Active Hope:Innovative Cross-Government Collaboration &

Problem-Solving

Building Sustainable Communities Conference

November 26, 2013Rob Abbott, PhD, CMC

Executive Director, Climate Action Secretariat

A personal disclosure

I believe that any human activity is an opportunity to engage in a positive and healthy interrelationship with all of life – to be a positive and active participant for a thriving future.

Point of departure

Every living system on Earth is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating.

The Earth needs a new operating system, we are the

programmers, and we need the new system within a few

decades.

• Think about following the game, not the ball.

• What is your dream for your community – and the role of innovation?

• Do you have the trust among stakeholders necessary to have the conversation(s) that will deliver the innovation you need?

Framing the conversation

The lure of the local

This is where we live – this is where we chase the dream of sustainability.

Local communities are crucibles for climate action.

Local governments are also the communication channel for raising climate action awareness.

Local governments are also centers of innovation and policy making.

A word about innovation…

A process that brings together one or more novel ideas in a way that has an impact on society.

Three types of innovators to achieve broad systemic change:

1. Disruptive – big idea people2. Bridging – people who spot the big idea3. Receptive – people who can implement the idea

Which one are you? Do you know or work with the others? Do you have trust within and between the others?

The end game is extraordinary communities…

Resilient in the face of changeClean water, land and airAbundant green space, easily accessibleHealthy residentsConnected residentsRich in social and cultural capitalRich in intergenerational wisdomRich in opportunity – and possibility…

Servant outcomes that feed the end game

Smart asset management Reduced energy costs Superior delivery of public services Increased social cohesion More and better walkability, public transit, and physical

activity Reduction in obesity and heart disease/death Novel collaborations …

Situating Cross-Government Collaboration & Problem-Solving Quality Urban Systems of Tomorrow (QUEST) Community Energy and Emissions Inventory (CEEI) Community Energy and Emissions Modeling (CEEM) LiveSmart Leaders Community Regional District and Municipal Collaboration (i.e. Carbon Neutral

Kootenays) Green Communities Committee – UBCM – Province of BC BC Hydro Community Energy Managers BC Mayors Climate Leadership Council Remote Communities Energy Network CAPP, MNGD, CAS collaboration on study to determine emission levels

from pneumatic devices Clean Energy Vehicle program …

Exhibit 1

Action ResultGreen Communities Committee and the Climate Action Charter

Key trust behaviors at work:

•Talk straight (1)•Deliver results (6)•Confront reality (8)•Clarify expectations (9)

Province and UBCM working together to establish the Charter

•Virtually all local governments have signed Climate Action Charter•50% have plans – covering 75% of B.C.’s population and emissions•3,600 local government actions in 2 years – leading to an overall reduction in GHG emissions of 25%•28 carbon neutral communities•40 carbon reserve funds – to support investment in local GHG emission reduction projects

Exhibit 2

Action ResultGCC – CAS – Metro Vancouver working together to create viable approach to measure organic waste diversion

Key trust behaviors at work:

•Talk straight (1)•Demonstrate respect (2)•Deliver results (6)•Confront reality (8)•Clarify expectations (9)

Cross-Government collaboration to create conditions in which organic waste diversion can be used against corporate carbon liability

Exhibit 3

Action ResultMeeting the Climate Change Challenge (MC3)

Key trust behaviors at work:

•Talk straight (1)•Get better (7)•Confront reality (8)•Clarify expectations (9)•Listen first (11)

PICS-funded, CAS/Province, SFU, UBC, RRU and BC Hydro collaborating on research on Climate Action Charter

Exhibit 4

Action ResultProvince, ENGOs, First Nations, forestry companies and coastal communities agree on protecting globally significant rain forest

Key trust behaviors at work:

•Talk straight (1)•Demonstrate respect (2)•Create transparency (3)•Deliver results (6)•Clarify expectations (9)•Listen first (11)

Great Bear Rainforest (64,000 sq km)

Exhibit 5

Innovative public-private partnership to make historical meteorological and climate data from 6,000 weather stations across the province available to the public in a user-friendly map based web portal. Temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed and more

from 1872 to the present. Collaboration between the Province, BC Hydro, RioTinto

AlCan, PCIC.

Tapping into our best selves

All magic is ultimately a shift in consciousness.

Sustainable, resilient, extraordinary communities are not a problem to be

solved… they are a future to be created

Active Hope

This is how things are now…

But choices you make influence what happens next

So what is my hope ?  And how can I be active in moving toward that ?