STRATEGIC PLAN (2025-2030)

OUR VISION: Hamilton is a resilient, low-emission community, with a healthy natural environment. 

OUR VALUES: 

Hope - We combat climate anxiety by taking meaningful climate action and demonstrating success. We believe that action is the antidote to apathy and helps us collectively create a healthier and more resilient future. 

Collaboration - We focus on partnerships and relationship-building by working with groups across various sectors. Youth are especially encouraged to participate as valued changemakers in our community. 

Climate Justice - We work with diverse communities across Hamilton including underserved areas and those facing disproportionate impacts of climate change.  

Accountability - We are fiscally responsible and committed to achieving measurable outcomes, tracking our impact and evaluating our programs to inform continual improvement.

Resourcefulness - We rely on a wide-range of creative approaches, practical solutions, and hands-on environmental action to engage our community and reach our goals. 

Commitment to Reconciliation - We listen to and amplify Indigenous voices, and develop meaningful, authentic, and mutually supportive relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities. 

Strategic Directions:

Engage Hamilton residents to protect and restore nature and reduce emissions in their homes and communities through education, hands-on training, and on-the-ground environmental action.

• Support children and youth to become changemakers by building skills and knowledge to take climate action.
• Provide unbiased and expert guidance to support residents to increase energy efficiency of their homes and undertake deep energy retrofits.
• Enhance resources, tools, and training for Hamiltonians to engage in policy level actions to address systemic changes in the areas of waste, biodiversity, energy efficiency, and climate change.
• Develop programs to support Hamilton’s circular economy, including reducing, reusing, repairing, and sharing.
  
  

Reduce climate vulnerability and impacts in our community by supporting green infrastructure that is equitable, abundant and thriving.

• Grow, promote, and maintain rain gardens, permeable surfaces and urban trees to reduce stormwater runoff and urban heat islands while prioritizing under-natured areas and equity-deserving communities.
• Enhance Hamilton’s tree canopy and biodiversity on public and private land through community tree plantings and stewardship activities. 

Develop and evaluate programs centering reconciliation, equity principles and community needs to expand our reach and impact.

• Reduce physical, financial and communication barriers to participation in our programs.
• Grow community partnerships to develop projects that support social priorities and the co-benefits of climate action.
• Prioritize a meaningful connection to nature for all Hamiltonians to strengthen local commitment to conservation and stewardship. 

Strengthen financial health and employee development to become a leading non-profit employer.

• Pursue Charitable status.
• Increase fundraising and corporate engagement strategies.
• Collect and share annual impact reports to enhance internal and external communications.
• Support a workplace culture of belonging, flexibility, and opportunity, by implementing an EDI strategy, revising policies, and offering competitive compensation packages.