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Richmond Secondary School’s Green Team spoke with Richmond Centre MP Wilson Miao recently about the Just Transition initiative.

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Teens take action for tomorrow’s world

By Hannah Scott

Published 2:15 PDT, Fri July 8, 2022

Last Updated: 4:20 PDT, Fri July 8, 2022

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Members of Richmond Secondary School’s Green Team are demonstrating their commitment to the environment via the Just Transition initiative.

The goal of the initiative is to take action against the climate crisis by decarbonizing the economy, winding down the fossil fuel sector, and improving the wages and working conditions of those already doing low-carbon work.

Student Theresa Wang, a member of the Green Team, brought the initiative forward. With the help of co-presidents Serena Chin and Harry Peng, as well as teacher sponsor Eugene Harrison, the group contacted Richmond Centre MP Wilson Miao and hosted him at their school to discuss the initiative and ask him to table a petition.

“I saw it when the Council of Canadians was having a mass gathering online, sort of a call to action,” says Wang. “They discussed what they were planning for a day of action when everyone was going to get their MPs to table a petition, organize a lot of mini-petitions across Canada, and bring attention to this.”

After months of researching and planning, as well as creating a petition and bringing it around to different classes at their school, the Green Team was able to meet with Miao.

“The project is political in nature, (so) when getting MPs to come to the school we had to think about the fact that they belonged to a certain party,” says Chin. “We couldn’t go from class to class to put up posters, we could only talk to the teachers we actually had and ask if they were comfortable with us talking about this.”

In the end, the team got a positive response and lots of signatures. And the event was well-attended, attracting members of the Garden City Conservation Society as well as students and teachers at Richmond secondary.

“What we would really like to see is a clear-cut set of goals that outlines reducing carbon emissions, subsidizing clean energy, and (reducing) fossil fuels one step at a time; addressing workers’ issues and creating just, fair, and equitable jobs for workers; and protecting Indigenous communities, respecting that we’re uninvited guests on other people’s land and treating the land fairly,” says Chin.

When asked by the Green Team, Miao said he was open to speaking about the initiative and tabling a petition in the House of Commons. Steveston–Richmond East MP Parm Bains, who was not at the event but was contacted separately, also said he would speak about it.

While the Green Team members appreciate the support, they want to see action to follow those conversations.

“We wanted to make sure we came off in a way that was really respectful and professional, but (made it clear) what we wanted,” says Chin. “The next step is to wait and see if (Miao) does choose to table this and speak about it. We have a verbal commitment and are following up with him about this.”

The Green Team’s intention was to have something completed before Parliament adjourned for the summer, which happened in late June. If things are not wrapped up, the team will continue working into next year.

Wang and Chin acknowledge that their age—Wang is in Grade 9 and Chin in Grade 10—makes it challenging to be listened to.

“As youth it’s a little bit hard for us to be taken seriously, especially in more formal or professional contexts,” says Chin. “It’s really important for us to take action—youth do have a lot of power and can group together and band together when we need to.”

Wang says it’s crucial for youth to take a stand, given they will be the ones in positions of power in the future.

“I think it’s really important for us to establish our own opinions, what we believe we need to do and what we need to change in the world and build a better world,” says Wang.

“I was quite surprised that a lot of adults were willing to listen, (although) maybe sometimes they’re not as willing to put it into action. (There are) a lot of people out there who are willing to listen to what youth think. Hope is not all lost, I think we can definitely still create a better world for the future.”