Climate Emergency Preparedness

Goal:

Residents are prepared for and well supported during extreme climate events such as heavy rainfalls, windstorms, wildfires and extreme heat. Through expanded resources, infrastructure, and proactive communication, residents feel safe and protected in their communities. Community-led social connectedness programs have strengthened ties between neighbours, creating a more resilient community network.

Targets

By 2030, at least 50% of homes have active, low carbon cooling, reaching 100% before 2050.

  • Supported by a passive-first approach to provide thermal comfort for new buildings and a plan to facilitate accelerated cooling upgrades in existing buildings.

Climate Emergency Preparedness

Highlights of Progress to Date

  • UBC Alert delivers emergency communications to campus stakeholders, including UNA members. Weather related alerts have been included since 2022. This system is a vital tool to support information sharing during climate emergency events.
  • UBC and the UNA collaborate on a variety of community programs and services, including the Inspiring Community Grants program, which aims to create social connection opportunities for the community.
  • The UNA offers numerous supports for newcomers to the community including, social support programs, support services and groups, and English conversation and grammar programs.

Action Highlights

🟩 high impact mitigation   🟦 high impact adaptation

Selected key actions are summarized below. To see the full detailed list of actions, please refer to the NCAP action matrix located in the Documents and Resources page.

  • Support the UNA to develop educational tools and resources (e.g. maps, handouts, signage, web content) and programming (e.g. workshops, informational events) for residents to help prepare for climate emergency events supported by research collaborations with UBC’s academic community.🟦
  • Continue to partner with the UNA to build programming that supports community connection and awareness
  • Develop comprehensive emergency response plan for local wildfire events.🟦
  • Support the UNA to expand cooling centres in the neighbourhoods.🟦
    • For example, facilitate partnerships and identify funding to support UNA in developing a demonstration project to retrofit Old Barn Community Centre HVAC systems to decarbonize and add cooling and other resilience measures such as air filtration.
  • Continue ongoing development of climate emergency response alongside UNA.

Actions in this scope area will also help deliver the following co-benefits:

  • Affordability: reducing the costs associated with taking climate action
  • Community Connection: supporting opportunities for community interaction and connection
  • Health & Wellbeing: improving health and wellbeing conditions for community members
  • Access for All: making it easier for everyone to access spaces, information, processes, or programs
  • Academic Connection: providing opportunity for research connections with UBC’s academic community

Actions You Can Take

  • Build better connections with neighbours to enable community-led support in emergencies.
  • Prepare for extreme weather events by accessing resources, preparing emergency kits, and planning how to respond to different climate emergency events.

Equity Considerations

  • Communication barriers are a significant risk factor during heat and other climate events. Materials need to be prepared considering these differences and delivered through a variety of mediums to reach a more diverse group of community members.
  • Consider targeted communication materials to support groups disproportionately at risk from climate events (e.g. people on certain medications are less tolerant to heat).
  • Consider needs of different demographics (e.g. immunocompromised, seniors, youth, BIPOC, primary language, tenants).

📓 Learn More!

Social Connection for Climate Action

Isolation is one of the biggest risk factors during climate emergency events. For example, during British Columbia’s 2021 heat dome event, of those who died lived alone. Knowing who your neighbours are and who’s vulnerable will help community members better protect themselves and others. NCAP is supporting proactive actions to increase connections between community members to help everyone prepare together for extreme climate events. Beyond emergency preparedness, increasing social connection will contribute to improved wellbeing and happiness among neighbourhood residents.

Multi-unit housing, as is implemented in UBC’s residential neighbourhoods, can offer unique opportunities to increase social connection through neighbourhood design that includes:

  • walkable streets that allow people to meet their daily needs close to home;
    • diverse housing options (e.g. mix of lower-rise and taller buildings) to meet different preferences, and;
  • buildings with features that increase opportunities for social connection (e.g. such as elevator nooks, street level balconies, and shared terraces)

Additional Reading

Explore More
UNA Public Safety in the Neighbourhoods
Familiarize yourself with what to do in an emergency situation.
https://www.myuna.ca/public-safety/
UBC's Climate Emergency Response
The climate emergency is here, and UBC is committed to bringing our community together to confront this crisis.
https://climateemergency.ubc.ca/
UBC Safe Vancouver app
This multi-function app allows you to receive important safety push notifications, safety information, contacts, maps and procedures.
https://srs.ubc.ca/health-safety/ubc-safe-vancouver-app/