QUEST Canada Incorporates Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Principles into its Capacity Building Initiatives

May 25, 2023 – QUEST Canada’s Equitable Engagement project recently reached a new milestone with the release of new resources and the launch of supplementary training opportunities for participating communities seeking to strengthen their Indigenous engagement efforts and incorporate equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles into their community energy and emissions plans (CEEPs). 

QUEST Canada supports communities across the country, building community-level capacity by providing the tools, resources, and knowledge necessary to develop and implement community energy and emissions plans (CEEPs). Over a year ago, QUEST Canada’s projects team and participating communities identified a lack of tools, resources, and knowledge that pertained to Indigenous engagement as well as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles necessary for the development and implementation of durable and just CEEPs. 

In May 2022, the Equitable Engagement project was launched as a first step towards filling this gap and ensuring current and future participating communities are equipped with the tools, resources, and knowledge required to engage all stakeholders on the pathway to a durable and just net-zero future.  

In order to ensure EDI considerations were adequately incorporated into the newly revised resources, QUEST Canada prioritized the benefits of holistic engagement by partnering with the Tamarack Institute, the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER), and Dr. Runa Das from Royal Roads University. These partnering organizations and individuals provided expert analysis and review of QUEST Canada’s capacity building and CEEP tools and resources. Beyond these updates, multiple one-pagers have been developed to help participating communities navigate the development and implementation of durable and just CEEPs. 

In addition to revising the CEEP-related tools and resources provided to participating communities, QUEST Canada also developed and hosted a virtual summary webinar with its New Brunswick and Prince Edward County Municipal Working Group, highlighting the project’s successes and newly available resources. To complete the final phase of the project, QUEST Canada will provide one-on-one coaching sessions with participating communities and SMEs (who provide similar services to communities) to support with community-specific engagement and EDI challenges. 

This project is made possible with funding support from the Suncor Energy Foundation (SEF).

For more information on this project, visit the Equitable Engagement project page and join QUEST Canada’s mailing list for future project updates.

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About QUEST Canada

QUEST Canada is a national non-profit that supports communities in Canada on their pathway to net-zero. Since 2007, we’ve been facilitating connections, empowering community champions and influencing decision-makers to implement efficient and integrated energy systems 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 and enabling communities to contribute to Canada’s net-zero goals.

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