LATEST NEWS:
Climate rally: February 10th
All are invited to a climate rally on Friday, February 10, 2023, from 2:30 to 4:30 pm in support of a strong Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP). Parents, youth, grandparents, kids and professionals will meet in front of City Hall (12th Ave) to advocate for strong and urgent implementation of the CEAP. Council will receive an annual update on the CEAP on February 15, 2023. Kids and young people are encouraged to attend and will be invited to share their love for a healthy climate with a vibrant Valentine to Council.
After approving an ambitious, feasible and science-based Climate Emergency Action Plan in October 2020, successive decisions from Council on the CEAP’s implementation have raised concerns among the community about whether the City of Vancouver will deliver on its climate commitments and greenhouse gas reduction targets. The new Council will receive its first update on the CEAP’s record on February 15 and we want them to know we are watching Council’s next steps.
The rally is co-organized by:
Fridays for Our Future Vancouver
Parent playground meet-up for climate: Nov. 5th
Parent voices unite for climate
Check out this op-ed published Nov. 1 in the National Observer, featuring Jana MacDonald from the FOK Vancouver team!
Climate Leadership and Local Elections
Local governments have a big part to play in reducing GHG emissions and preparing for the existing impacts, and we need to know our next council is committed to taking real action to address the existential threat of global warming. Check out the election survey we've sent to all candidates, and the responses we're receiving.
Submission to Federal Government's Oil and Gas Emissions Reduction Consultation
As parents and grandparents, we strongly urge the government to heed the calls of the scientific
and international communities to commence the immediate wind down of the fossil fuel industry
and commence a Just Transition for all workers, with a focus on clean, renewable energy,
biodiversity, and food security, alongside social justice, equality, Indigenous rights and poverty
alleviation. It is possible to make this transition and imperative that it begin immediately.
Read the full text of our co-submission with For Our Kids Sunshine Coast.
CAPE BC’s Healthy Climate Solutions Fair
Thanks to all of you who visited us at the Fair! We are so grateful to have connected with so many climate-concerned parents and their kids! We learned so much from you!
And we know that by engaging in discussions on climate, we are already having an impact. We learned that research reveals that just talking about climate breaks down personal barriers to taking action. While many people are individually suffering from climate despair, sharing concerns with friends, family and neighbors has shown to increase acting on the crisis.
Our discussions at the fair were focused on our streets - public space currently designed to prioritize cars. Urban planning is a key driver not only of local, but global consumption rates and key to consumption reduction. As cars enable us to consume more, government and businesses also increase their consumption. So we know that changing the way we design our cities can have direct and significant impacts on emissions.
CHECK OUT OUR PAST ACTIONS:
Federal 2022 Pre-budget Consultation Submission- For Our Kids Vancouver and For Our Kids Sunshine Coast have jointly submitted a brief to the federal governments 2022 pre-budget consultations and have made a series of recommendations that will hold our government to their promise of building a clean and healthy future for our kids.
TALK: Why Real Climate Action Means Defunding the Police- Mother of three, BIPOC activist, journalist, and a social justice warrior, Molly Murphy joined us on February 10th to discuss her frontline experience with RCMP violence on unceded Indigenous lands in Pacheedaht, Dididaht and Wet’suwet’en territories. She shared her research into the secretive arm of BC's RCMP called "Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG)" with the mandate to protect government and corporate interests in resource extraction and energy projects through violent enforcement of court injunctions and criminalization of land defenders.
BC Natural Gas Royalties Review joint submission from For Our Kids Vancouver, For Our Kids Sunshine Coast and Parents 4 Climate Victoria. Through an independent assessment of the province's royalty scheme, we learned billions have gone to fossil fuel companies with little return to the province. Basically - BC's royalty scheme is a huge subsidy. Now, Minister of Energy Bruce Ralston is proposing to replace this system with one that seeks to spur economic development in natural gas, obtain a fair return and ignore climate.
Let's Talk Climate - A discussion on climate with with Vancouver Quadra Candidates Hon. Joyce Murray (Liberal) and Dr. Devyani Singh (Green) in the lead up to the 2021 Federal Election on Sunday September 5th at 11am.
Climate Emergency Action Plan - We raised our voices in support of the City of Vancouver's progressive Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP) and it was approved by Council in November.
BC Election Candidate Meetings on Climate - Meeting with candidates during an election is one way we are raising our climate concerns with all parties in this election.
BC Election Candidates Survey - Find out where your local candidates stand on climate issues.
Climate Strike 2020- Showing support for our youth by amplifying their demands in a public.
Thank You Card from The Future
In September we created a Thank You card written from the future, from 2050, thanking Members of Parliament for taking bold action on climate change in 2020 with a Green & Just Recovery Plan. With simple infographics, the card outlines the necessary pathways to building a safe and healthy climate for our kids.
Standing Committee on Finance Brief
In August we submitted a brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance's 2021 pre-budget consultations which was informed by recommendations gathered at the For Our Kids Green & Just Recovery Town Halls held in Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Surrey. The town halls were attended by both the federal and provincial Ministers of Environment and Climate Change- Jonathan Wilkinson MP and George Heyman MLA.
Green & Just Recovery Town Hall
At our Green & Just Recovery Town Hall we discussed ways to reimagine our communities and our economy in an effort to combat climate change as we recovery from the pandemic. Our discussion included all levels of government with Tsleil-Waututh Chief Leah George-Wilson, BC Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy George Heyman, federal Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan, and Vancouver City Councillor Christine Boyle, moderated by Andrea Reimer and Sustainabiliteens.
