Release of the “What We Heard” Report on the draft 2025–2029 Climate Change Action Plan

Press Release

August 27, 2025

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has released the What We Heard report following public and targeted engagement on the draft 2025–2029 NWT Climate Change Action Plan.

The report, led by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC), summarizes input received from residents, Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, community governments, youth, non-governmental organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders between October 2024 and January 2025.

Feedback was gathered through written submissions, online surveys, and the 2024 NWT Climate Change Advisory Gathering.

Across all regions and engagement methods, participants emphasized that climate change is already having serious and widespread impacts on NWT communities—including wildfires, permafrost thaw, food insecurity, and threats to cultural continuity—and called for stronger, more coordinated action.

Key themes that emerged from the engagement include:

• Urgency: Northerners want more decisive and immediate climate action.
• Accountability: Respondents called for clearer roles, timelines, and mechanisms to track progress.
• Clarity: Residents emphasized the need for clear, concise language and improved communication.
• Coordination: There were strong calls for a whole-of-government approach and deeper collaboration with Indigenous governments.

Feedback from this engagement has reinforced the need for clearer, more coordinated climate action in the Northwest Territories. In response, the GNWT is moving toward a new, integrated approach that will combine the Climate Change Strategic Framework and the Energy Strategy into a single, outcome-focused plan. Insights from this process—and from related engagements—will directly inform the development of that streamlined strategy.

To read the full What We Heard report, visit: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/sites/ecc/files/resources/final_ccap_wwh_report_-_aug_2025.pdf

Quotes:

“Northerners want climate action that delivers real results for the communities. This feedback will continue to inform our path forward by combining the GNWT’s climate change and energy strategies into a single outcome-focused plan. This plan links climate action to infrastructure, cost of living, and other core priorities.”

– Jay Macdonald, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
“Strong, climate-resilient infrastructure is essential for the well-being of the communities. By integrating our climate change and energy strategies, we are building a net-zero energy future that is affordable, reliable, and resilient and led by Northerners for Northerners.”
-Caroline Wawzonek, Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains

Quick facts

• Who offered feedback?
  • 44 NWT residents online
  • 6 non-governmental organizations
  • 2 NWT Indigenous governments
  • 1 NWT community government
  • 119 participants at an in-person event
  • 35 participants at a roundtable event
  • 190 students

Related links

• What We Heard Report
• Draft Action Plan
• 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework
• 2019-2023 Climate Change Action Plan
• ECC Minister’s Statement: GNWT’s New Approach to Energy and Climate Change
• INF Minister’s Statement: GNWT’s New Approach to Energy and Climate Change

For media requests, please contact:
ECC Communications
Environment and Climate Change
ECC_Comminications@gov.nt.ca

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