OUR WORK
Neighbourhood Action on Lighter Living
Make a difference where you live by engaging your neighbours in fun and inspiring lighter living actions
PROJECT LEAD
- OneEarth Living
PARTNERS
- Vancity
- ANHBC
- RECYC-QUÉBEC
- Vancouver Foundation
Engage with your neighbours in climate- and planet-friendly living for all.
Why Neighbourhoods?
Neighbourhoods have long been an effective level for organizing community events and action. People within a neighbourhood find commonalities around values, culture, lived experiences, and even shared challenges or celebrations – like dealing with construction-related traffic or attending events at the local school. Similarly, they can find and foster connection by working together towards more sustainable living within their local or regional context.
Take action using our Neighbourhood Guide
Make a difference where you live with our Lighter Living Action Pack for Neighbourhoods in British Columbia (PDF). You’ll find lots of fun and inspiring actions that you and your neighbours can take to have the highest impact in advancing lighter living in key areas like food, energy and community connection.
→ Download the Lighter Living Action Pack for Neighbourhoods in BC
Start with whatever package seems like the best fit for your community. Once you’ve finished one, take on another – or commit to the Lighter Living Super Challenge!
The 7 Action Packs are:
Build on the Block Party
Have fun hosting your neighbours, with a lasting impact on everyone’s lighter living practices.
Good Stuff
Extend the lives of everyday things and enjoy less waste, more sharing and more meaningful experiences.
Big Wins
Support long-term choices that have the greatest impact in reducing our ecological and climate footprints.
Next-Level Food
Fuel healthy eating practices that are better for the planet through plant-rich meals and less food waste.
Life Changes
Foster new habits and traditions during periods of big life transition, from moving to retiring to having kids.
Cultivating Connections
Build a fairer, more inclusive community, inspired by both new and traditional living practices.
Lighter Living Super Challenge
Be bold! Commit to sustained, multi-year, lighter living action in your neighbourhood.
Pre-Start Checklist
The Pre-Start Checklist helps you reflect on yourself as a change-maker and addresses community action.
What is Lighter Living?
Lighter Living means meeting the everyday needs and aspirations of everyone in ways that make us and the Earth’s living systems happy and healthy.
We want to make sure your lighter living actions have the biggest impact possible. That’s why our neighbourhood guide is based on the latest science and research on local carbon and ecological footprints in southwest BC.
Priority areas include how we eat, move around, live in our homes, and the stuff we buy. Together, we can support fair, healthy and meaningful lives for all residents.
Our Ecological Footprint – Southwest BC
Food is 50% of our footprint, which we can reduce it by tackling food waste and shifting to plant-rich diets.
Mobility is 25% of our footprint, and we can reduce it by finding alternatives to personal car ownership and increasing the percentage of trips by walking, cycling and public transit.
Buildings are 15% of our footprint, and we can reduce it by lowering our housing energy needs and tackling our building and construction waste.
Stuff is 10% of our footprint, which we can reduce by reusing and repurposing furnishings and appliances.
Apply for a Neighbourhood Small Grant
Resources for Inspiration and Action
7 Motivations for Lighter Living Action
Find out the WHYs behind our sustainable everyday actions and what this new research means for mainstreaming sustainable living.
Sustainable Lifestyles: Options and Opportunities
Take actions together to minimize footprints and maximize impacts.
Sustainable Lifestyles: Options and Opportunities – in the workplace
Take actions together to minimize footprints and maximize impacts.
Project Team
Dagmar Timmer
Lisa Mastny
Edna Catumbela
Cora Hallsworth
