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Although the City of Nanaimo, BC, is often recognized as a leader on climate action, Rob Lawrence, Environmental Planner in the Engineering and Environment department, was keen to join the Global Covenant of Mayors to challenge himself and his team to new ideas and concepts, as well as meet other professionals. With the Mayor and Council looking for guidance on implementing the City’s Climate Emergency Declaration, Nanaimo became a GCoM signatory in the fall of 2019 and was successfully selected as a Showcase City.
Getting involved in the initiative meant that Rob was exposed to updates from municipalities across the country. That exposure led to good conversations both in person as well as during follow-up phone calls and emails. Being able to reach out meant that Nanaimo could benefit from others’ experiences and jump-start the renewal of their climate action.
“Reaching out to colleagues and learning new approaches were most helpful. We didn’t just learn about policies and best practices: we also heard about what others learned along the way. It was great to hear the nuts and bolts of it all.”– Rob Lawrance, City of Nanaimo, BC