The goal of this effort is to identify what questions are best at teasing out climate implications across all municipal decisions. Below is the summary of the questions compiled via a crowdsourced effort.
Decision High Level Questions (DHLQ):
- Is this decision the only option available to meet the need/hoped for outcome?
- What other options were considered?
- What other issues are we trying to solve?
- Is this work locking in long-term emissions?
- What consequences could arise from this?
- Does the work align with [municipal] policies related to [the] environment and climate?
Mitigation High-Level Questions (MHLQ):
- How does it support/undermine the Climate Action Mitigation Plan?
- GHG Implications, what additional GHG emissions are associated with this decision (even if there isn’t a quantitative analysis – will it increase or decrease GHG emissions). What GHG reduction efforts have been incorporated?
- What other options were considered?
- What are the embodied carbon implications?
- Have health co-benefits been identified or calculated?
- The opportunity to share where mitigation is considered, I.e., the positives
- [Are] there additional benefits that outweigh the increase in GHG emissions?
- Modal split (ability to move modal split from Single Occupancy Vehicles (SOV) to Active Transportation (AT))
- Not easy to achieve at the site level, this needs to be advanced at the system level to make a change. But it is the individual pieces that make up the system?
- What accessibility issues might there be?
- What potential consequences could arise from this action? Are we doing more for less?
- Does this address a legislative/regulatory responsibility?
Adaptation High-Level Questions (AHLQ):
- How does it support/undermine the Climate Action Adaptation Plan?
- What urban heat island implications may there be?
- Is there any way to measure that? Address that?
- What are the precipitation implications?
- How does it impact/influence flooding risk?
- Dealing with precipitation on site (permeable vs impermeable)
- What level of precipitation is addressed on site (5mm – 30mm)
- How can this decision affect shading/tree canopy targets
- Equity implications related to the decision (potential equity implications are being explored via another crowdsourcing effort)
- Accessibility
- Income level
- Vulnerable and Underserved populations
- Age
- Have health co-benefits been identified or calculated?
- Does this help address the municipality’s high risks or vulnerabilities? If so, which?
- Does this address a regulatory or legal responsibility?
- Does this adaptation increase emissions (mal-adaptation)?
- Are there funding or partnership opportunities to address this?
- Does this address a regulatory or legal responsibility?