ForecastNL
The Project
The Harris Centre—as an independent knowledge broker and facilitator, with a mandate to encourage respectful dialogue and informed decision making— spent 18 months bringing together key stakeholders and facilitating a province-wide discussion to tackle the question: How can NL create economic and social prosperity while mitigating and adapting to climate change?
Who was Involved?
In addition to the Harris Centre team managing the events, website and facilitating dicussions, the ForecastNL project has a dedicated Steering Committee comprised of industry, community, Indigenous, and academic leaders who bring a broad range of perspectives and experience to the table; these individuals have knowledge of the economy and society of NL, as well as varying expertise related to the environment, climate change, regional development, labour, and the energy industry.
Objectives:
- Facilitate informed public dialogue and discussion regarding the intersection between climate, economy, and society in an effort to reframe the discussion beyond the polarization and competition of concerns;
- Provide a neutral platform for respectful discussion of ideas and solutions;
- Identify promising ideas, actions or approaches that arise during the discussion sessions and online forum, and share these findings with the appropriate organizations and individuals, and connect and facilitate further discussions where appropriate.
Project Results
- ForecastNL was a public-dialogue process that provided a neutral platform to discuss ideas and solutions to create economic and social prosperity while mitigating and adapting to climate change. The process focused on bringing forward key information, stimulating respectful discussion, and uncovering ideas and solutions. The project engaged a wide range of participants from academia, industry, community, and government, as well as the general public.
- A demographically-representative Citizen Forum of residents of Newfoundland and Labrador over the age of 16 was formed to provide feedback on the various panels and presentations that were facilitated, creating an open dialogue between the presenters and the public.
- Key highlights were synthesized in a special edition of Vital Signs.