Mandate

The Community Engagement Working Group shall collaborate with the municipality to develop effective climate change communication strategies that ensure broad community participation in the implementation of Hamilton's Climate Action Strategy. The Working Group will be responsible for supporting the Committee with community engagement, knowledge sharing, and outreach efforts related to climate actions. The working group will leverage strategies and partnerships to enhance outreach capabilities and build a robust network of community partners.

Objectives

• Develop a comprehensive community engagement framework with clear key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success and reach of engagement activities, particularly focusing on the inclusion of vulnerable, marginalized, and at-risk groups.
• Work closely with the Municipality and community partners to evaluate current communication strategies on their effectiveness, to identify any barriers to community engagement, and to recommend actionable steps for improvements.
• Assist the City and Advisory Committee in identifying unique partnership opportunities with local, diverse organizations that have established trust within the community, businesses, healthcare and hospitals, faith-based communities, academic institutions and school boards, and residents to broaden and strengthen its outreach capabilities in locally led adaptation (LLA) and climate action.
• Collaborate closely with the Climate Justice Working Group to co-design impactful engagement and communication strategies and resources centered around the intersectionality of climate change, social justice, and climate and health equity (i.e. workshops, educational campaigns, artistic projects, storytelling, and various social media platforms).
• Collaborate closely with all working groups
• Engage meaningfully with vulnerable and marginalized communities in Hamilton to ensure that their voices are heard and included in the decision-making processes emanating from the Advisory Committee.
• Collaborate closely with Indigenous communities to ensure ongoing dialogue and partnership with Indigenous communities and the City to align climate action policies with their rights and traditional ecological knowledge.
• Support efforts of healthcare professionals and other community partners to communicate the socioeconomic and health-related effects of climate change on vulnerable and marginalized populations.
  
  Community Engagement Terms of Reference