Community Engaged Climate Research Idea Jam Summary Report

There is a lot of climate research and advocacy happening at SFU, UBC and beyond . There are also many community organizations, groups, and individuals doing important climate work in their communities . There are even more groups and individuals that want to do climate work but don’t know where to start or don’t have the time/ resources/capacity to start .

The purpose of this event was to find out where the opportunities for collaboration are and what visions exist for a research shop focused on climate justice issues. We learned from this event, and from our Symposium in Fall 2022, that this community of practice is vibrant, growing, and has a desire to come together in collaboration and co-design with broader communities. We also felt a strong urgency toward action. People want to act now and so we see it as incumbent upon researchers and universities to find compelling ways to engage communities in tangible projects and activities that respond to community needs and leverage the enormous latent energy present for climate action.