Businesses & Jobs
Government Procurement
Green promise
Explanation of Community Benefits Agreements
"Restore policies removed by Sim and ABC, to support and grow local economy, buy-Canadian procurement, and employment as a condition of major developments."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 5, accessed 2026-09-29
Jobs for young people
Green promise
"Support a Youth Climate Corps for Urban Forestry with matching funding opportunities to plant and maintain tree canopy expansion with living wage climate work for youth."
— Green Party Platform, page 12, Retrieved 2026-10-03
Climate Change, Heat, Fires, & the Environment
Energy-Efficient Buildings
Green promises
"Building for climate change
Restore interdepartmental sustainability work to ensure new and retrofit construction are built cleaner and greener, prioritizing resident health and comfort against changing climate."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 6, Accessed 2026-09-29
"Solar ready, plug-in solar ready
Expand access to clean, affordable energy. Streamline permitting, modernize regulations, and cut red tape for rooftop and new technology direct-to-consumer plug-in solar."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 11, Accessed 2026-09-29
"Green retrofits: the greenest buildings are the ones already built
Encourage partnerships through the federal Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative and BC Retrofit Accelerator to support funding for climate smart retrofits. Simplify conditions around green retrofits by reducing triggers for extraneous upgrades"
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 6, Accessed 2026-09-29
"Decarbonizing new builds
Re-establish policies to ban fossil gas heating for heat and hot water in new construction types and return standard emission reporting and targeting."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 11, Accessed 2026-09-29
"EV charging island modernized curbside infrastructure
Prioritize emerging opportunities for partnership with curbside lamppost and utilitypole charging as part of Vancouver street infrastructure everywhere, in particular where older street lighting systems are replaced with LED and result in surplus electric capacity."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 11, Accessed 2026-09-29
Green Space
Green promises
"Green infrastructure urbanism
Score and integrate expanded tree canopies, rain gardens, urban forests, permeable surfaces, and cooling strategies into growth to improve climate resilience and livability."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 5, Accessed 2026-09-29
"Car light, car right
Right-size neighbourhood parking by planning for actual demand, permitting access for residents, businesses and visitors, making sure valuable public space is used efficiently and fairly. Decouple parking from cost of housing and demand on-street use allowing paid off-street parkades for residents where appropriate. Reduce parking requirements near high-frequency transit and replace some parking with public plazas, cycling infrastructure, and green space."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 9, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"11% Road Reclamation
Convert at least 11% of Vancouver streets from car to community use that includes more tree canopy, parklets, dog parks, active transportation, places to grow food, and green spaces for children, families, and seniors."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 10, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Green roofs
Mandate green roofs by-law on larger new and existing buildings to reduce urban heat, manage stormwater, improve biodiversity, and create a greener, more resilient city"
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 11, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Trees for a Healthier City
Greens are committed to grow a larger, healthier canopy to provide more shade, cooler streets, cleaner air, and healthier neighbourhoods city-wide.
Protect and expand our urban forest by strengthening tree protection bylaws and preserving mature trees.
Reward tree retention with incentives for developments that protect significant trees on private property.
Plant more climate-resilient trees by committing dedicated funding to expand the city's canopy with species suited to a changing climate.
Reform technical tree removal rules by tightening standards for removals justified by construction logistics while creating clear, practical pathways to accommodate legitimate construction and crane access needs.
Replace more trees than we remove by requiring stronger mitigation, replacement planting, and canopy restoration when mature trees are lost to development.
Protect trees for the long term by making occupancy permits conditional on post-construction tree health reviews and remediation where construction impacts have damaged protected trees.
Create a municipal arborist office with in-house certified arborists to independently review tree assessments, improve transparency, and ensure public confidence in development-related tree decisions.
Maintain and strengthen Vancouver’s Bird Friendly City certification.
