February 2024

Youth around the world are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change as future generations will experience increasingly severe climate events such as wildfires, droughts, floods and sea level rise. A recent study in the Journal of Climate Change and Health found that young Canadians ages 16-25 are experiencing higher levels of anxiety and grief and 78% reported that climate change impacts their overall mental health. Despite this, many youth are taking action and offering a hopeful voice for the future with grassroots movements and involvement in policy.

Supporting youth-led climate action is an opportunity to amplify concerns and ensure youth voices are part of climate conversations shaping the future we want. In Vancouver, youth climate activities and organizations such as UBC Climate Hub, Environmental Youth Alliance, Youth Climate Corps and CityHive play a key role in raising awareness, building solutions and engaging communities for both mitigation and adaptation work.

YOUR TURN

Here are some ways you can support local youth-led climate action:

• The Climate Friendly Homes Program is a free service run by the Youth Climate Corps that provides education and support to reduce household carbon pollution. Residents of Hastings-Sunrise can currently register here for a home visit from the Climate Action Technicians team.
• CityHive’s Youth Climate Innovation Lab is now accepting applications from youth ages 18-30 until February 25. This next cohort will focus on what’s next for climate action and how to keep the momentum going.
• Check out UBC Climate Emergency Week for in-person events discussing climate doom, resilience, decolonization and climate justice on February 15, 16 and 27.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY, ADAPTATION

While taking bold action to reduce carbon pollution is more important than ever, accelerating climate change impacts also make climate adaptation a necessity. The first of its kind in Canada, Vancouver’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (CCAS) was adopted in 2012, and last updated in 2018. The CCAS aims to prepare Vancouver for the impacts of climate change and create a more equitable and resilient city.

The 2018-2023 CCAS had many achievements, including:

• Increased access to cooling centres and clean air spaces during extreme heat and poor air quality events, with 28 cooling centres, 26 misting stations and 14 spray parks available to the public in 2023.
• Expanded tree canopy in neighbourhoods disproportionately impacted by urban heat island effect, including the creation of 58 tree pits in the Downtown Eastside between 2022-2023.
• Added 76 green rainwater infrastructure projects across the city.
• Completed the award-winning Sea2City Design Challenge to rethink the future of the False Creek shoreline in the face of rising sea levels.

The stewardship of areas like Stanley Park contribute to local, regional and global climate action efforts. As a large urban park, Stanley Park provides benefits of carbon sequestration, heat reduction, flood management and beautiful scenery for Vancouver residents and visitors to enjoy.

Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) helps to care for roughly 405 hectares of vital forest, wetland, and intertidal ecosystems that support over 500 species of wildlife in Vancouver. Their work is made possible through thousands of volunteer and participant opportunities in invasive species removal, habitat conservation, wildlife monitoring, and environmental education.

Invasive species pose a major climate change threat by weakening ecosystems' resilience to disturbances as well as being the second leading threat to biodiversity. In 2023, SPES removed over 57 dump trucks worth of invasive plant species and helped to restore previously disturbed Park habitat by planting 1849 native plants. Last year SPES also educated more than 5,000 students and park visitors about ecological concepts including invasive species. 

YOUR TURN

SPES is leading spring break and summer EcoCamps to give youth ages 6-12 the opportunity to explore Stanley Park and different ecological themes while engaging in exciting activities and building connections with other participants. Register here for spring break camps, and here for summer camps.

Volunteer for the Dedicated Invasive Removal Team (DIRT) to learn best practices in invasive species management while lending a hand to protect the ecosystems of Stanley Park.

SUPPORTING: ADAPTATION

Do you have items that need repairing or materials like light bulbs and batteries that aren’t accepted by our residential recycling program? Our reuse and recycling drop-off events and repair cafes can help extend the lifespan of some of our items and divert others from landfill.

There are many reasons to attend and volunteer for repair café events including:

• Saving money
• Keeping sentimental items in good working condition
• Fixing irreplaceable items or items that are no longer made
• Getting involved in your community

YOUR TURN

Register for the first repair café of the year at Hastings Community Centre on February 17 and bring accepted items you no longer need to our drop-off event at John Hendry Park on February 24. If you are interested in volunteering at a repair café, please click here to register.

SUPPORTING: ZERO WASTE 2040