Meeting people where they’re at: Why climate-resilient infrastructure must be equitable
By Stephanie Poirier, Senior Policy Analyst, Standards Council of Canada
A chance conversation that changed everything
This story begins with a random meeting. I’d joined a government call where someone from BC’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, Sarah Cunningham, was recruiting for a working group. We met and determined that the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) wasn’t the right fit, but she asked if I knew of any standards that could help apply a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) or equity lens to infrastructure.
I couldn’t think of any, so I went looking. And what I found surprised me.
There were plenty of values statements and commitments out there, but not much in the way of practical guidance. Lots of "we believe in equity" statements, but nothing that helped you figure out how to actually get there.
That conversation stuck with me. Because climate change doesn’t affect us all equally. It’s what’s known as a threat multiplier. It makes existing inequities worse. And yet the groups most impacted—Indigenous Peoples, women, people living in poverty, newcomers, seniors, and more—are often overlooked (sometimes accidentally, sometimes intentionally) in decisions about the infrastructure they rely on every day.
I knew we had to do better.
From an idea to something real
That one conversation kicked off the development of the Guide on Applying Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Within Climate-Resilient Infrastructure, a guide created by the Diversity Institute with support from SCC and the Digital Governance Council. It’s designed for municipalities and others working in infrastructure planning, especially on climate adaptation.
We didn’t want this to be another theoretical framework. So we started by listening. I spoke with engineers, municipal staff, policymakers and other practitioners. Over and over, I heard the same thing: people wanted to do the right thing, but didn’t know how.
They didn’t know what questions to ask or what data to use. And when they did have data, they weren’t sure what to do with it.
That’s where the guide comes in. It meets people where they are and helps them move forward.
It’s not about doing everything—it’s about doing something
This guide isn’t a checklist, even if it includes one. It’s not about ticking boxes or hitting arbitrary targets. It’s a practical tool built around key questions—questions that help you think through how to embed inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility in your work in a more thoughtful and systematic way. It’s meant to be user-friendly and adaptable, prompting you to ask: Have we considered A? What about B? How are we approaching C in our context?
The heart of it is a flexible framework. It walks you through key points in the infrastructure lifecycle—from planning to engagement to delivery—and poses thoughtful, practical questions at each step. Questions like: Who’s impacted? Are you reaching the right people? Do you have budget for things like snacks or honoraria when doing outreach? Is your meeting space accessible? Are your communications in languages your community actually speaks?
Even small changes can matter. As someone said to me early on, it’s about turning the dial. That stuck with me. Because this isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress.
Why this matters
When we don’t think about inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, people get left behind. And in a changing climate, being left behind can be dangerous.
Think of a heatwave. Cooling centres can save lives—but only if people can get to them, feel safe inside, and bring their pets and belongings. Otherwise, they’ll stay outside and risk serious harm. Or take flooding. A high-rise condo owner might be inconvenienced. But someone living in a basement apartment could lose everything.
Climate resilience isn’t just about infrastructure. It’s about people. And it’s about recognizing that some people face bigger risks than others, and need different kinds of support to stay safe and recover. This is not only about preventing harm as there are many benefits to considering climate equity. It can build trust within communities, limit legal liability and achieve positive returns on investment.
What success could look like
Success doesn’t mean doing it all at once. It means starting. Maybe that’s a municipality using the guide to shift how it does public consultation. Maybe it’s creating new meaningful relationships with nearby Indigenous communities. Maybe it’s using the guidance to strengthen a funding application.
For me, real success would be hearing from a small municipality that used the guide and saw real change—better engagement, stronger partnerships, more inclusive infrastructure. That’s what this is all about.
The big cities will likely have staff and resources already. But I hope this guide reaches the places that don’t. The ones that recognize the importance of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, but need a clear, practical place to start.
Because when it comes to equitable infrastructure, we don’t need everyone to do everything. We just need more people to do something.