Multi-level governance of sustainability transitions in Canada: Policy alignment, innovation, and evaluation

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Local communities are on the front line of climate action, mitigation, and adaptation implementation. This chapter explores the research outcomes of a tri-university five-year research collaboration studying local climate innovators in the province of British Columbia. At the time the research began, there was a unique opportunity to study multilevel governance between the province and local governments albeit in a national vacuum. Lessons learned from the first phase and preliminary analysis from the second phase are then applied to the province of Ontario poised to take province-wide action. Ontario’s case is different in that there is now alignment between the federal and provincial levels, but less engagement to date with local governments. Our research shows that the active engagement of local communities is essential for accelerating climate innovation and multilevel governance.