The CitiesIPCC Legacy Research Grant Program is a natural extension of Alberta Ecotrust’s partnership with the City of Edmonton and its Change for Climate initiative. With a diverse committee of subject matter experts from academia, consulting firms, environmental nonprofits, and government, the CitiesIPCC Legacy Research Grant Program awarded nearly $150,000 to three research projects.

Meet the 2020 recipients of the CitiesIPCC Legacy Research Grant Program:

1. Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance: Tele-Work: Environmental, Social and Economic Opportunities and Risks Associated with Tele-Work Policies for the City of Edmonton Employees and Community
   The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we move around our cities, where and when we work, and how we interact and use our buildings. To ensure the health and safety of all citizens, municipalities have had to quickly adapt, including enabling employees to work from home wherever possible. These changes are relevant to the City of Edmonton’s strategies around energy sustainability and climate resilience.
   
2. School of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Alberta: Analyzing the Spatiotemporal Variation of Urban Heat Islands with Land Use Changes in Edmonton Neighbourhoods
   No study has focused on Edmonton’s temporal Urban Heat Islands (UHI) changes and intra-urban UHI patterns. This study will address these knowledge gaps by answering the following four questions: 1. Was there a significant UHI change across the city of Edmonton over the last two decades? 2. Does UHI vary across neighbourhoods within the city? 3. What factors affect UHI at the neighborhood level? and 4. What mitigation measures could minimize possible UHI-induced impacts?
   
3. School of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Alberta: Co-Creating Neighbourhood Climate Action Strategies in Edmonton
   In this project, they aim to work extensively with three pioneer community leagues and the Green Leagues program to co-create neighbourhood climate action strategies in line with the City of Edmonton’s goals. They will engage with the community members through a series of meetings, workshops, focus group discussions and online engagement sessions.

This second year of research grants will help advance knowledge about how Edmonton can become an energy sustainable and climate resilient city. Alberta Ecotrust is pleased to be supporting this work that aligns so well with our vision of healthy ecosystems for all Albertans.