Climate Caucus

10/20/2026

Episode 2 of the Oh Canada Podcast - Living with fire in a warming world - is out now! 🔥

In this Episode, Host David Miller sits down with fire ecologist Jen Baron, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, Métis leader Gabrielle Blatz, and Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell about the causes of increasingly destructive wildfires — and the solutions that could help protect communities.

From restoring Indigenous cultural burning practices and bringing Indigenous knowledge into emergency planning to building disaster-ready, low-carbon homes and accelerating the clean-energy transition, this episode explores what it will take to prepare for a future shaped by fire.

🎧 Listen to Oh, Canada: Solutions for the Climate Crisis and discover what it means to build safer, more resilient communities in a changing climate: https://lnk.to/OhCE2

The Oh Canada miniseries is supported by Elbows Up for Climate, C40 Cities, and the University of Toronto Press.

10/20/2026

We’re saying farewell to our brilliant Network Manager Olivia Dymek as she moves on to new opportunities.

Olivia has supported Climate Caucus since some of our earliest days, helping to grow our network across the country, nurturing relationships with elected leaders from coast to coast to coast, and being the brains and heart behind the hundreds of events we’ve hosted over the years.

We can’t wait to see what’s next for her and the continued impact she’ll have in enacting practical, ambitious climate solutions for communities.

We’ll miss you, Olivia! Thank you for everything you’ve done on behalf of our members and local communities throughout Canada.

10/16/2026

Climate Caucus’ Executive Director Zoe Grams has been presented with a 2027 Canada's Clean50 award!

The Clean50 recognizes 50 of Canada’s leading sustainability champions who are driving meaningful change across the country.

Zoe’s recognition highlights the growing impact of Climate Caucus. Under her leadership, Climate Caucus has grown into a national network of more than 1,000 elected officials, equipping leaders with the knowledge, tools, and campaigns needed to turn climate ambition into action.

“To receive a Clean50 award is truly indicative of nation-wide and personal leadership in the Advocates category” Gavin Pitchford, CEO, Delta Management Group.

Congratulations, Zoe, on this well-deserved recognition!

Explore more of Zoe’s impact: https://clean50.com/honourees/zoe-grams/

10/15/2026

Support for an excess profits tax on oil and gas companies is rising.

New polling shows 76% of Canadians support an excess profits tax, with revenues used to help lower energy bills - up 10 percentage points since April. Support has increased to 83% among liberal voters.

As Canada's oil and gas companies see profits surge, households, farmers, small businesses, and municipalities are grappling with rising costs for fuel, goods, infrastructure, and essential services.

An excess profits tax could turn windfall profits into real relief for Canadians:
📊 76% of Canadians support an excess profits tax on oil and gas.
📊 83% of Liberal voters support it.

The revenues could generate billions to help lower costs, strengthen public services, invest in climate resilience, and build the infrastructure communities need.

Explore the polling results here:https://climatecaucus.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Climate-Caucus-OMNI-Topline-Report-Sept-2026-Wave-2-combined.pdf

Climate Action Network - Réseau action climat Canada, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 350 Canada, Stand.earth, Common Horizon / Horizon commun, Canadians for Tax Fairness

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10/07/2026

The first episode of Oh Canada: Solutions for the Climate Crisis is out now!

The Cities 1.5 limited miniseries, in collaboration with Elbows Up for Climate and C40 Cities, speaks with Canadians from coast to coast to coast who are implementing climate solutions in our own backyard, whether through politics, academia, or advocacy.

In this first episode, host David Miller takes a deeper look at why Canada went from being a global leader in combating climate change to doubling down on pipelines, overshooting emissions targets, and continuing to stake our future on a path that we know is unviable — for our planet and our communities.

Hear from esteemed guests on the science, data and politics behind Canada’s climate trajectory:
🟢 Steven Guilbeault, former Minister of the Environment
🟢 Ian J. Mauro, Executive Director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)
🟢 Amber Bennett Bennet, Executive Director of Re.Climate

While we unravel Canada’s complicated climate history, we also begin to look forward to the solutions we need to protect the people and places where we call home.

Listen to Episode 1 here: https://lnk.to/OCE1

Oh Canada: Solutions for the Climate Crisis is supported by Elbows Up for Climate, The C40 Centre, and the University of Toronto Press.

E1: Oh, Canada: How did we get here?

10/06/2026

🌟 New Resource Announcement 🌟

Driven by the vast expansion of AI, data centres are growing rapidly across Canada - announced data centres are set to increase Canada’s MW capacity by 1400%.

Despite significant local impacts, from exponential energy use to water security and air quality concerns, municipalities are being asked to navigate this rapidly evolving land use with little guidance.

To meet this need, today we are launching Ground Rules: Ensuring Canada’s Data Centre Development Happens on Local Terms.

