go-beyond.cagoBEYOND Campus Climate Network

Youth-Driven Climate Action in British Columbia

Sarah Stoner, Project Manager

Master Candidate, University of Victoria

Alexandre Vigneault, Volunteer

PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia - Vancouver

AASHE 2010 Conference, Colorado, October 10-12th

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The goBEYOND Campus Climate Network isgenerously funded by the Vancouver Foundation and BC Hydro

The Challenge

• Pine Beetle epidemics across British Columbia (BC)

• 16.3 million hectares affected, equivalent to 60% of the state of Colorado

• 100-year storms in Vancouver• Salmon populations threatened by

abnormal warm water

Pine Beetle Epidemics: image courtesy of www.unbc.ca

Climate Change is already affecting us

100 years storm, Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC

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By 2050, the majority of today’s students will be preparing for retirement

BC Students attend the National Sustainable Campuses Conference

By 2050, leading climate scientists tell us that we must be living in a world that is approaching carbon-neutrality

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• In this climate of urgency:– In July 2007, 14 students from 5 universities in BC came

together to figure out how to collaborate: Birth of the BC Campus Climate Network;

– In 2008, there was significant provincial government leadership on climate change: introduction of Bill 44 that mandated public sector institutions to go carbon neutral by 2010; carbon tax on all fossil fuel;

– Spring 2008, the Sierra Youth Coalition, UBC Sustainability Office and Common Energy partnered to create the goBEYOND project;

– Spring 2010: goBEYOND Campus Climate Network was registered as a non-for-profit society.

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The goBEYOND Campus Climate Network isgenerously funded by the Vancouver Foundation and BC Hydro

goBEYOND aims to

educate, inspire,

engage, and support

today’s youth to take climate action on their campuses.

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Educate EngageInspire Support

Don’t Know Don’t ActDon’t Care Know, Care and Act

Stu

dent

Pop

ulat

ion

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• In just three years, goBEYOND has reached over 150,000 students across BC;

• We are currently active on 12 campuses across the province of British Columbia;

• 8 part-time staff

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The goBEYOND Campus Climate Network isgenerously funded by the Vancouver Foundation and BC Hydro

The 5 pillars of goBEYOND:

Planning

Challenges

Education &

International

Training

Ray facilitates a communications workshop, August 2008

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Planning PillarCreating space for youth to lead their institutions in collaboratively

planning a low-carbon future.

The UVic community engages in Common Energy’s climate change planning process

•Bring campuses beyond climate neutral: using capacity of universities to go beyond GHG accounting, but create and test solutions to solve climate change.

•Collaborative plans produced at U. of Victoria by Common Energy

• Initiate the collaborative planning at UBC-Vancouver, that lead to Climate Action Plan in 2009

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Challenges PillarOffering easily adaptable projects for campus organizations that would

like to directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while engaging their community

• goBEYOND Personal Challenge

• Over 3,000 students have signed up to take steps in their own lives to reduce their carbon footprints

• Residence Energy Challenges

• Six campuses in BC will be participating in energy reductions challenges this school year

• BC Hydro Invent the FutureA TRU student commits to making climate-conscious lifestyle changes

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Education PillarWorking to establish curriculum that is engaging, community-oriented,

and creates regional climate change solutions in all spheres

• Three Province-wide Teach-In : 20 min class discussion linking climate change issues and the field of study of the participants;

• In 2010, the Teach-In took place in Ontario and Kenya as well;

• In 2010, we had the first Sustainability Education Across the Province Workshop: for faculty to enhance their curriculum with sustainability materials

Jeh challenges students to envision a sustainable campus at the SYC national conference.

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Training Pillar Increasing the ability of students and youth organizations by providing

relevant skills training, accessible toolkits, and mentorship

Participants at the goBeyond Youth Action Gathering, August 2008

•Youth Action Gathering: Week long training with high school and university students

•Regional Sustainable Campuses Conference

The goBEYOND Campus Climate Network isgenerously funded by the Vancouver Foundation,

BC Hydro and many others

Contact Information:

Emails:Sarah Stoner, Project Manager: sarah@campusclimatenetwork.orgAlexandre Vigneault, volunteer: alexandrev@chbe.ubc.caWeb: http://www.go-beyond.ca/