Culture
In Vancouver, a Climate Program That's All About the Neighbors
Community events and a little friendly competition simplify the enormous task of slashing ecological footprints.
For all the work that goes into building climate action plans, cities often run up against one problem: Many well-meaning residents are stuck in the same old habits, unsure of how to make meaningful change.
In Vancouver, the solution is starting small. About two and a half years ago, some residents in the Riley Park neighborhood wanted to put the city’s Greenest City Action Plan to work in their community. With support from Evergreen and a grant from the city, they created the Green Bloc initiative and set an ambitious goal: to decrease the ecological footprint of participating households by 25 percent.