From smog to solutions: A journey of climate activism
Lily YangLiu advocates for climate change in schools and wants youth to have more representation in international climate policy negotiations. Photo courtesy of Lily Yang Liu.
By Julia Stratton
Lily YangLiu started to worry about climate change while growing up in Beijing, China, breathing in smog everyday. The air pollution was so severe, she developed terrible asthma.
βAs a kid, it was awful. The hospital would be wound up with people, especially children who had the same problem,β she said. βI definitely felt the effects of overproduction and consumption and rapid urbanization.β
YangLiu, 16, is now in Grade 11 and lives in Vancouver, where she advocates for better climate change education in schools. She also works as a delegate for the United Nations and attended COP29 this fall in Baku, Azerbaijan as a delegate and panellist.
Getting youth involved in the climate conversation
When YangLiu moved to Canada, she was captivated by Canadaβs beautiful nature and fresh air. The stark contrast to the smog in Beijing gave her a profound appreciation for the environment and motivated her to lobby for better education around climate change and nature in schools. In 2024, she was named one of the top 25 under 25 environmentalists by the Starfish Canada.
Lily is also one of the 2025 YCAA winners! Stay tuned for her full submission. Subscribe to Youth Climate News to be notified when those have been published β¬ (scroll down).