Meaningful climate resiliency depends on a culture of climate awareness. Everyone in the organization must buy in. Rank and file staff must integrate climate considerations within their daily activities.
Organizational leadership sets the tone for a climate resilient culture by establishing a climate resiliency governance framework. However, for the culture to take root, senior managers must demonstrate the organization’s commitment. Leaders show commitment through meaningful action that is visible to staff and key stakeholder on a continuing basis. Commitment translates into providing resources, appropriate budget and recognition of resiliency skill sets.
Effective climate response can depend on an increased emphasis on mundane, seemingly low priority activities. For example, routinely clearing debris from culverts can prevent a multi-million dollar infrastructure failure affecting the organization and the broader community.
Achieving a climate resiliency culture takes time and an ongoing commitment to communication, and training.
Communication
The climate resiliency governance framework establishes the foundation for effective climate communication across your organization. The policy sets the organization’s priorities and goals. It sets the metrics for measuring success. Finally, the framework sets the tone for climate resiliency in the organization.
An organization can only reap these benefits if the commitment is broadly and routinely communicated within the organization, and with key stakeholders. Not only must the organization act resiliently, but it must also be seen to do so. The organization should share and celebrate success. At the same time, the organization should recognize and report performance gaps and the approaches they implement to address them.
Openness in communication encourages commitment and buy-in across the organization.
We can work with you to establish communication plans based on your climate resiliency governance framework. In fact, when we develop such frameworks, we encourage our clients to include a monitoring and communication plan within the policy itself. We believe that effective and consistent communication sets the foundation for climate resiliency success.
Climate Awareness Training
With over two decades of experience in post-secondary instruction, we can provide climate sensitivity and awareness training to your organization. Our offerings cover:
- Climate Change Adaptation Theory and Practice
- Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
- Principles of Sustainability
- Climate Action Planning
Alternatively, we can develop a training curriculum specific to your needs.
We offer instruction both in person and through web-based meetings. This mix allows us to provide timely and affordable expert advice and coaching.
Our training programs can help your organization prepare for an uncertain climate future by ensuring that your staff have the fundamental knowledge and skills to respond to the challenge, and awareness of how to integrate climate sensitivity into their daily routines.
We Can Work with You
We have worked with numerous organizations to develop communication plans and provide instruction. We can help you. We will work with you to set your communication objectives and integrate those objectives into training for your staff.
Please feel free to reach out to us to discuss your organizational policy development needs.