Getting the job done: Barriers and enablers to municipal climate action in Greater Victoria

Abstract

Climate action is high on the agenda for many local governments across Canada and yet greenhouse gas emissions do not decline. The literature on policy implementation points to the importance of the working level in understanding the scope for climate action and the types of barriers that professionals face in advancing climate goals. This study contributes to this literature by exploring the barriers and enablers to municipal climate action through focus groups with municipal staff members across Greater Victoria, British Columbia, in the key sectors of buildings and energy, transportation, and solid waste. Six categories of barriers and enablers are identified: funding, staffing, legislation/regulation, governance, information, and politics, with the first categories representing a form of government capacity. Given the overall lack of power in implementing economic and regulatory policies, municipal government officials emphasize the importance of collaboration, data communication, and political leadership in implementing climate action at the local level.