Abstract
Offshore wind (OSW) remains an untapped renewable energy resource in Nova Scotia that has interest growing in the industry alongside the need for renewable energy sources. Tapping into OSW will require support from and cooperation between communities, governments, local industries, and OSW proponents. In 2022, Net Zero Atlantic (NZA) began Capacity Building for the Sustainable and Inclusive Development of Nova Scotia’s Offshore Wind Resource – a project developed to build local capacity in Nova Scotian communities for meaningful participation in discussions regarding development in Nova Scotia’s offshore environments. Specifically, the project focuses on building capacity in rural and Mi’kmaw communities to ensure an inclusive as well as sustainable approach to OSW development in Nova Scotia. Funding for this project is provided in part by Natural Resources Canada’s Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program.
The project approach is based on two-way knowledge sharing between communities and Nova Scotiabased organizations, collecting and compiling community insight and local knowledge, and building capacity through dialogue and information exchange. Phase 1 occurred throughout 2023 and early 2024, where the project team collaboratively facilitated information sessions used to socialize the OSW topic, build relationships, and hear initial community feedback, questions, and concerns about the industry. Phase 2 will involve a return to communities in the fall and winter of 2024 to execute a community-specific outreach plan based on discussions and findings from Phase 1, furthering OSW capacity building in rural and Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia.
In this What we Heard report, findings from the information sessions in Phase 1 have been compiled, including feedback from rural and Mi’kmaw communities across mainland Nova Scotia and Unama’ki – Cape Breton. The goal of this report is to provide a synthesis of the feedback collected during these community information sessions and to use this deeper understanding to inform the capacity building activities taking place in Phase 2 of the project.
Read Cape Breton Partnership's What We Heard Report here
Read Cape Breton Partnership's Community Engagement Survey Report here