Support a Youth Climate Corps for Urban Forestry with matching funding opportunities to plant and maintain tree canopy expansion with living wage climate work for youth."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 12, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Require rezonings to increase the urban tree canopy and green spaces
As part of broader Trees for a Healthier City strategy, and including green roofs and micro-forest understorey, with a focus on native and climate resilient plants."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Add new green spaces
In particular for areas targeted for new development and density, by buying land with a restored park acquisition developer cost levy."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Develop a Community Environmental Stewardship program
With small grants to support low-cost high-impact community care for eco corridors and greenspaces."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Value nature as infrastructure
Treat trees, wetlands, waterways, and green spaces as critical infrastructure assets by incorporating Natural Asset Accounting into City decision-making and budgets."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"3-30-300: Access to Greenspace
3-30-300 rule for a healthier, greener city: every household should be able to see 3 trees, in a neighbourhood with a 30% tree canopy, and be 300m from a green space."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
Private Vehicles & Parking
Green promise
"Car light, car right
Right-size neighbourhood parking by planning for actual demand, permitting access for residents, businesses and visitors, making sure valuable public space is used efficiently and fairly. Decouple parking from cost of housing and demand on-street use allowing paid off-street parkades for residents where appropriate. Reduce parking requirements near high-frequency transit and replace some parking with public plazas, cycling infrastructure, and green space."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 9, Retrieved 2026-09-30
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Green promises
"Return a standalone Sustainability and Climate Office to City Hall
Focused city leadership on climate action, clean energy, resilience, and environmental stewardship while improving accountability and coordination across departments."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 11, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Climate planning includes lifecycle emissions in reporting
Expand emissions reporting to include embodied and lifecycle emissions, helping the City make more informed decisions about long-term climate impacts."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 11, Retrieved 2026-09-30
Urban Heat
Green promises
"Right to cool and clean air
Access to cool, clean air, protecting tenants from extreme heat and wildfire smoke at home by expanding cooling, shade, and clean-air infrastructure throughout Vancouver."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 11, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Climate resilient infrastructure
Invest in resilience to climate change with cooling, warming, and air-quality enhancements for public facilities, rain and storm surge management, blueways, greenways, bioswales, sewer separation, and eliminating raw sewage outflows."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 14, Retrieved 2026-09-30
Walking & Cycling
Green promise
"Expand multi modal share parking and docking spaces
Expand shared mobility infrastructure including public bike share to provide more affordable and sustainable transportation choices. Ensure new facilities are thoughtfully integrated into communities, mitigating any negative impacts, and support last mile for frequent transit areas."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 9, Retrieved 2026-09-30
Community Centres, Libraries, Parks, and Other Public Spaces
Green Space
Green promises
"Green infrastructure urbanism
Score and integrate expanded tree canopies, rain gardens, urban forests, permeable surfaces, and cooling strategies into growth to improve climate resilience and livability."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 5, Accessed 2026-09-29
"Car light, car right
Right-size neighbourhood parking by planning for actual demand, permitting access for residents, businesses and visitors, making sure valuable public space is used efficiently and fairly. Decouple parking from cost of housing and demand on-street use allowing paid off-street parkades for residents where appropriate. Reduce parking requirements near high-frequency transit and replace some parking with public plazas, cycling infrastructure, and green space."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 9, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"11% Road Reclamation
Convert at least 11% of Vancouver streets from car to community use that includes more tree canopy, parklets, dog parks, active transportation, places to grow food, and green spaces for children, families, and seniors."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 10, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Green roofs
Mandate green roofs by-law on larger new and existing buildings to reduce urban heat, manage stormwater, improve biodiversity, and create a greener, more resilient city"
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 11, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Trees for a Healthier City
Greens are committed to grow a larger, healthier canopy to provide more shade, cooler streets, cleaner air, and healthier neighbourhoods city-wide.
Protect and expand our urban forest by strengthening tree protection bylaws and preserving mature trees.
Reward tree retention with incentives for developments that protect significant trees on private property.
Plant more climate-resilient trees by committing dedicated funding to expand the city's canopy with species suited to a changing climate.
Reform technical tree removal rules by tightening standards for removals justified by construction logistics while creating clear, practical pathways to accommodate legitimate construction and crane access needs.
Replace more trees than we remove by requiring stronger mitigation, replacement planting, and canopy restoration when mature trees are lost to development.
Protect trees for the long term by making occupancy permits conditional on post-construction tree health reviews and remediation where construction impacts have damaged protected trees.
Create a municipal arborist office with in-house certified arborists to independently review tree assessments, improve transparency, and ensure public confidence in development-related tree decisions.
Maintain and strengthen Vancouver’s Bird Friendly City certification.
