Youth & Climate Action
Youth play a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future, and it is critical to empower their voices on the climate crisis and their participation in addressing climate change. Across B.C and the world, youth are spearheading climate movements, drawing attention to policy needs, and advocating for sustainable lifestyles and practices.
Youth across B.C have unique experiences of how climate change is impacting them and their communities. Countless are eager to share their personal stories about why they care about climate change and the actions they are taking to address the climate crisis. Fraser Basin Council’s My Climate Story project is a platform for youth from diverse backgrounds to shine a light on their innovative and hopeful solutions for climate change.
Many Indigenous youth have taken on leadership roles in the climate justice movement and in their communities. Preparing Our Home is a community-based resilience planning program that builds the capacity of Indigenous youth leaders in emergency management, disaster risk reduction, and climate change action. The program weaves together Traditional Knowledge, Indigenous Science and Western Science into youth training, workshops and exercises.
The following organizations provide opportunities for youth to get involved in taking climate action in their communities. Many of these engage youth on broader themes of sustainability. The opportunities listed are mostly in British Columbia & Canada. If you know of an organization within or outside of these locations doing great work, please reach out to us!
Fraser Basin Council Youth Program: Facilitates an annual initiative called Co-Creating a Sustainable BC, which engages youth across four regions of B.C in building community sustainability & resilience.
City Hive: Engages young people in shaping their cities and in civic processes.
Resilience by Design Lab: Works alongside youth and adults as change-makers and leaders to imagine new possibilities for climate action. Leveraging the power of the arts, storytelling, and social innovation, the Resilience by Design lab seeds partnerships and ideas for a more resilient future.
Climate Guides: A non-profit formed by youth, for youth. Their mission is to build climate leaders by creating and supporting opportunities for youth to engage in climate action within their communities.
Metro Vancouver Youth4Action: Supports high school youth in developing the skills and knowledge necessary to inspire sustainability and livability.
