The Niagara Climate Change Summit taking place next week aims to bring the community together to work toward a sustainable future.

Hosted by Niagara Region in partnership with Brock University and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, the virtual event, held Tuesday, June 28 from 9 a.m. to noon, will be open to the community to attend.

A first of its kind in Niagara, the summit will bring together a group of diverse stakeholders, including senior representatives from the public and private sectors, to develop a common understanding of climate change and its impact on the local community.

Karen Farbridge, an expert on community resiliency, governance and climate change, will deliver the keynote presentation, which will be followed by a series of panel discussions that touch on topics such as the impacts of climate change in Niagara, the relationship between climate change and the economy, ideas to accelerate climate change action locally and the importance of climate change to Niagara’s youth.

Expert speakers and industry leaders from across Niagara will share successful strategies and best practices that may be considered for implementation in the region.

From 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., Assistant Professor Jessica Blythe, of Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC), will be part of a panel discussion about leading environmental and climate change action in communities. She will present on her work with Niagara Adapts, a partnership between the ESRC and seven Niagara municipalities that is designed to build innovative climate solutions in the region.

Blythe’s panel discussion, as well as the one that follows on climate change action and the economy, will be moderated by ESRC Centre Administrator Amanda Smits.

Members of the Brock and wider Niagara community can register to participate in the summit online. The livestream will also be available on Niagara Region’s YouTube channel.

An in-person component of the summit, with a series of roundtable discussions for area leaders and other stakeholders, will also take place in the afternoon of June 28 on Brock University’s main campus.

For more information, visit niagaraclimatechangesummit.ca