Canadian municipalities have worked hard to respond to climate change over the past 15 years, and policies are now included in most comprehensive municipal plans. In the face of increasingly disruptive climate change-related events, more than 500 municipalities across Canada have declared climate emergencies – but the bigger question remains: are they delivering or able to deliver change? Municipal knowledge of sustainable and climate-conscious land use policymaking is extensive. Less extensive is their ability to implement those policies on the ground. Many municipalities have created community energy plans, but few have been implemented, let alone integrated into planning policies and practice. This presentation will reflect our experience with Simcoe County and other municipalities in the Greater Golden Horseshoe as they work to comply with recent provincial climate change policy requirements. It will highlight the challenges for urban and rural communities seeking to create actionable policy at the local level. The session will also cover best practices and lessons from current scholarship and project experience on implementation strategies.