Young people and seniors alike confused by language of N.W.T.’s draft climate plan

Ecology North submitting feedback to territory as part of its consultation process

Young people and seniors shared similar concerns about a draft version of the territory’s climate action plan at a recent feedback-gathering session in Yellowknife.

Ecology North and Seniors for Climate brought people from both demographics together at the Baker Centre on Thursday to collect their thoughts on the territory’s 44-page road map for the next four years.

There, the consensus seemed clear: the plan is frustrating and confusing.

For Nina Slagter, a Grade 11 student and member of the Green Team at Sir John Franklin High School, the issue was one of wording.

“The thing that really bothered me would probably be the use of their language and how kind of inaccessible or confusing their plan was,” she said. “The language they were using was very not-specific and hard to follow.”

‘Everything but the kitchen sink’

For Lois Little, who helped bring the Seniors for Climate movement to the city, the plan – despite its title – doesn’t contain a lot of action.

“There seems to be everything but the kitchen sink thrown into this climate action plan. And a lot of the actions are not about climate action – they’re about, you know, kind of continuing programs and services that already exist.”

The territory recently announced it had committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. It’s currently accepting feedback from the public until Wednesday on part of its plan for getting there – the draft 2025-2029 Climate Change Action Plan.

Ecology North is submitting feedback from Thursday’s event to the territorial government. Hannah Ascough, a public outreach project officer for the environmental group, said it had also received about 200 responses from students that it would be submitting as well.

Hopes young people will be heard 

Brandon Pryce, who works for the Yellowknife-based research support centre Hotıì ts’eeda’s and who was helping Ecology North facilitate the event, said language was something he heard a lot of attendees talking about.

Even so, those who came out to share their thoughts didn’t hold back.

“They’re offering a lot of different feedback and stuff, so it’s been pretty good,” Pryce said.

Lois Little hopes that the territorial government will listen to young people and come up with a plan that will slow down the changing climate.

“We have to get off fossil fuels, we have to move away really quickly, otherwise we’re not going to have a liveable planet,” she said.

Related stories from around the North: 

Canada: As Nunavik’s permafrost thaws, locals and researchers focus on adaptation, CBC News

Finland: Can climate adaptation be culturally sustainable in the Arctic?, Eye on the Arctic

Sweden: Climate adaptation funding cut in budget in Sweden, Radio Sweden