Climate Justice Action Research Team

The GVAT Climate Justice Action Research Team (CJ ART) works to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas pollution while enhancing social justice in Greater Victoria and beyond. We recognize that the climate and biodiversity crisis can best be tackled by advancing climate action that creates a more equal world and healthier communities, and respects Indigenous rights.

See GVAT Climate Justice blog posts for updates on our campaigns!

Our sub-committees include:

  • Forestry – Our work for a green new deal for forestry workers and communities focuses on protecting the remaining old growth and transitioning to restorative forestry on southern Vancouver Island.

  • Transportation & Built Environment – We work to transform the transportation system and built environment (buildings and public space) to reduce the greenhouse gas pollution that threatens our whole society and make a healthier, more inclusive and more affordable region. 

  • Food & Agriculture—We work to shape food and agriculture systems that are climate friendly (low GHG emissions, carbon storage), climate change resilient, and just (food security, Indigenous access to traditional foods, equitable treatment of farm workers).

Besides the work carried out in our subcommittees, we also have work carried out by our entire team. Past work includes:

  •  Successfully campaigning for GVAT to endorse Vote 16

  •  Successfully campaigning for GVAT to sign the Open Letter from the Climate Emergency Campaign

 We are currently running a project called Climate Conversations where we hold structured discussion about Climate Justice with different GVAT Member Organisations.

We are always looking for volunteers to help with our work. We particularly appreciate volunteers who are also active in a GVAT Member Organisation. If you are interested in getting involved, please send us a message.

Campaigns

  • Transportation and Built Environment

    We are working on transforming the transportation system and built environment in the CRD to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and to develop a healthier, more inclusive and more affordable region.

    Campaign

  • Forestry

    We are working on protecting the remaining old growth forests and transitioning to restorative forestry on southern Vancouver Island.
    We currently have two ongoing forestry campaigns: Tuesdays for Trees and Letter Writing.

    Campaign

  • Food and Agriculture

    We are working on food and agriculture in the CRD with a focus on the relationship between food systems and climate justice. We are campaigning in support of the proposed CRD Foodlands Access Program and lobbying to ensure that it fulfills our goals.

    Campaign

 Climate Justice Action Research Team

Co-Leads

Eric Doherty

Climate ART Co-Lead

Eric Doherty is a transportation planner and an active member of GVAT member organization Climate Justice Victoria. In his consulting business, Ecopath Planning, Eric specializes in improving community health and livability, as well as reducing climate pollution. Some of Eric’s writing on transportation and climate justice is published in the National Observer and Georgia Straight.

Jane Welton

Climate ART Co-Lead

Jane Welton had the good fortune to be born in BC, the most biodiverse province in Canada, into an outdoorsy family. Her favourite form of activism is through music. She has sung with Aya, Musaic and Resistance Rising, groups formed to sing the world into change. Jane has worked for women’s rights, peace, the environment, labor rights, indigenous rights, LGBTQ2S+ rights and more. She is grateful for the vision of people like Naomi Klein who have woven all these different issues together as climate justice.