TUCCN’s Mandate
Purpose
In support of Toronto and other urban areas the Network will:
- Promote professional co-operation, research, and policy development activity in the field of urban climate change impacts and adaptation, also taking into account the critical need to reduce production of greenhouse gases.
- Provide knowledge necessary for decision makers in the field of climate change impacts and adaptation and greenhouse gas reduction.
- Where this knowledge and expertise is not yet available, the group will identify research priorities to gain technical knowledge and strategies needed by decision makers to manage climate change.
Major Strategies
The Network will:- Identify and support groups, practitioners and researchers in the GTA active in the field of climate change impacts, adaptation, and greenhouse gas reduction, especially where the adaptation action also helps reduce greenhouse gases.
- Advocate for rapid and effective action on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- Optimize exchange of information and ideas and encourage co-operative work, sharing of data and published results of work. This will consist of meetings of the Network, invited guests and hosting of a TUCCN website.
- Establish communications and linkages with other relevant climate change impacts and adaptation groups, including client user groups as well as other research and policy oriented groups.
- Identify funding and decision making groups and establish a dialogue to help better understand their needs.
- Make efforts to develop a consolidated consensus based position with respect to major research priorities requiring funding and occasionally identifying significant strategic policy recommendations for decision makers.
- Seek to raise the global, regional, and local profile of Toronto as a centre of excellence for climate change impacts and adaptation research.
- Annually convene a gathering of representatives from Toronto based adaptation and impacts practitioners and researchers to exchange ideas and information and attract interest in sustaining the Network.
- Conduct one or more significant multidisciplinary climate change impacts and / or adaptation oriented projects made possible through the group seeking external funding support.
Goal
The network will strive to support the vision of Toronto and other urban areas as being sustainable in the context of climate change.
Governance
The group will generally operate on a consensus basis, but where a consensus cannot be reached, matters may be voted upon with the majority ruling. Each member organization will receive one vote.
External Communications Representing the Network will only be undertaken with general consensus of the members. In the case of major public statements, the Chair shall seek consensus, where quorum consists of representation from 75% of the member organizations.
The Toronto Environment Office (TEO) will provide a chair person for meetings, however the group can decide to democratically elect a new chair as appropriate.
This mandate statement shall be reviewed and updated not later than one year from the date it is finalized by the TUCCN members.
Additional members may be added at the discretion of the existing group, taking into account resources required to handle communications with additional members.
Logistics
Meetings will:- Occur in three or four month intervals;
- Be called on an ad hoc basis as needed;
- Be open to members and invited guests;
- Be documented with and agenda and minutes which will be posted on a website accessible to members.
Communications
Communications with Network Members will include:- Emails providing meeting agendas and minutes
- A website that is open for public access
- A website that is password protected for member use
- Emails providing notification of significant new information on either website
- GTA Steering Group for Collaboration on Climate Change (policy & planning staff Regional Governments)
- GTA technical group on climate change impact assessment and adaptation (scientists from Env. Canada, TRCA and City of Toronto)
- Proposed Ontario Regional Adaptation Collaborative (funded by NRCan & Province of Ontario)
Funding of the Network
At the time of writing this mandate statement, there is no budget to cover expenses or to compensate members for time spent on activities in support of the Group. Efforts will be made to establish a funding strategy to support the operations of the TUCCN group to expand its mandate and level of activity.
In 2009, Environment Canada has provided funding for a TUCCN website and Forum on Infrastructure and Climate Change Adaptation.
Network members may collaborate to pursue funding for specific studies and initiatives.
