Niknaz Alemi
Park Board · Vancouver
waterfront 5 yrs
About
I am a climate change professional and researcher with a background in economics and environmental policy. I care deeply about peace and justice from both social and environmental perspectives, and about protecting people, animals and nature.
Policy commitments
Buildings
We all want healthy, affordable, and comfortable homes. These policies will help to lower energy bills, cut pollution, and improve indoor air quality.
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Support electrification of new buildings.
Supportive
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Incentivize electric heat pumps and air filtration systems.
Supportive
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Scale up energy retrofits for existing homes, businesses, and public buildings.
Supportive
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Implement a 'right to cool' bylaw to protect tenants during extreme heat events.
Supportive
Climate Justice
Our community is already experiencing the harmful impacts of climate change caused by fossil fuel pollution, and taxpayers are on the hook to upgrade and repair critical infrastructure.
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Pursue available legal options to recover a fair share of the climate costs facing our community from fossil fuel companies and other big polluters.
Supportive
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Collaborate with Indigenous peoples as partners in the stewardship of the land, air, and water, and work towards reconciliation.
Supportive
Ecosystems
The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat all rely on healthy ecosystems. Nature can also help protect our community from extreme weather by controlling floods, protecting shorelines, and cooling neighbourhoods. Access to nature improves the health and well-being of residents, and supports biodiversity.
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Expand and protect tree canopy, parks, and green infrastructure to cool neighbourhoods, clean air, and manage stormwater.
Supportive
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Prioritize native tree planting in all areas, especially those with low tree cover, higher population densities, and more vulnerable residents.
Supportive
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Create connected urban greenways for people and wildlife.
Supportive
Land Use
We envision vibrant, walkable communities that protect nature and improve food security.
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Build affordable homes near jobs, schools, shops, and transit.
Supportive
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Upgrade critical infrastructure for heat, fire, flood, and storm resilience.
Supportive
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Increase food security by supporting local agriculture and community gardens.
Supportive
Transport
Connecting neighbourhoods through public transit and active transportation networks will cut pollution, improve public health, and make our communities more affordable (and fun!).
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Deliver reliable, frequent, affordable local transit.
Supportive
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Advocate to improve regional public transit between communities.
Supportive
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Build bike and roll networks that are safe for everyone.
Supportive
Zero Waste
Zero waste policies reduce pollution, keep waste out of landfills, build resilient local economies, and safeguard public health by shifting society away from a disposable culture toward a sustainable circular economy.
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Support the development of a circular economy to eliminate waste and improve resilience.
Supportive
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Implement bylaws to eliminate waste from new buildings, renovation, and demolition projects and to use existing buildings as efficiently as possible.
Supportive
✓ Supportive
~ Neutral
× Opposed
– No response
Climate action
How have you contributed to climate action in your community through advocacy, past work, advisory committees, volunteer work, and/or reducing your personal carbon footprint?
Climate action has been central to my academic, professional and personal life. I have a Master's degree focused on Climate Change and have worked with communities on climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture, including in northern Ghana. I also co founded a vintage clothing business focused on circular fashion and have worked in climate research, communication and education.
Personally, I don't eat meat, avoid fast fashion, buy second hand whenever possible, and limit driving, using an electric vehicle when I do drive. I believe individual action matters, but meaningful climate action also requires larger policy and systemic change.
Personally, I don't eat meat, avoid fast fashion, buy second hand whenever possible, and limit driving, using an electric vehicle when I do drive. I believe individual action matters, but meaningful climate action also requires larger policy and systemic change.
Questions for Vancouver
What is your position on gas hookups for new buildings?
I support moving away from gas hookups in new buildings and toward clean electrification. Buildings are one of Vancouver's largest sources of emissions, and continuing to build new fossil fuel infrastructure creates emissions and future retrofit costs that we can avoid.
I support an evidence based transition toward efficient electric systems such as heat pumps, while making sure implementation considers affordability and reliability.
I support an evidence based transition toward efficient electric systems such as heat pumps, while making sure implementation considers affordability and reliability.
Will you vote to restore full funding for the Sustainability Office? In your view, what is the role of the Sustainability Office?
Yes, I support restoring strong funding for the Sustainability Office. Climate action requires expertise, research, data and long term planning, and cutting that capacity ultimately makes it harder for the City to respond effectively. I see the Sustainability Office as helping turn climate goals into evidence based action, from reducing emissions to preparing Vancouver for heat, flooding, wildfire smoke and other climate impacts. As a Park Board commissioner, I would also advocate for strong collaboration between this work and our parks, urban forest and recreation system.
What is your view on a moratorium on AI data centres, given the natural resources they require?
I am concerned about the growing energy and water demands of AI data centres, along with their carbon footprint. Projects should be assessed based on their energy and water use, environmental impacts, benefits to the community, and pressure on our existing infrastructure. Where resources are limited, essential community needs and our climate commitments should come first.
Given the “controversy” of the Villages Plan, how do you envision accommodating the population growth of the City while dealing with the impacts of climate change?
Vancouver needs more housing, but population growth and climate action have to be planned together. As we grow, we need to think about both mitigation and adaptation.
On the mitigation side, that means greener construction, clean energy, electrification, energy efficiency, green technologies, active transportation and more walkable neighbourhoods. On the adaptation side, it means protecting and expanding tree canopy, parks and green infrastructure, and making sure our buildings and public infrastructure can better respond to heat, flooding and other climate impacts.
Growth is necessary, but we should use it as an opportunity to build a greener, more resilient city rather than trying to address the environmental impacts afterwards.
On the mitigation side, that means greener construction, clean energy, electrification, energy efficiency, green technologies, active transportation and more walkable neighbourhoods. On the adaptation side, it means protecting and expanding tree canopy, parks and green infrastructure, and making sure our buildings and public infrastructure can better respond to heat, flooding and other climate impacts.
Growth is necessary, but we should use it as an opportunity to build a greener, more resilient city rather than trying to address the environmental impacts afterwards.
What is your plan to create climate safeguards for all of Vancouver’s inhabitants, including the unhoused population?
Within the Park Board's role, I would focus on making our parks and recreation spaces part of Vancouver's climate safety network.
That means expanding tree canopy and shade, especially in hotter and lower canopy neighbourhoods, improving access to drinking water in parks, designing parks with more climate resilient landscapes and green infrastructure, and making recreation facilities available as accessible spaces during extreme heat and wildfire smoke where appropriate. I would also make sure we consider people who are unhoused when designing these responses. Access to shade, water and public spaces becomes even more important when you don't have a safe indoor place to go. Beyond the Park Board's authority, I would advocate for strong coordination with the City and other levels of government. Climate adaptation is a shared responsibility, and the Park Board should be an active partner in that work.
That means expanding tree canopy and shade, especially in hotter and lower canopy neighbourhoods, improving access to drinking water in parks, designing parks with more climate resilient landscapes and green infrastructure, and making recreation facilities available as accessible spaces during extreme heat and wildfire smoke where appropriate. I would also make sure we consider people who are unhoused when designing these responses. Access to shade, water and public spaces becomes even more important when you don't have a safe indoor place to go. Beyond the Park Board's authority, I would advocate for strong coordination with the City and other levels of government. Climate adaptation is a shared responsibility, and the Park Board should be an active partner in that work.
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