Calgary Climate Symposium

The Keynote session speaks to the convergence of Indigenous knowledge and western climate science; Indigenous perspectives on climate change; how Indigenous peoples are changed and are adapting and how they are contributing to the transition to a low carbon economy.

Hetxw’ms Gyetxw, also known as Brett D. Huson, is from Gitxsan Nation of the Northwest Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Brett has published a series of educational books for children and works with the Prairie Climate Centre at the University of Winnipeg to connect science and Indigenous Knowledges.

This session explores global and localized climatic changes and the economic consequences of climate inaction. Spatially resolved estimates of economic impacts will be translated into a regulatory figure called the Social Cost of Carbon: the most important number you've never heard of.

Climate change has become a defining issue of our time, and the majority of Calgarians are concerned about it. In this session, City staff help demystify this complex topic, providing information about what climate change is, how climate change is impacting Calgary, how The City of Calgary is acting and how Calgarians can be part of the solution.

Extreme heat events, wildfires, severe storms and heavy rainfall are becoming more frequent and intense in Calgary due to climate change. Along with these hazards comes rising insurance costs, health impacts, and property damage. This session, hosted by City of Calgary staff, helps you understand what climate change means for Calgary, what actions you can take to prepare, and what The City of Calgary is doing.

The impacts of climate change are not evenly felt across society – the adverse impacts of which are felt disproportionately by equity-deserving people. Equity-deserving groups often lack access to the resources required to protect themselves from climate change impacts and may not have their voices heard in the planning and discussion of climate action. As the effects of climate change increase, so does the urgency of addressing inequity issues. Please join us for a discussion with a range of equity experts presenting important perspectives, from Indigenous ways of knowing to how equity-deserving folks experience climate change in Calgary.

This session introduces the concept of a Zero Emissions Buildings Exchange (ZEBx) for Calgary. ZEBx is a collaborative industry hub that facilitates knowledge exchange to accelerate market transformation and strengthens the public, private, and civic capacities for zero emissions buildings. Several subject matter experts will be brought together to speak in a moderated roundtable discussion on the general concept of a ZEBx platform, it’s potential to accelerate market transformation and drive local investment, and what is needed to expedite implementation. This session can be viewed as the nucleus of ZEBx Calgary and be used to drive interest from the local business community.

Disasters can strike without warning. Learn about the risks that might affect your business operations in Calgary, how you can prepare your business ahead of time, and learn what to expect after an emergency or disaster has occurred.

The Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) plans and coordinates services and resources during major emergencies and disasters. We work with city services, emergency responders and other partners, communities, businesses and non-profit agencies to mitigate risks and help Calgary prepare, respond to, and recover from a disaster.

Last year, Emissions Reduction Alberta’s Energy Savings for Business (ESB) program opened to applications.

Incentives for a wide range of energy saving technologies and up to $250,000 in funding per project are helping small- and medium-sized businesses save energy and money. Brittany Tran shows what some recipients have already put in place with their funding and what funding/programs are still available.

Natural Resources Canada administers the Canada Greener Homes Grant Initiative, which provides funding (including grants up to $5,000) to homeowners for retrofits to increase energy efficiency and climate resilience. Dinesh Parakh, Manager of Program Policy and Outreach for the Canada Greener Homes Initiative, shares information about the Initiative and how it can help Canadians save money, save energy, reduce emissions, and make homes more comfortable.

City staff shared information about the new Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) launching Fall 2022 and how citizens can access funds for energy efficiency upgrades to their homes. 

Climate projections tell us that Calgary will continue to experience increasingly hot summers with longer and more frequent heatwaves. Urban areas are more at risk to extreme heat where daytime surface temperatures can be as much as 10-15°C hotter than rural areas. The impacts on our social, economic, mental and physical wellbeing can be significant, especially for more vulnerable groups. This discussion explores the expected impacts and possible solutions for our warming city, including how Calgarians can act themselves.

As more hybrid and electric vehicles hit the road, condo and apartment buildings will see increasing demand for the supporting charging infrastructure. This presentation highlights what condo boards need to consider with respect to policy and electrical capacity when it comes to the assessment, installation and long-term advantage of EV charging in multi-unit buildings.

Speaking to both EV owners and non-EV owners, this session digs into the ifs-ands-or-buts on the process, costs, and how you can go from thinking about EV charging to charging them. 

Electrification is a concept identified as both a solution to reducing GHG emissions and an economic opportunity for Calgary. Join representatives from Shell, ENMAX, and Zeno Renewables for presentations on electrification – what is it, and what are the electrification pathways and technologies that will move us towards our 2050 net zero emissions target?

Join Solar Alberta, a not-for-profit society that has operated as a community and industry hub for over 30 years, along with City of Calgary staff and a representative from Renfrew Community Solar to learn about equity in the solar sector. 

Federal and local governments, corporations, and investors are committing to and supporting economy wide targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050. With buildings constituting 18% of our national carbon emissions, it is imperative that we accelerate retrofits and go deeper than ever before on carbon reductions.

Since the inception of the Climate Innovation Fund in 2020, equity has been a key lens for identifying and funding urban climate projects. But what does that mean for Alberta Ecotrust and their partners? Stefanie Drozda and Jessica Lajoie, Program Specialists, discuss Alberta Ecotrust's ongoing approach to meaningfully integrate equity into their climate work.