Hosting the conference became a catalyst for Edmonton’s deepened commitment to climate action, demonstrating how cities can lead the charge in addressing climate challenges.

A core focus of the conference was to engage the public in transformative change. Through art, education and practical programs, the event energized citizens and underscored the role of community support in achieving meaningful action. 

Held from March 5 to March 7, 2018 and co-sponsored by the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other international groups, this conference convened more than 800 in-person delegates and an estimated 6,000 online participants from 64 countries across six continents. With a delegation including academics, researchers, urban practitioners and policymakers, the event bridged science, governance and practice.

Edmonton's successful bid for the conference, led by then-Mayor Don Iveson, was a collaborative effort with key support from the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), Explore Edmonton. The City of Edmonton's sustainability efforts, commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy transition strategy were pivotal in securing the event. The DMO also helped shape the conference's goals to align with the City's vision for climate leadership. 

The event aimed to inspire research, address knowledge gaps and drive urban climate solutions. The Local Advisory Committee (LOC) and the IPCC outlined several key objectives:

• Advance climate science and policy: The conference aimed to assess current knowledge, identify research gaps and lay the foundation for the IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Cities, which will be produced for the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report.
• Promote long-term urban climate solutions: Organizers hoped to stimulate regional and global studies focused on actionable climate impacts and solutions for cities.
• Increase public awareness of climate change: A series of pre-conference public campaigns would help inform residents and businesses about the issues being addressed at the event.
• Catalyze global climate action: By mobilizing knowledge and creating actionable outputs, organizers intended to equip other cities with the tools to lead on climate solutions.
• Foster collaborative partnerships: By uniting international organizations, academia, local advisory bodies, the City of Edmonton, the local community and the DMO, the event aimed to ensure a more cohesive and powerful approach to legacy development.
• Position Edmonton as a global climate and energy transition leader: The conference was designed to establish Edmonton as a global leader in climate action and energy transition to ensure a lasting legacy that would inspire future generations and empower cities worldwide to embrace sustainable solutions.

The conference’s key outcomes were:

1. Climate Leadership and Innovation

The conference led to a series of transformative actions that solidified the City of Edmonton’s commitment to climate leadership:

• Creation of the Climate Resilient Edmonton: Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan to complement the City’s Community Energy Transition Strategy. This strategy included an ambitious 35 per cent reduction in energy consumption per person by 2030, compared with 2005 levels, focusing on transforming energy generation, transportation and building construction.
• Edmonton became one of Canada’s first cities to adopt a carbon budget, aligning climate goals with financial planning. The 2023-2026 Budget allocated more than $376 million to energy transition projects, ensuring progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement with transparency and accountability.
• The Change for Climate – Global Mayors Summit, which was scheduled intentionally directly before the conference, resulted in the Edmonton Declaration. This calls on all stakeholders to take the mantle of leadership on climate change, and amplify the message that rising greenhouse gas emissions severely impact cities.
• The conference contributed to the creation of Innovate4Cities, an initiative dedicated to supporting cities in taking local climate action, focusing on research and collaboration. This built on learnings from the Global Research and Action Agenda (GRAA) on Cities and Climate Change Science, which also emerged from the conference.
• From 2019 to 2021, the City of Edmonton partnered with Alberta Ecotrust on the Cities IPCC Legacy Research Grant Program to deliver research grants to 10 projects focused on finding urban climate solutions. The grants were partially funded from a surplus of the City’s conference budget. 

2. Sustainable Policies and Infrastructure

The conference sparked significant progress towards more climate-friendly policies and infrastructure, as the City of Edmonton adopted climate action strategies and supported sustainable urban development:

• The conference inspired a Zoning Bylaw overhaul, which aims to enable the formation of more sustainable and walkable communities. It aligned with the vision of diverse housing options and simpler regulations set out in the City Plan, contributing  and contributed to Edmonton's climate resilience.
• Following the conference, Edmonton invested in climate-positive transit service improvements with the Bus Network Redesign, which improved the overall transportation infrastructure.
• The City of Edmonton also launched innovative financing mechanisms such as the Home Energy Retrofit Accelerator program (HERA) to help homeowners afford energy-efficient upgrades, integrating sustainability into its housing stock.

3. Community Engagement and Behavioural Change

The conference was highly successful in inspiring community engagement and driving behavioural change on climate action:

• The Change for Climate movement was a key driver of behavioural change. Through online resources and in-person events, it encouraged public participation that led to the creation of ongoing spin-off initiatives and supported individual climate actions, such as reusing everyday items and reducing energy consumption.
• More than 23,000 people visited the City’s Change for Climate website, with more than 600 pledging to undertake climate action during the event. Additionally, more than 20 activities, including public discussions, attracted approximately 1,500 participants, fostering greater grassroots awareness.
• At the conference itself, 14 high school students from 13 countries presented a paper, highlighting youth as key voices in climate action. This influenced local policies, UN initiatives and the Global Child Biodiversity Declaration.
   

The 2018 CitiesIPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference exemplifies how cities can leverage major events to catalyze climate action, foster collaboration, and position themselves as global sustainability leaders. 

This landmark event not only increased the number of cities using science to address climate change, but also left a profound legacy that continues to shape Edmonton's policies, infrastructure and community engagement today.

From laying the foundations for a carbon budget to empowering citizens through public programs, the event demonstrated the power of bridging science, policy and practice to address the urban dimensions of climate change. The benefits of the conference rippled far beyond Edmonton to the global urban climate community, contributing to a stronger collective response to the climate crisis.

As we reflect on the outcomes seven years after this transformative event, one key lesson emerges: the true impact of business events lies in their ability to inspire sustained change.