Support a Youth Climate Corps for Urban Forestry with matching funding opportunities to plant and maintain tree canopy expansion with living wage climate work for youth."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 12, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Require rezonings to increase the urban tree canopy and green spaces
As part of broader Trees for a Healthier City strategy, and including green roofs and micro-forest understorey, with a focus on native and climate resilient plants."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Add new green spaces
In particular for areas targeted for new development and density, by buying land with a restored park acquisition developer cost levy."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Develop a Community Environmental Stewardship program
With small grants to support low-cost high-impact community care for eco corridors and greenspaces."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"Value nature as infrastructure
Treat trees, wetlands, waterways, and green spaces as critical infrastructure assets by incorporating Natural Asset Accounting into City decision-making and budgets."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
"3-30-300: Access to Greenspace
3-30-300 rule for a healthier, greener city: every household should be able to see 3 trees, in a neighbourhood with a 30% tree canopy, and be 300m from a green space."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
Pedestrian Spaces
Green promise
"Permanent pedestrian zone infrastructure
Dedicate stable funding and infrastructure like retractable bollards and placemaking to support seasonal and year-round pedestrian zone initiatives in partnership with local residents and BIAs."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 8, Accessed 2026-09-29
Culture & Events
Festivals & Events
Green promise
"Open streets as a celebration and connection
In the spirit of South American Ciclovía or Portland’s Sunday Parkways, celebrate active transportation routes and calmed streets by fostering special events to connect neighbourhoods, encourage active transportation, and activate public spaces."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 9, Retrieved 2026-09-30
Human Rights
Physical Accessibility
Green promise
"Better roads, safer streets
[...]Deliver curb-cuts and accessibility with all new and renewed infrastructure."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 8, Retrieved 2026-09-30
Local Government, Planning, & Democracy
Budgeting
Green promise
"Value nature as infrastructure
Treat trees, wetlands, waterways, and green spaces as critical infrastructure assets by incorporating Natural Asset Accounting into City decision-making and budgets."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 13, Retrieved 2026-09-30
Government Procurement
Green promise
Explanation of Community Benefits Agreements
"Restore policies removed by Sim and ABC, to support and grow local economy, buy-Canadian procurement, and employment as a condition of major developments."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 5, accessed 2026-09-29
Public Engagement
Green promise
"Strong Communities Action Plan
Create an Office of Strong Communities to serve as the City's neighbourhood engagement hub, working directly with residents, community organizations, BIAs, and neighbourhood groups to identify local priorities, coordinate responses to emerging issues, and ensure community voices inform cross-departmental City planning and decisions. From the River District and South Vancouver to Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside, our Vancouver neighbourhoods are unique, and local communities are best positioned to describe gaps in community services and amenities and opportunities to support residents, small businesses, and public realm improvements."
— Vancouver Green Party Platform, page 5, accessed 2026-09-29
Public Services
Waste Removal
Green promises
"Improve access to recycling and public facilities
Expand public recycling, organics, and waste-separation infrastructure to make diversion easier and more convenient across the city. Add more convenient satellite Zero-Waste drop-off centres, distributed city-wide, supported by industrial hubs at False Creek Flats and on Kent Avenue."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 16, Retrieved 2026-10-10
"Kent Avenue Circular Economy Hub
Modernize the Kent Avenue Transfer Station as part of planned long range capital upgrades to support waste and resource recovery."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 16, Retrieved 2026-10-10
"Improved and expanded organics processing
Strengthen local composting and organics recovery systems, to improve service reliability, reduce emissions, and advance the City's zero-waste goals."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 16, Retrieved 2026-10-10
"Divert pet waste
Divert pet waste from landfill through dedicated collection, treatment, and recovery systems."
— Vancouver Green Party Full Platform, page 16, Retrieved 2026-10-10
Biography
In his first term at Park Board, Tom championed and won dozens of battles including:
- Fighting successfully to preserve the 136-year-old elected Park Board, securing a victory against the Mayor’s anti-democratic efforts to abolish it
- Convincing Commissioners to restore the Stanley Park bike lane in September 2025
- It was originally removed in 2023 in a decision that was later found by the Integrity Commissioner to have been in breach of Code of Conduct by all 6 ABC commissioners
- Negotiating and leading the unanimous Park Board apology to the trans community in view of the Harry Potter event. Disavowed JK Rowling (and he’s glad she knows it!)
- Opposing Mayor Ken Sim’s Zero-Means-Zero budget, which predictably resulted in over $120M in damaging cuts and at least 440 layoffs of City and Park Board staff
- Working with community gardeners to cancel the $320 green bin fee levied by the City in 2026
- Leading and winning the vote to revitalize the stagnant Lost Lagoon and restore it to an intertidal estuary, connecting it to Coal Harbour and to English Bay
- Successfully leading effort to require Park Board contractors to pay the Living Wage
- Receiving an “A” rating from HUB Cycling on cycling infrastructure support
- Leading push for $1.35b investment in parks and recreation facilities in Capital Plan 2027-30
In his day job, Tom is a lawyer working in global intellectual property law. He and his wife live in Kitsilano.
vangreens.ca/tom_digby www.vangreens.ca/tom_digby