Mitigating and adapting to climate change are challenges that municipal governments are increasingly asked to deal with. They're also subjects that came up again and again when CBC asked Edmontonians about what issues are important to them ahead of the upcoming municipal election.

So, what do these concepts mean in a changing world? And how might municipalities rise to the challenge?

We spoke to Neal LaMontagne, a lecturer at the University of Alberta who specializes in Earth and atmospheric sciences, and Sandeep Agrawal, a professor who also specializes in Earth and atmospheric sciences and serves as the director of the Alberta Land Institute at the University of Alberta, to get their perspectives.

Climate mitigation and adaptation are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are distinct terms.

"There's two ways to respond to climate change; one is mitigation, which is to reduce our impact, which really means reducing our energy intensity. And we can do that through how we move and how we build things," LaMontagne told CBC News in an interview.

"Adaptation is responding to a changing climate and making sure that we can manage shocks and stresses. ... So that's adapting to a changing climate, whereas mitigating is reducing our impact."

Addressing how citizens get around and how cities build their facilities are issues for city councils when considering how to address climate change.

"The more that we don't have to drive long distances ... whether that's having shorter commutes, or more active mobility, or more transit, that really helps our transportation," LaMontagne said.

"Even things such as goods distribution in cities. Can we have sub-facilities so that the heavy trucking goes to the edge of town and we use maybe less energy intensity to deliver to the rest of the city?"

Transportation has a major impact on emissions in a city, LaMontagne said, but the other key high-intensity issue cities can address is how to heat and cool buildings.

He said public buildings need to serve more than just their originally intended purpose these days. Libraries, for instance, also function as cooling and warming centres, depending on the season. Buildings like rec centres need good HVAC systems to be able to keep people safe from wildfire smoke or bad air quality.

But in this conundrum lies opportunity, LaMontagne said.

"Because there are buildings of scale, ... we can push the local design community, because the buildings are big enough to figure out creative ways to deal with these issues," he said.

"They can then use the learning and all the training of trades on all the other buildings, so they have a magnifier effect. So it can be very effective."

Agrawal said the city could consider more green roofs on its industrial buildings, or swapping out materials like concrete and asphalt for greener options.

"[Cities] should care, because science now tells us that climate change is not a future threat, but actually it is now a reality," Agrawal said. "It is a clear and present danger in many ways.

"Rising temperature, declining precipitation, air quality that is worsening -- all of them are affecting Edmontonians and city council needs to pay attention to that."

Agrawal pointed to changes to the city's zoning bylaw and the city's density goals as steps in the right direction.

Climate change can affect not only city infrastructure, but human beings as well.

"We had some time at points in summer months in Edmonton where it is unbearable," Agrawal said. "The temperature is rising all the way up to like 37 C [or] 38 C.

"We call ourselves a winter city but I would argue that we are no longer a winter city. What we are seeing is the two very extremes of temperature happening, from 40 C at times, to -40 C."

The short answer is: yes.

LaMontagne said Edmonton's climate policy is fairly robust, but there are always improvements to be made.

"So a lot of climate action from a policy side is focused to me on things behind the scenes, right?" he said. "Little things like making sure that buildings are solar ready, making sure that parking areas have the ability to accommodate EVs.

"They will make a big impact, but ... [cities are] not asking anything of us and that's fair. So then the question is, should they ask more of us?"

Cities thinking big when it comes to addressing climate change is something the experts CBC News spoke to said is admirable, but not always possible because of limitations on the powers a city has. Building codes, for instance, are a provincial matter, and most of the city is built by the private sector, LaMontagne said.

"Should [projects] be catalysts for more sustainable types of development to show the way?" he asked.

"We know globally that areas that are designed from a more ecological perspective are wonderful places to be. ... So that's a space I think the city can build a more compelling, more positive set of options."