More than 1,000 residents and 22 local organizations call on council to dedicate the staff and budget resources necessary to effectively implement the City of Greater Sudbury’s climate plans.
On April 23, mayor and council received letters from 22 local organizations, supporting Greater Sudbury’s climate plans, and the climate action petition’s call for council to dedicate the staff and budget resources necessary to effectively implement those plans and meet their climate commitments.
As of Earth Day 2025, the climate action petition had more than 1,000 signatures from Greater Sudbury residents.
This support for climate action comes from every area of Greater Sudbury, and from local organizations in sectors ranging from environment, social equity and justice, arts, food security, workers rights, and more.
This broad support for local climate action reflects how the changing climate is already hitting our community economically, socially, and environmentally. The climate crisis is a human crisis, affecting our homes, health, and livelihoods. As with any crisis, those already vulnerable are hit hardest.
Threats to food security and to the well-being of unhoused or inadequately housed community members are the often untold burden of a climate crisis frequently pigeon-holed as solely an environmental issue.
“The impacts of climate impacts are apparent and observable on almost a daily basis. The cost of food in our community is directly impacted by these incidents” shares the Foodshed Project and Sudbury District Community Garden Network in their letter.
As identified in the Ontario Provincial Climate Change Impact Assessment (Climate Risk Institute, 2021), the risk of impacts to personal safety and well-being from a changing climate is already ranked as high in north-east Ontario.
The Go Give Project shares, “As an organization committed to serving vulnerable populations, we recognize the urgent need to address the disproportionate impacts of extreme weather on individuals experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, and other systemic barriers. Sudbury is facing increasing risks from extreme heat, storms, and shifting climate patterns, which will have devastating consequences for those with inadequate shelter, limited resources, and existing health concerns. The projected rise in days with a humidex above 30 degrees, alongside the growing threat of extreme weather events and public health risks, underscores the need for proactive adaptation measures”.
Black Lives Matter adds, “Climate change disproportionately impacts Black communities and other communities of colour. These communities are already bearing the brunt of extreme weather, rising costs, and environmental degradation.” Fierté Sudbury Pride expands, “We believe that the goals put forward by the climate plan are in step with our own, and given priority implementation, would improve the lives of not only the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community, but the mental and physical health of the Greater Sudbury community at large”.
The impacts of a changing climate hit us in our communities, our homes, our workplaces and in our schools and daycares.
“Rising temperatures raise health and safety concerns at both indoor and outdoor workplaces. Climate fuelled disasters that disrupt or permanently end business create economic loss and instability not only for the business owners, but also the workers,” explains the Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre.
The 2025 Healthy Environments for Learning Day (Thursday April 24) focuses on the rising problem of extreme heat in schools and child care settings. Due to climate change, extreme heat events in Canada are increasing in severity, frequency and duration.
As the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee outlines, “Climate impacts are already affecting our community, threatening local ecosystems, infrastructure, and public health. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events, flooding, and pollution underscores the urgency of implementing strong climate action measures. By investing in climate resilience, we can protect our water resources, ensure a sustainable future, and safeguard vulnerable populations from the worst effects of climate change.”
It is important to highlight that the actions in our city’s plans align with community priorities. For example, “The members of the Ward 10 Kingsmount-Bell Park Community Action Network have identified priorities for 2025 … consistent with the actions of the city’s climate plans which support more safe walking and biking routes, more trees & shade, support food security, protect community health and build connected communities.”
Despite a number of welcome climate actions and investments, our city’s greenhouse gas emissions have not declined. Insufficient budget and staff resources are common barriers to implementation listed in Greater Sudbury Climate Action Report. Our city does not yet have dedicated budget dollars, or dedicated senior staff for implementing our climate plans. Some recent business cases that would have met climate commitments were not supported by council.
There is truth in the cliché, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario predicts rising infrastructure costs for Ontario municipalities as a result of the need for more frequent infrastructure rehabilitations and earlier replacements due to climate hazards: an increased cost of 17.6 to 20.8 per cent per year in Greater Sudbury, according to projected temperature changes. Across all climate scenarios, adapting proactively results in the lowest climate-related costs.
There is also truth in the idiom “spend money to save money”. Investing in energy efficiency to realize savings in energy costs, investing in adaptation to prevent infrastructure and service failures, and investing in home retrofits that support local livelihoods are all examples.
An estimated average of 1,300 full-time jobs per year would be created by implementing Greater Sudbury’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan, mostly in green building and retrofits. When those investments are not made, our community loses out.
For example, among the climate change adaptation projects that received federal funding in January 2025, none were City of Greater Sudbury projects. This is not for lack of need. It may however have something to do with lack of staff capacity to develop more concrete implementation schedules for the actions in the Community Climate Change Adaptation Plan.
The Nickel Refillery suggests an additional motivation to act. “Sudbury is the heart of Northeastern Ontario. The choices we make here set the tone for surrounding communities. We have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to lead by example”.
Greater Sudbury has two important climate plans. Greater Sudbury’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP) is a roadmap to cut emissions and minimize the rise of impacts from a changing climate. The Community Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCCAP) protects us from the growing impacts already being felt. These plans are fundamental to the success, safety and well-being of our community. They protect our families, homes, neighbourhoods, infrastructure, land and water. They protect our city from higher costs and service disruptions.
The actions in our climate plans will cut heating bills, improve food security, add safe and affordable travel options, provide emergency shelters and housing supports, connect community, and support Indigenous communities. Implementing these plans successfully requires sufficient budget and staff resources.
The community supports and expects council to invest the resources needed to meet the goals and commitments made in our city’s climate plans. The community supports and expects council to invest in our community’s fiscal, social, and environmental health.
The climate action petition, with over 1,000 signatures to date, calls on city council to act urgently to reduce carbon emissions and protect our community from climate impacts, and to dedicate the staff and budget resources necessary to implement Greater Sudbury’s Community Energy and Emissions and Climate Change Adaptation Plans, and meet their climate commitments.
This petition is supported by letters from the BioSki Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe Club, Black Lives Matter Sudbury, Canadian Federation of University Women, Canadian Federation of University Women – Environment and Climate Change Interest Group, Citizens Climate Lobby Greater Sudbury, Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury, Community Builders, EV Society-Greater Sudbury, Fierté Sudbury Pride, Foodshed Project and Sudbury District Community Garden Network, Go Give Project, Greater Sudbury Watershed Alliance, Junction Creek Stewardship Committee, Kingsmount/Bell Park Ward 10 Community Action Network, Laurentian University Environmental Sustainability Committee, Nepahwin Lake Watershed Stewardship Group, The Nickel Refillery, Ramsey Lake Stewardship Committee, reThink Green, River and Sky, Sudbury Shared Harvest, Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre, and Vermilion River Stewardship. Dr. John Gunn and Dr. David Pearson also provided letters of support.
Our community is squarely behind climate action, for a healthy, safe community. Now the community is counting on Council’s leadership to follow through and make the investments needed for a climate resilient Greater Sudbury.
They will have an opportunity to do so at the April 29 council meeting, when the first of five staff reports on climate action directed by the climate action motion (CC2024-294) will be presented and voted on. The community will be watching.
Naomi Grant is the chair of the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury.