Muhammad Ahmad

My approach to climate action is pretty simple: environmental policy has to improve people’s lives. That means connecting climate action with affordability, public health and the everyday challenges people face.

As a mayoral candidate, I have put forward plans to plant 50,000 trees, expand rooftop greenery, strengthen neighbourhood resilience and make public transit more accessible and affordable. I have also taken part in climate-focused community events and spoken directly with advocates about what a healthier, climate-safe Vancouver should look like.

Our platform supports housing near transit, energy-efficient public buildings, stronger tree cover, community food security and infrastructure that can handle extreme heat, flooding, wildfire smoke and severe storms. Climate policy also has to include renters, seniors, low-income residents, newcomers, Indigenous communities and people without stable housing.

Climate action should be something people can actually see and feel. Cleaner air, cooler homes, lower energy bills, safer streets, better transit, more trees and public spaces that keep people safe during extreme weather. We cannot treat climate action as a list of distant targets. It needs to become practical protection at the neighbourhood level.

I support moving new buildings toward clean electrification and away from long-term dependence on fossil gas. New construction should prioritize efficient electric heat pumps, modern ventilation, air filtration and cooling systems that reduce emissions while also protecting people during heat waves and wildfire smoke.

The transition still has to be practical and affordable. City policy should not simply add costs that get passed on to renters, homeowners, small businesses or nonprofit housing providers. Vancouver should pair stronger building standards with incentives, technical support, workforce training and support for affordable housing.

I would support limited exemptions where they are technically necessary, particularly for emergency resilience, essential services or situations where a safe and reliable electric alternative is not yet available. Those exemptions should be transparent and reviewed regularly.

The goal is to stop locking new buildings into outdated fossil fuel systems while making sure the transition gives people reliable, comfortable and affordable homes.

Yes. I would vote to restore full funding for the Sustainability Office, with clear objectives, public reporting and measurable results.

Its role should be about more than producing plans. The office should coordinate climate action across housing, transportation, engineering, parks, emergency management, procurement and land-use decisions. It should track emissions and climate risks, pursue funding from senior governments, support community-led initiatives and make sure major City decisions consider both environmental and equity impacts.

The office should also help Vancouver prepare for extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding, storms and other climate emergencies. That work needs to focus on the neighbourhoods and people facing the greatest risks, including seniors, renters, low-income households, Indigenous residents, people with disabilities and unhoused residents.

Residents deserve to know what was promised, what was delivered, what emissions were reduced and how public money was spent. A properly funded Sustainability Office should be responsible for turning climate plans into action and making sure the City is accountable for the results.

I do not support large scale AI data centres in Vancouver. We are already dealing with a shortage of housing, pressure on our infrastructure and rising costs for families. I do not think it makes sense to use some of our most valuable land, electricity and water for facilities that provide relatively few permanent jobs.

Vancouver’s resources should come first for the people who live here. That means housing, hospitals, transit, small businesses and the services people rely on every day.

I support a moratorium on new large scale AI data centres until the City has clear rules around electricity and water use, emissions, noise, land use and the impact on our infrastructure. If a company wants to build here, it should have to show exactly what resources it will use and what Vancouver gets in return.

At the same time, I want Vancouver residents to benefit from the growth of technology. That means investing in training and skills, including through organizations like Arora Skill Academy, so young people and newcomers have a real opportunity to build careers in technology and the skilled trades.

AI should work for people. Vancouver should not give up housing, resources or infrastructure just to make it easier for large technology companies to operate here.

Vancouver needs to accommodate growth, but growth needs to come with infrastructure, affordability and public trust. We should build more homes near reliable transit, schools, shops, parks and employment while protecting mature trees, expanding green space and preparing neighbourhoods for extreme heat, flooding and wildfire smoke.

I support well-planned density, including missing-middle housing, cooperatives, purpose-built rentals, nonprofit housing and family-sized homes. Density should not mean replacing affordable homes with smaller, more expensive units or allowing land speculation to determine the future of our city.

Infrastructure needs to be part of the conversation from the beginning. That means transit, sewers, water systems, childcare, schools, community facilities, accessible public spaces, tree canopy and emergency services.

Residents also need a meaningful say in how their neighbourhoods change. Consultation should be genuine and accessible, but it cannot become a permanent veto on new housing. We do not have to choose between growth and climate action. Well-planned, complete communities can help us address both.

Vancouver should establish strong protections for renters during extreme heat, expand heat pump and air filtration incentives, and require climate-resilient standards in new housing. The City should also have accessible cooling and clean-air spaces across neighbourhoods, extend their hours during emergencies, provide free water and communicate warnings in multiple languages.

For unhoused residents, these protections need to work where people actually are. That means street outreach, transportation to safe indoor spaces, cooling and warming facilities that can accommodate belongings and pets, public washrooms, drinking water stations, shade structures, smoke protection and non-police wellness checks. During dangerous weather, responses to encampments should never separate people from the equipment and belongings they rely on to survive.

We should map neighbourhood-level vulnerability and prioritize seniors, children, people with disabilities, low-income renters and communities with less tree cover. We also need to keep expanding supportive and deeply affordable housing because the strongest climate protection is a safe and stable home.