Building Resilience: Understanding the Social Implications of Climate Change (Micro Credential)

Your impact work is vital. Join other social impact professionals to learn about climate change and how it may jeopardize your mission. Leave with frameworks, ideas, and inspiration to unlock resilience in your strategies and tactics in a changing world.

What past participants have said:

“Highly valuable! I recommend the Unlocking Resilience – Climate Change for Social Impact Leaders for my colleagues across the Corporate or Non – Profit space who is looking to deepen your understanding.” Chantelle Moore, Manager, Social Impact, Gore Mutual Insurance.

“The Unlocking Resilience: Climate Change for Social Impact Leaders course has been an invaluable experience. It provided practical insights into the connections between climate change and social impact, along with actionable tools to shape my approach. What I found most valuable was hearing from peers in this space and learning from their diverse perspectives. This course is ideal for anyone looking to drive meaningful change in climate action and social equity. I highly recommend it!” Ty Nanayakkara, Manager, Corporate Partnerships and Engagement, World Wildlife Fund.

“This program helped me build a strong foundation in sustainability and climate change so that I can more effectively help organizations, companies, and communities in bridging the awareness and knowledge gap, while inspiring the necessary actions that individuals and corporations can take to reduce global emissions and combat and adapt to climate change.” Michelle Mak, Director, Western Communities Foundation, Western Financial Group.

This is a blended learning Micro-Credential (both on-line and in-person).  It includes:

Web Lectures (Synchronous online) – Climate Change Fundamentals (the context for supporting the resilience of vulnerable populations). (Three live 1.5 hours Sessions, DATES: Sept. 5, 12 and 19, 12-1:30 pm noon ET).

Self Directed Learning (Asynchronous online) – Climate Change Fundamentals (the context for supporting the resilience of vulnerable populations). Pre-readings, videos, posts and self assessments to deepen your knowledge and its application to your work.

In Person Workshop – Experts sharing the impact of climate change on vulnerable individuals, communities and regions; examination of the impacts of climate mitigation and adaptation decisions. Application of the En-ROADS Climate Simulation with a special focus on health outcomes.  DATE: Sept 26, 2025

Critical Insights:

• • on the impact of climate change on vulnerable individuals and communities, the social systems they reply upon, the levers for climate mitigation and adaptation, and the equity, co-benefits and unintended consequences of some solutions;
  • levers for change at the individual, community and societal level;
  • your current strategies through a risk and opportunities strengths-based lens, identify gaps and next steps to create strategies and initiatives to best serve your communities in a changing climate.

Use Climate Interactive’s En-ROADS Climate Simulation: 

• quickly gain a systems view of the the health, food security, nature and other long-term effects of global climate policies and actions
• learn which are high and low leverage climate solutions
• identify the multiple connections between climate crisis and other crises
• equip yourself with the knowledge to advocate for and to implement climate decisions which maximize co-benefits and improve equity.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the fundamentals of climate change and the context for supporting the resilience of vulnerable populations. Including:
  • how the Climate will change and how we know this,
  • what are the different Greenhouse Gases, their potency and why it matters to equity issues,
  • what is the relationship between Greenhouse Gases and Global Temperature,
  • what are the likely impacts for ‘Business as Usual’ for Global Temperature, Sea Level Rise, Water Cycles, Ocean Acidification, Biodiversity, Crop Yields, Deaths from Extreme Heat and more,
  • what are the Climate scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, how is uncertainty in the modelling managed,
  • the equity and co-benefit considerations of different mitigation and adaptation actions,
  • what commitments have been made toward Net Zero within businesses, in Canada and globally, and are we on track?
• Identify the impacts of the climate crisis on equity, health and the socio-economic status of vulnerable populations.  Understand what that means for your stakeholders.
• Examine groundbreaking social innovation initiatives like the “The Climate and Equity Lab” started by the Gore Mutual Foundation in partnership with Social Innovation Canada (SI Canada) and York University’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change to launch The Climate.
• Apply climate mitigation solutions through the interactive En-ROADS Climate Simulation experience (developed by Climate Interactive and MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative).
• Examine equity and co-benefits of climate change mitigation levers.
• Apply the practices of Multi-Solving (developed by the Multisolving Institute) to create systems solutions.
• Identify the climate literacy required across your organization and business ecosystem for a successful Net Zero – Social Impact Strategy.

Who Should Attend:

This program is designed for anyone in business, charities, not-for-profits or social enterprises building resilience among vulnerable populations including –

• Designing or delivering Social Impact, Citizenship, Community Investment, Sustainability or Net Zero programs, strategies, policies or decisions.
• Designing and delivering Stakeholder Engagement with vulnerable populations.
• Community Partners delivering Social Impact, Citizenship and Community Investment programs, strategies or measures to vulnerable populations on behalf of Corporate Partners.
• Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Professionals
• Strategy, Risk and Opportunity Management Professionals

Delivery Format:

This is a blended learning program (both on-line and in-person).  It includes:

Web Lectures (Synchronous online) – Climate Change Fundamentals (the context for supporting the resilience of vulnerable populations). (Three live 1.5 hours Sessions, DATE: September 5, 12 and 19, 12-1:30 pm noon ET 12-1:30 pm noon ET).

Self Directed Learning (Asynchronous online) – Climate Change Fundamentals (the context for supporting the resilience of vulnerable populations). Pre-readings, videos, posts and self assessments to deepen your knowledge and its application to your work.

In Person Workshop – Experts sharing the impact of climate change on vulnerable individuals and communities, examination of the impacts of mitigation and adaptation decisions.  Application of the En-ROADS Climate Simulation. DATE: September 26, 2025

Instructors:

• Dr. Mili Roy, Chair, Canadian Assn Of Physicians For The Environment (CAPE),Ontario; Co-Chair, Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign (OCEC), Assistant Professor, Faculty Of Medicine, University Of Toronto
• Dr. M. Jane Pritchard, MD, CCFP, FCFP (Mental Health and Vulnerable Populations)
• Gaby Polanco Sorto, VP & Head, Purpose and Sustainability, Gore Mutual Insurance
• Laura Lindberg, MBA, Grad. Dipl. SR&S, Cert. Environmental Mgmt., U of T, Principal, Laura Lindberg Sustainability Advisors, En-ROADS Climate Ambassador
• Dr. Doug Pritchard, BSc, MSc(Eng), PhD, P.Eng, En-ROADS Climate Ambassador

Register:

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Cancellation Policy:

Registered but can’t attend?

Registrations are transferable to other associates within your organization or can be transferred toward a USMC SR&S course within the same business year.

Cancellations 1 month from the course are 100% refundable. Cancellations less than 1 month but more than 2 weeks receive a 50% refund of fees paid. Confirmed registrants who cancel within 2 weeks of the course date or fail to attend, will be charged 100% of the registration fee and are not entitled to a refund.

USMC reserves the right to cancel an event or any associated functions at its sole discretion. In the event of such, a full refund will be made. USMC expressly excludes any liability for any direct or indirect losses or damages howsoever arising as a result of such cancellation and will not, for example, be responsible for any travel or accommodation costs incurred.

In the event of cancellation, USMC will use reasonable actions to alert those who have booked to attend an event and details of any cancellation will be posted on the course website page.  Attendees are responsible for checking this information prior to the event.

Attendee name substitutions are allowed up to the day of the course.