Floods, wildfires, and extreme heat are becoming increasingly normal thanks to global heating — and their knock-on effects include the kinds of challenges community social services are well-equipped to handle, such as food and housing insecurity.
Indigenous resistance to fossil fuel projects may have cut Canadian and U.S. emissions by 25 to 50 percent, according to a recent study. Civil society also plays a role in climate adaptation and mitigation. Yet, at COP26, Indigenous and civil society leaders are being ignored.
Climate change is the largest existential threat to Canada (and the world), yet Canadian philanthropic contributions to fight climate change are miniscule. The climate threat will also affect the rest of the social impact sector’s goals, from fighting food insecurity to bridging digital divides.
Scientists tell us that humans have caused irreversible changes to the planet — but action can still be taken to reduce some of the worst effects of climate change. Knowing the very real impact of climate change on their future, youth entrepreneurs are creating innovative solutions to the climate crisis — which is why it’s vital that policy-makers empower youth to lead the way.
Climate change is an emergency. And experts say that humanity has a small window of opportunity to avoid the worst of it. That means that the next few years of Canada’s climate policy — and who shapes it, according to what values — urgently matter.
