UBC Okanagan’s participation in the Worldwide Teach-In on Climate and Justice has been a success and a testament to the collective dedication towards addressing the emerging need for climate/justice awareness and action.
The third UBCO Teach-In on Climate & Justice was comprised of welcoming remarks provided by Bill Cohen, PhD., Assistant Professor in the Okanagan School of Education and Indigenous scholar from the Okanagan Nation, along with three sessions aimed at deepening an understanding of the research underway at both UBC Okanagan and within the Kelowna community. Central to the event was an effort to highlight pressing issues at the intersection of climate and justice, which included the increasing risks of wildfires, challenges in waste management and the disproportionate exposure of marginalized communities to environmental hazards.
The first session featured an info-fair and networking opportunity to encourage connections and contemplative reflections aimed at driving climate and justice research and actions forward. Subsequently, the City of Kelowna and the UBCO Sustainability office delivered insightful presentations led by Leanne Bilodeau, Associate Director of Sustainability Operations, the Sustainability Office – Campus Planning and Chris Ray, Climate Action, and Environment Manager for the City of Kelowna. These presentations illustrated policy development and plan to tackle current and future problems and solutions for climate/justice.
The event concluded with dynamic table discussions, serving as a forum for Teach-In participants to strategize on the implementation of solutions concerning the action of climate knowledge on campus and in the community. This open discussion encouraged exploring climate/justice-related issues in justice, activities, agents of change and reflection. Across these areas, topics encompassed the increase of resilient infrastructure, climate emergency preparedness, Sylix sovereignty and Indigenous leadership support, and the transition to zero-carbon buildings and energy systems on campus.
The Teach-In concluded by offering participants of the event the next steps they could take to translate their gained insights into action. The CAP-E network invites the campus community to join their working group and to take the UBCO Climate Action Pledge.