Developed in collaboration with Urban Climate Leadership, Ground Rules offers a series of resources to help municipalities navigate the opportunities and risks of data centre development, and build policies that work for their communities.

“Ensuring local governments have the information and tools they need to make decisions right for them is ultimately about democracy. Communities across the country are struggling with the pace of development and the consequences of data centres in their backyards. Ground Rules gives them practical tools to make informed decisions and sends a clear message to Ottawa: if Canada wants to get data centre development right, local leaders need to be at the table.” Zoe Grams, Climate Caucus Executive Director

Explore our website to discover:
🔵 The Ground Rules Toolkit on policy tools, planning mechanisms and decision-making levers available to municipalities
🔵 Case studies from communities of all sizes across Canada
🔵 Guiding questions to help local governments develop their approach to data centre regulation and
🔵 Requests for greater support from the federal government for municipalities as they navigate this transition.

👉 https://datacentregroundrules.ca/

09/29/2026

What if there are reasons to hope for a more resilient climate future in your own backyard - right here in Canada?

That’s exactly the question Cities 1.5 podcast new miniseries, Oh, Canada: Solutions for the Climate Crisis is asking - debuting next week on October 6.

Hosted by David Miller, Managing Director at C40 Cities and Co-Chair of Elbows Up for Climate, the 6-part series takes a deep dive into the climate crisis through the lens of Canadians fighting to write a different story.

The podcast features Elbows Up for Climate Signatories, who are speaking up to ensure their communities have a voice at the table, including Gabrielle Blatz, Otipemisiwak Métis Government's Provincial Secretary of Women, Gender Equity & Inclusion, Mayor of Jasper Richard Ireland, Mayor of Yellowknife Ben Hendriksen, Mayor of Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe and Mayor of Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell.

Other prominent guests include:
🟢 Avi Lewis, Leader of Canada’s NDP,
🟢 Amber Bennet, Executive Director of Re.Climate,
🟢 Steven Guilbeault, former Minister of the Environment,
🟢 Ian Mauro, Executive Director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS),
🟢 Dr Jen Baron, Assistant Professor of Fire Ecology at University of British Columbia Okanagan in the Center for Wildfire Coexistence,
🟢 Seth Klein, Author of A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency and “Seth Klein / Emergency Measures” on Substack

You won’t want to miss it. Listen to the trailer: https://lnk.to/OCTrailer

Oh Canada: Solutions for the Climate Crisis is supported by Elbows Up for Climate, The C40 Centre, and the University of Toronto Press.

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09/24/2026

Community Highlight: Penticton Council approves Solar-powered Micro-grid ☀️

The almost $9M electrical grid will reduce emissions and improve community resiliency and energy security by powering critical community infrastructure during outages, including Penticton Regional Hospital and fire hall.

Once again, this investment in resilience will pay off in spades:

🟢 The project’s capital costs are expected to be recovered through energy savings by approximately years 12 or 13 years.
🟢 Over the lifetime of the asset, the project is expected to provide a 252% return on investment and a net present value of $3.35 million.

For more examples of how investing in resilience saves money, check out our recently released Climate Costs Toolkit:https://climatecaucus.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Climate-Costs-Toolkit.pdf

09/22/2026

“It all starts with a decision to treat sustainability as an investment for the future, not as an obstacle to investment,” stated David Miller, Elbows Up for Climate Co-Chair, when he sat down with Mitchell B**r from The Energy Mix during last week’s Investment Summit.

As a guest on The Better Ideas Show, highlighting investments that will build Canada’s clean climate economy, the former mayor of Toronto discussed how climate investments can strengthen our local economies.

Over 300 Mayors and Councillors across Canada are advocating for ‘better ideas’ to build up Canada:
🔋A clean energy grid across the country
🏠Affordable housing built to the highest sustainability principles
🚅Significant investments in public transportation

Watch the show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd9dhbP0cGE&t=3s

For more better ideas, visit elbowsupforclimate.ca and theenergymix.com

The Better Ideas Show: Mitchell B**r's interview with David Miller,...

09/22/2026

“It all starts with a decision to treat sustainability as an investment for the future, not as an obstacle to investment,” stated David Miller, Elbows Up for Climate Co-Chair, when he sat down with Mitchell B**r from The Energy Mix during last week’s Investment Summit.

As a guest on The Better Ideas Show, highlighting investments that will build Canada’s clean climate economy, the former mayor of Toronto discussed how climate investments can strengthen our local economies.

Over 300 Mayors and Councillors across Canada are advocating for ‘better ideas’ to build up Canada as part of :
🔋A clean energy grid across the country
🏠Affordable housing built to the highest sustainability principles
🚅Significant investments in public transportation

Watch the show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd9dhbP0cGE&t=3s

For more better ideas, visit elbowsupforclimate.ca and theenergymix.com