A Community Coming Together for Change – Fredericton’s Climate Action Symposium

By Nathan Dimitroff, Junior Lead, QUEST Canada

On October 9, 2024, the City of Fredericton, hosted its very first Climate Action Symposium at New Brunswick’s beautiful Killarney Lake Lodge.

About 40 participants from local environmental and non-profit groups joined forces to discuss how we can work together to tackle climate challenges and make Fredericton a greener, more sustainable city. While the City has worked with the public and stakeholders on climate issues before, this event marked the first time it focused specifically on the non-profit community.

And it was such a success, that there’s already talk of making it a regular event in the future, with new goals or participants each time.

What was the Symposium all about?

The City organized the event with this set of goals in mind:

1. Build partnerships with community groups to help meet the City’s climate goals, like those outlined in the Community Energy & Emissions Plan (CEEP) and Adaptation Plan.
2. Celebrate and recognize the amazing work being done by non-profits in Fredericton.
3. Find common ground and brainstorm future projects that the community can all work on together.
4. Encourage shared responsibility for climate action—this isn’t just a City challenge; it’s one we all share!
5. Showcase Fredericton’s new climate action branding, which reflects the City’s commitment to the environment.
6. Create a final report with recommendations to guide future actions.

The event featured interactive table discussions where participants could share their ideas, showcase their work, and explore exciting ways to collaborate.

What did we achieve?

The Symposium hit its mark in many ways, bringing together inspiring ideas and sparking new partnerships. Here are some of the highlights:

1 – Stronger Partnerships
Non-profits had the chance to share their work and discuss how they could partner with the City and others to have an even bigger impact. The discussions revealed many areas where the City’s goals align with community priorities, opening the door to exciting new collaborations.

2 – Celebrating Local Heroes
The event was a great opportunity to shine a light on Fredericton’s non-profit community and their role in tackling climate challenges. These groups are already doing so much to make our city more sustainable, and their efforts deserve recognition!

3 – New Ideas for Community Engagement
During an activity on ‘Community Engagement Methods’, participants shared their thoughts on how the City could connect with more residents about climate action. Their feedback highlighted ways to broaden the City’s reach and how partnerships could help amplify key messages.

4 – A Roadmap for the Future
A key takeaway from the Symposium was a detailed report compiled by QUEST Canada. This report captured the many ideas and recommendations shared by participants and will guide Fredericton’s next steps.

What happens next?

Fredericton is already thinking about how to build on the momentum from the Symposium. Here’s what’s on the horizon:

• Reviewing recommendations: City staff will take a closer look at the feedback from participants and QUEST’s report, with a focus on aligning future projects with community priorities.
• Strengthening partnerships: The City plans to work more closely with non-profits to expand its engagement efforts and ensure more residents get involved in climate action.
• Improving engagement: Ideas from the Symposium will help the City refine how it connects with the community, balancing staff capacity while finding ways to rely on partners for support when needed.

These steps reflect a commitment to collaboration and ensuring everyone has a role to play in making the City of Fredericton more sustainable.

Why the non-profit community matters

One of the best parts of the day was hearing about all the creative and inspiring work being done by Fredericton’s non-profit groups. Their dedication is helping to make the city not just more sustainable but also better prepared for future climate challenges. These groups are leading the charge in so many ways, from promoting renewable energy to protecting biodiversity and building resilience against climate risks.

By working together, we can amplify these efforts and achieve even greater impact.

Part of a bigger picture

This Symposium was not just a one-off event — it is part of Fredericton’s ongoing work within QUEST’s Net-Zero Communities Accelerator (NCA) Program. Since March 2024, the City has been partnering with QUEST to support them in reducing emissions and building resilience.

The Symposium was a key milestone, helping Fredericton advance its goals while strengthening local collaboration.

Looking ahead

Thanks to the success of this first event, Fredericton is considering making the Climate Action Symposium a tradition. Future events could:

• Bring in new participants, such as businesses or schools
• Focus on specific themes like renewable energy, sustainable transportation, or climate adaptation
• Tackle new challenges as they arise, ensuring the event stays relevant and impactful

By carrying on the conversation, Fredericton can maintain the energy in the room and enthusiasm sparked by their very first Climate Action Symposium – and keep progressing toward its climate goals.

Wrapping up

The 2024 Climate Action Symposium was an exciting milestone for Fredericton, and New Brunswick. It brought together passionate people, inspiring ideas, and a shared commitment to building a greener, more sustainable future. From celebrating the hard work of non-profits to identifying new opportunities for collaboration, the event demonstrated how much we can achieve when we work together.

The City of Fredericton showed that they’re ready to lead by example, fostering a culture of partnership and shared responsibility for the environment.

À propos de QUEST Canada

QUEST Canada is a registered Canadian charity that supports communities in Canada on their pathway to net-zero. Since 2007, we’ve been facilitating connections, empowering community champions and advising decision-makers to implement energy use and emissions reduction solutions that best meet community needs and maximize local opportunities. We develop tools and resources, convene stakeholders and rights holders, and advise decision-makers — all with the goal of encouraging, assisting and enabling communities to contribute to Canada’s net-zero goals.