For third-year Health Sciences student Hassan Amir, climate action starts with making sure young people have a seat at the table.
That commitment recently earned Hassan the 2026 Sustainable Kingston Youth Sustainability Champion (Postsecondary) Award, recognizing his work with The Starfish Canada's Youth Advisory Action Committee (YAAC) and his efforts to bring youth perspectives into environmental conversations.
Hassan joined YAAC because he wanted to engage with young people from across Canada who share a passion for sustainability while helping create opportunities for youth to influence climate action. As a member and later Co-Chair of the committee, he worked alongside students from different communities to develop research, educational resources, and advocacy initiatives.
One of the projects he is most proud of focused on understanding how Canadian youth view climate change and their role in addressing it.
"I am most proud of our youth climate research, the YAAC Call to Action poster series, and presenting our work at the Kingston Climate Summit," Hassan says. "These initiatives allowed us to gather youth perspectives and transform them into research and educational resources."
The project culminated in a presentation at the 2026 Kingston Climate Summit, where YAAC shared findings from its youth climate perspectives study with community leaders, environmental organizations, researchers, and decision makers. The research explored how young Canadians experience climate change and highlighted the importance of including youth voices in conversations about sustainability and resilience.
For Hassan, the experience demonstrated how collaboration can strengthen climate action. Working with youth from across the country exposed him to a wide range of perspectives and environmental challenges.
"I learned that a shared vision does not require everyone to have exactly the same ideas or experiences," he says. "YAAC benefited from having youth from different provinces who could contribute perspectives based on the environmental challenges affecting their own communities."
Beyond the projects themselves, the experience helped Hassan develop as a leader. Through organizing initiatives, coordinating projects, and presenting research, he strengthened his communication and public speaking skills while learning how to support others in turning ideas into action.
"I learned that I am particularly interested in work that combines research, advocacy, and community engagement," Hassan says. "I realized that I enjoy helping create the structure and opportunities that allow other young people to turn their ideas into action."
His work reflects a broader understanding of sustainability, one that recognizes the importance of community engagement and inclusive decision-making. By creating opportunities for young people to share their experiences and perspectives, Hassan has helped ensure that future generations are represented in conversations that will shape their future.
Looking ahead, he hopes to continue expanding opportunities for youth involvement in climate action.
"I would like YAAC to expand its reach and engage even more young people from communities across Canada," he says. "I would also like our work to increasingly translate youth perspectives into concrete recommendations and actions."
For Hassan, meaningful climate action is not just about addressing environmental challenges. It's about helping young people move from concern to action and ensuring their voices are heard along the way.