climate change. Read the resolution on our website.

Climate change is already having an impact on global economies, communities, and built and natural environments. It remains the most significant global threat to quality of life and security – for current and future generations. Bold and collective action at global, national, and community levels is required to effect change, build resilience, mitigate future threats, and ensure a prosperous future for generations to come.

The Town of Lincoln aims to take such action and contribute to the global shift towards sustainable growth and resilience. To achieve this goal, the Town of Lincoln has begun incorporating climate change considerations within its operational procedures, capital budgets, municipal policies, and planning documents.

In 2021, the Town adopted its first climate change plan, the Corporate Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCCAP). This plan acts as a guideline to support and inform climate adaptation at the corporate municipal level. It outlines how the municipality as a corporation will adapt its assets, operations, and services to the current and future impacts of climate change.

The CCCAP outlines the directive to develop 2 additional climate change plans, the Corporate Climate Action Plan (CCAP) and the Community Low-Carbon Resilience Plan (CLCRP). These two additional plans alongside the CCCAP form a comprehensive strategy that through a series of goals, objectives, and measurable actions provide guidance and a strategy for mitigating and adapting to climate change within the public and private sectors of the community.

"One of the four pillars of our Council Priorities is to be a Resilient Community, and as part of that pillar we have set out the goal to adapt and respond to a changing climate. Lincoln is a leader in Niagara, and we strive to provide Lincoln residents with a quality of life that is second to none, within a prosperous and ecologically sustainable community. We have a responsibility to anticipate and prepare for potential impacts of climate change on our community and are committed to taking a leadership role in facing this uncertainty."
Adaptation refers to actions that reduce the negative impact of climate change, while taking advantage of potential new opportunities. Mitigation refers to reducing the emissions that cause climate change. Adaptation and mitigation are not mutually exclusive – some actions, known as low-carbon resilience actions, have co-benefits, contributing to both objectives.
The CCAP focuses on corporate adaptation actions the Town will take. The Town will next develop a Corporate Climate Mitigation Plan to address the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Town’s infrastructure, assets, operations, and services. The Town will also develop a Community Low-Carbon Resilience Plan to identify adaptation, mitigation, and co-benefit actions that can be accomplished by residents, public and private sectors, and local stakeholders.
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The below graphic illustrates how the three municipally led climate change plans cover and strategize for mitigative and adaptive actions, objectives, and measures for both the municipality as a corporation and the community at large.
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These three plans are foundational for the Town of Lincoln’s strategy for reducing its vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. By completing the actions identified in these plans, satisfying their objectives, and achieving the overarching goals, the Town will be in a better position to weather the economic, environmental, and societal impacts of a changing climate.
However, these 3 plans do not work in isolation, but with a variety of other municipal policy documents to ensure smart, sustainable, and beneficial development within our community. Other documents such as the Town’s Official Plan, Strategic Plan, Urban Forest Management Strategy (in production), Natural Asset Management Inventory, and the Town’s Active Transportation Strategy are all crucial to reducing the impacts of climate change. These plans, policies, and strategies have all been written through a lens of climate change considerations.
The goal of all this planning and strategizing is for municipal staff and community members have the knowledge, skills, directive, and agency to make informed decisions and to take decisive actions that are considerate of long-term impacts and consequences. This ensures Lincoln is built in a sustainable fashion that will continue to allow it to be a place to prosper where people feel welcomed and connected despite whatever disturbances the future holds.
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 CCAP 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 annually to reflect implementation progress, new opportunities, and scientific advancements.
The Town is now developing a Corporate Climate Change Mitigation Plan (CCCMP) to address the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Town’s infrastructure, assets, operations, and services. In order to complete a mitigation plan to reduce emissions, the Town passed a resolution to join the Partners of Climate Protection (PCP) program delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. This program supports and guides municipalities in reducing GHG emissions through a Milestone Framework:
- Milestone Zero – Council resolution to join PCP
- Milestone One – Create a GHG emissions inventory and forecast
- Inventory of energy consumed and solid waste generated at Town owned and operated buildings, street lighting, the municipal fleet etc.
- A GHG emissions inventory can help you track emissions, energy use and energy spending as well as measure your progress over time. Having a forecast allows you to project future emissions based on assumptions about population, economic growth, fuel mix, and technological change.
- Milestone Two – Set an emissions reductions target
- GHG reduction target sets the tone and direction for emission reduction efforts. Targets should be achievable, while also inspiring ambitious action and are expected to align with federal, provincial and peer municipality targets. o Two targets: municipally owned operations and community-wide emissions.
- Milestone Three – Develop action plan
- Summarize baseline emissions forecasts and targets; propose GHG reduction actions; and determine implementation strategies and resources required
- A local action plan outlining how Lincoln will achieve its emissions reduction target through municipal operations (CCMP) and community-based initiatives (CLRP). Stakeholder engagement is critical to development, and ownership of the plan by municipal staff and the community will ensure long1term success.
- Milestone Four – Implement the action plan or set of activities
- Identify measures to develop and/or incorporate into existing projects
- Estimate and track lifecycle costs, payback periods, resource savings, direct and indirect benefits, and potential sources of internal and external funds.
- Milestone Five – Monitor progress and report results
- Evaluate project outputs against base projections, adjusting activities as needed.
The Town of Lincoln is also in the process of creating a Community Low-Carbon Resilience Plan (CLCRP) to help the community adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A Community Low-Carbon Resilience Plan will identify adaptation, mitigation, and co-benefit actions that can be accomplished by residents, public and private sectors, and local stakeholders.
Throughout this process, the Town is engaging with the public and key stakeholders to ensure Lincoln’s Community Low-Carbon Resilience Plan reflects your concerns and visions for a Sustainable Lincoln. A public survey was administered in 2022, and its results have helped staff understand perspectives on high-level climate actions, gather GHG and single-use plastics reduction action ideas, set reduction targets, and develop a vision and principles to guide the planning process.
In 2026, Town of Lincoln staff began participation in the Net-Zero Community Accelerator program delivered by non-profit QUEST Canada. This program alongside future community engagement and consultation activities will aid in the coproduction and delivery of the Community Low-Carbon Resilience Plan.
Climate resilience is defined as the capacity to cope with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance. For businesses, it is also reflected in the capacity to respond in ways that maintain essential functions and structures, and the capacity to adapt, learn, and transform. Building climate resilience in a business involves preparing for climate-related risks and making transformational change that ultimately works to reduce risks and greenhouse gas emissions, in line with Canada’s transition to net-zero.
The Town of Lincoln developed a Climate Change Resilience Toolkit to help local businesses learn to assess, adapt, and mitigate their business in response to our changing climate. To learn more, check out the Climate Proof Your Business Handout and the Climate Change Resilience Toolkit.
The following infographics were developed by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo and consist of low-cost and low-effort actions that Town of Lincoln residents can take to increase their homes resilience to impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat and flooding.
Home Flood Protection
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Flood-Ready Community
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Home Heat Protection
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Apartment Heat Protection
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Working With Nature at Home
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