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. You can read the resolution here.
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. The Corporate Climate Adaptation Plan (CCAP) has been developed by the Town of Lincoln as a guideline to support and inform climate adaptation at the corporate municipal level. It will outline how the municipality as a corporation will adapt its assets, operations, and services to the current and future impacts of climate change.
Message from Mayor Sandra Easton
"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."
Goals & Actions
The purpose of the Corporate Climate Adaptation Plan (CCAP) is to prepare the Town of Lincoln to adapt to anticipated climatic change and extreme weather, thereby minimizing the severity of the resulting impacts. The CCAP includes over 40 actions that the municipality will implement. These actions contribute to the following eight high-level Goals that the Town will strive towards as it implements the CCAP:
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 CCAP is intended to be a living document and will be updated annually to reflect implementation progress, new opportunities, and scientific advancements.
Mitigation vs. Adaptation
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.
Climate Change and COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has and will have long-lasting impacts on public health, economic growth, national security, and built and natural environments. Not unlike the climate crisis, the challenges and impacts of the global pandemic are multi-faceted, exacerbate existing inequalities, and require significant investment and action to resolve. The Town of Lincoln, like many global municipalities, has the opportunity to build a more resilient, healthy, and equitable community and reduce the vulnerability of its economy, society, and environment to climate change and human health crises.
