The Climate-Ready Plans and Processes program supports municipalities in building climate resilience through strategic planning and system integration. This program helps communities understand and prepare for climate risks through activities such as community-wide climate risk assessments and climate adaptation planning, or supports the implementation and integration of climate adaptation measures into existing municipal plans, processes and systems.

Projects can focus on developing foundational climate knowledge through:

• Community-wide risk assessments and vulnerability studies
• Climate adaptation plan development with stakeholder engagement
• Staff and council training on climate risks and adaptation actions
• Public awareness campaigns tailored for diverse community groups

Alternatively, municipalities can pursue integration projects that embed climate resilience into existing operations:

• Land use plan and bylaw updates incorporating adaptation strategies
• Asset management integration including risk assessment and lifecycle planning
• Infrastructure design standards and procurement policy updates
• Nature-based solution assessments across municipal service areas

The program emphasizes equity-informed and inclusive approaches throughout all activities. Projects must demonstrate meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities, equity-deserving groups and other stakeholders to ensure adaptation efforts address the needs of all community members, particularly those most vulnerable to climate impacts.

All applicants must complete the Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool, which helps municipalities evaluate their current climate adaptation readiness and identify priority areas for improvement. Projects are expected to advance municipalities along their climate adaptation journey and build lasting institutional capacity for ongoing resilience efforts.