Abhi Mishra, co-founder of Mosa Technologies, has over the past two years played a key role in diverting more than 40,000 glass bottles from waste bins, instead converting them into beautifully upcycled glasses, platters and candles.

Lauretta Pearse is depolarizing Canada’s energy conversation. As a Fellow at Alberta’s Energy Futures Lab (EFL), she is part of a diverse group searching to understand people’s perspectives on how best to arrive at the low-carbon future most want. She is Canada’s Clean50 Emerging Leader winner.

Sasha Emery brings climate conversations to young francophones. This 22-year-old from Yukon and her Franco-Manitoban friend, Anne-Sophie Règnier, produce the Conversations Climatiques podcast.

Ginger Boehme-Vertefeuille invites us to get close to raptors. This 19-year-old from Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, spends her summers educating visitors at Vancouver Island’s The Raptors. 

Juliana Janot wants all post-secondary students to understand climate change. This 20-year-old University of British Columbia student co-founded ‘Climate Education for All’ to make sure every student is educated about the causes and impacts of the climate crisis and its solutions.

Emma Rae Lierley helps communities stop deforestation. As senior communications manager for the forests program at the Rainforest Action Network, this Vancouverite amplifies the voices of communities all over the world contending with corporations destroying their forest homes.

When Parker saw the environmental damage along the North Thompson River, she stepped up. What began as a high school capstone project evolved into a youth-led riverbank restoration effort focused on native plants and sustainable solutions. In this interview, Parker discusses her journey as a 2023 YCAA winner and how youth-led climate action can spark real change — even in the face of uncertainty.

When Sophia saw how transportation barriers were limiting youth access to school, work, and community, she decided to act. What started as a local campaign for free youth bus passes in Regina grew into a multi-year movement that engaged thousands — and sparked policy change.

Ulwiana Mehta-Malhotra keeps clothing out of landfills and helps students stay hopeful. This 18-year-old from North Vancouver inspires highschool students to trade fast fashion for thrift shops and clothes swaps.

Liam Sisson wants to teach you about bees. This 19-year-old University of British Columbia science student from Kelowna, B.C., spends his summers keeping bees and hosting guided beekeeping tours for visitors.

Graeme Hopkins is passionate about immersing young people in nature. This 20-year-old from Saskatchewan takes groups of youth, aged 13 to 18, into wild spaces in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Alexandra Chow encourages students to collaborate, so they increase their impact on the climate crisis. This 18-year-old from Vancouver was a 2024 winner of The I-SEA Youth Climate Activism Award for bringing together high school students from seven Vancouver schools.

Karishma Porwal uses her influence with millions of TikTok and Instagram users to link their day-to-day concerns to the climate crisis.

Sonia Vinogradova is helping small farmers gain more energy independence. This 25-year-old woman from Montreal and her business partner, Joe Workentin, broke new ground, persuading regulators to allow solar panels on the BeetBox Co-op Farm’s barn.

Abbey Piazza understands the future. This 29-year-old knows that the climate crisis needs everyone, and everyone who works on climate change will carry eco-anxiety and grief for the rest of their lives. Her passion is to help them become more resilient.

Ankur Patel, a 21-year-old nursing student from Terrace, British Columbia, is helping nurses see care for the planet as care for people.

In 2017, Summer Sharma started a coffee shop at Okanagan Mission Secondary School with Lauren Moody, Skye Noh and Angelica Phelan. They wanted to raise awareness among their fellow students about the difference collective action can make in achieving social and climate justice.

Ella Bradford uses student climate strikes to raise awareness in Yukon. This 18-year-old student is a recipient of the I-SEA 2024 Youth Climate Activism Award for her high school leadership of the “Fridays for Future Yukon” student movement.

Enya Fang rallies support for people impacted by climate-related catastrophes. This 16-year-old, Grade 12 student at Southridge School in Surrey, B.C., won a 2024 Youth Climate Activism Award from I-SEA Canada for raising awareness and over $10,000 since setting up the not-for-profit Evergreen Collective in 2021.

Luiza Salek is using art to help high school teachers provide a platform for students to express their feelings about the climate crisis, as part of the first UBC Climate Studies and Action cohort.