Our Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions program has officially launched!

Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions will inspire, motivate, and encourage other residents to undertake community-focused climate actions to help achieve TransformTO net zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050 or sooner. Check out the program description, eligibility, and key dates over on www.livegreentoronto.ca.

In this Q&A with our Volunteer Coordinator, Ryan Cheung, we dive deeper into the details of this exciting new program.

How many spots are open in the program?

10 to 20 candidates will be selected to be champions this round. 

Is it possible to be a champion in a neighbourhood outside of my own?

Yes, it is possible to champion in a neighbourhood that is different from your own if you have existing connections or have worked closely with that neighbourhood before. It is important that our champions know their neighbourhoods well and are connected to what's going on in the neighbourhoods already.  

Is it possible to team up with another person and be team champions for the same neighbourhood?

Yes. As we review the applications that come in, there may be opportunities for champions to team up for the same neighbourhood.

How will the community projects be funded?

Each champion will receive an honorarium of $500. It is up to each individual champion to decide how they want to use this funding. For example, they may use part of the honorarium towards compensation for their own time and contribute another part to their neighbourhood project. City staff can also provide support with looking into additional funding options for the projects.

How many projects are champions expected to implement per year?

Each champion is expected to implement at least one project in their neighbourhood. The project can be big or small and should cater to the needs and priorities of the neighbourhood. Every little bit helps and will be successful in its own way!

With the COVID-19 pandemic still happening, will there be any in-person events allowed?

At this time, we recommend that our champions follow provincial COVID-19 safety guidelines and opt to host virtual meetings. 

Is this a year-round program?

The program will be running all year long. We anticipate another round of recruitments in 2021.

Will the Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions program run again every year from now?

Yes, we are hoping that the Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions program will be a long-standing program in Toronto.

I live in the downtown core in a high-rise building. Can I apply to the program? 

Absolutely! We think there is a lot of value in engaging with residents who live in multi-residential buildings on climate action and there are a lot of opportunities to take action together.

If I live outside of Toronto, can I still participate in the Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions program?

Unfortunately, this program is only open to Toronto residents. 

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If you have an important question regarding the Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions program, post your question in the comments section below or send an email to livegreen@toronto.ca. We would love to hear from you!