What we are doing
When investing in climate action, local decision makers need to weigh the costs of action versus inaction but rarely have the time and resources needed to do so. While the mounting costs of climate change presents a serious fiscal and logistical challenge for municipalities, justifying the investment in adaptation measures can be difficult for municipalities whose budgets and capacities are already stretched. However, without immediate action, these costs will only increase and threaten to consume funds and resources needed for maintaining and operating critical services and addressing existing and emerging priorities. Building a business case for adaptation will help local decision makers understand what is at stake and support municipal adaptation planning.
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What we are achieving
The Cost of Doing Nothing (CODN) toolbox provides a jumping off point for municipalities to assess the costs of doing nothing within their own local context, and support their own climate adaptation planning process. It provides municipal decision makers with guidance on collecting locally-relevant data to weigh the costs inaction when investing in climate action. The CODN resources also supports municipalities in framing their local data within a national and provincial/territorial context, and examines the costs and impacts of climate change across multiple knowledge systems, climate change hazard, and sectors.
The toolbox is made up of the following key documents, tools, case studies, and appendices. Together, these resources provide municipalities the tools to assess the costs of doing nothing within a local context, and makes building a business case for climate adaptation as easy and simple as possible. While each of the resources in the toolbox can be used separately, it is recommended that municipalities become familiar with each of the resources before they begin their assessment process, starting with the primer.
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