- New Westminster is asking residents and businesses to comment on its draft Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Plan by May 31.
- The draft plan looks at adaption strategies to build resilience into the city’s infrastructure against major climate impacts. Food should be part of that conversation.
- By adding plant-based food strategies into their draft plan, New Westminster can take a practical step toward strengthening food resilience by increasing access and affordability and reducing pressure on high-impact food systems.
TAKE ACTION: If you live or operate a business in New Westminster, please take a few minutes to comment on the City’s Draft Plan, encouraging them to consider plant-based foods as part of their strategy.
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New West can build climate resilience through plant-based food.
When people think about preparing a city for climate change, they often picture cooling centres, shaded streets, stronger buildings, flood planning, and emergency response. But resilience is also about everyday needs, including whether people can access affordable, nutritious food when climate impacts disrupt daily life.
New Westminster can help build climate-ready neighbourhoods by supporting increased access to affordable plant-based meals, shelf-stable plant-based proteins, locally sourced produce, and culturally appropriate food options.
Below are key sections of the draft plan where New West residents and businesses can ask the City to include plant-based food.
Only have a few minutes? Here is a quick comment:
If you do not have time to comment on each section, you can adapt the comment below and email mayorandcouncillors@newwestcity.ca:
“Please include plant-based food in New Westminster’s climate adaptation and resilience planning.
Plant-based foods can be part of a stronger and more resilient food system. Foods such as legumes, grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins can be affordable, nutritious, lower-impact, and easier to store than many animal-based products.
Climate impacts can disrupt food access and increase costs, so the City should support affordable, nutritious, lower-impact options through public facilities, City-run programs, community events, emergency planning, food security initiatives, and partnerships with local businesses and community organizations.
Signed, [Your Name]”
Share your feedback before May 31.
Plant-based food policy is a practical climate solution.
Animal products use a large share of the world’s farmland and contribute more than half of food-related emissions, while providing a much smaller share of global calories and protein.
C40’s Good Food Cities work found that cities shifting public food procurement saw a 31% drop in high-emission foods, a 44% increase in plant-based foods, and a 16% drop in food-related greenhouse gas emissions from public food purchasing.
And a Vancouver Humane Society cost-benefit analysis found that replacing 20% of the City of Vancouver’s animal-based food purchasing with plant-based alternatives could save up to $99,000 and reduce emissions by more than 500 tonnes.
Plant-Based Cities Movement notes that 82% of Canadians live in cities and that most food is consumed there. That gives municipal governments a real opportunity to reduce food-related emissions through local policy.
For New Westminster, including plant-based food in their strategies offers a practical way to strengthen climate resilience while also reducing emissions, saving public funds, and helping prevent animal suffering through everyday policy choices.
Help more New West residents learn about this opportunity.
Share this graphic on your social media before the May 31 deadline and encourage others to comment on the draft plan.
Key sections for comment:
To comment, create an account on New West’s online platform ‘Be Heard’, review the draft plan, and add your feedback directly to the sections you care about. You can leave as many comments as you’d like throughout the draft plan.
To make your submission impactful, and to ensure that it is included, do not copy and paste the text below. Use your own words so your submission reflects your personal concerns and experience.
Public facilities are more than just buildings. They are places where people gather, learn, celebrate, receive services, exercise, and build community.
As New Westminster updates public facility policies, the City could include food service and procurement in that work. This could mean making plant-based options available at City-hosted events, meetings, recreation centres, community programs, seniors’ programs, and other public spaces.
A climate-resilient public facility should not only be energy-efficient. It should also support access to affordable, nutritious, lower-impact plant-based food options in the places residents already use.
When a heat wave, flood, storm, or supply chain disruption occurs, food access becomes a public resilience issue.
That is why plant-based food should be considered in emergency planning, food security work, community kitchens, public programs, and local food partnerships.
New Westminster can help build climate-ready neighbourhoods by working with community partners to improve access to affordable plant-based meals, shelf-stable plant-based proteins, local produce, and culturally appropriate food options.
The draft Climate Plan says climate risk and resilience should be integrated into day-to-day decision-making and City operations.
New Westminster could make plant-based options a normal part of City operations by:
- Requiring plant-based options at City-hosted events and meetings
- Adding plant-based considerations to procurement guidelines
- Providing staff guidance for plant-forward catering
- Supporting public education about climate-resilient food choices
- Ensuring City-supported food programs include affordable plant-based options
City decisions about catering, events, grants, facility rentals, community programs, concessions, procurement, and public education all shape what food options are available.
Small grants, pilot projects, public education, and partnerships could help residents access affordable, nutritious, lower-impact plant-based foods while supporting broader climate resilience goals.
For example, the City could support plant-based cooking workshops, community kitchen programs, food security partnerships, local growers, community gardens, food forests, or pilot projects in recreation centres and community centres.
These kinds of initiatives can reduce barriers and help residents see that resilient plant-based food can be familiar, affordable, culturally relevant, and enjoyable.
New West residents: Take action by May 31!
Food is key part of climate resilience. New Westminster has an opportunity to make affordable, climate-resilient, animal-friendly options more available in the places people already gather.
If you live or operate a business in New Westminster, please take a few minutes to ask the City to include plant-based food access in the plan.