Big goals, small change

We speak with Mike Mellross of Alberta Ecotrust about Edmonton's updated climate priorities and the important decisions coming up during the four-year budget. We talk climate ambition, competing pots of funding, and why good city building might be climate action, too.

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (00:43) - Ad: LitFest
• (01:38) - Interview introduction
• (02:11) - Meet Mike Mellross and Alberta Ecotrust
• (06:10) - Why work through a climate charity?
• (10:16) - Edmonton's updated climate priorities
• (12:50) - Ambition and accountability
• (16:34) - Climate action and city building
• (18:50) - Competing pots of funding
• (20:59) - Two $5-million funding requests
• (27:16) - The Climate Innovation Fund
• (30:22) - A more formal city partnership
• (32:23) - Thinking regionally
• (33:22) - What to watch for in the budget
• (35:58) - Climate action in a long emergency
• (39:38) - Upcoming events and speaking up
• (42:08) - Final thoughts
• (43:15) - Close

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Mike Mellross

• Mike Mellross at Alberta Ecotrust
• Mike Mellross on LinkedIn
• The Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstler

Climate priorities

• 2027 Update - Climate Implementation Priorities: Council agenda and attachments
• 2027 Update - Climate Implementation Priorities council report
• City to debate $114.58 million in climate mitigation actions in four-year budget talks
• Report finds top 3, bottom 3 priorities for Edmontonians ahead of budget talks
• 2021: Countdown to 2050: Explaining Edmonton's carbon budget
• 2024: Report suggests Edmonton's emissions are decreasing too slowly

Alberta Ecotrust

• Emissions-Neutral Buildings Information Exchange (ENBIX)
• 2026 Alberta Municipalities Convention & Trade Show
• ENBIX three-year anniversary

This episode is brought to you by LitFest, Canada's original nonfiction festival, celebrating the power of true stories. From Oct. 14 to 18, downtown Edmonton becomes a creative hub for readers and writers. Discover your next favourite books and authors through readings, panel discussions, and workshops inspired by this year's theme: Nonfiction shows us who we are. Learn more and get tickets

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