Innovation Fall 2026

VOLUNTEERS

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT AINAZ BOZORGZADEH, P.Eng. Bozorgzadeh has dedicated her career to addressing climate change and sustainability, with the hope of maintaining access to biodiversity and the natural environment for future generations. She is currently the Coastal Climate Resistance Collaborative Project Director for ICLEI Canada, a global organization that supports local governments with sustainability. She is also a long-time volunteer with Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s Climate Change and Sustainability Advisory Group. Bozorgzadeh discusses her path as a volunteer and how it has opened doors in her career.

Q You often discuss the role that community plays in climate resilience and sustainability. What does a resilient community look like to you? A lot of times when we work on climate resilience, the focus is on critical infrastructure and the bare minimum of what the community needs to exist. Which is very important. But at the same time, for the community to be resilient, people need to feel like they can thrive in the place where they live. To thrive, you need to have access to the things that matter to you, like access to nature, arts and culture, playgrounds and sports fields, without worrying about forest fire smoke or landslides and flooding impact. So, I see a resilient community is one that isn't just able to survive where they live but can thrive where they live. Q What initially inspired you to volunteer with Engineers and Geoscientists Climate Change and Sustainability Advisory Group? I became interested in volunteering with the Engineers and Geoscientists BC Climate Change and Sustainability Advisory Group because of the opportunity to share space with others within my profession that had the same passion and care for reducing human-induced

impact on climate change and sustainability. It has been wonderful to meet others who have dedicated their careers to addressing climate change through our professional roles in advising on decisions and designing engineered infrastructures. Volunteering has been an opportunity to influence what resources are available to our peers within the profession to uplift the importance and provide the tools to address climate change in their workplaces. Q What has been your most memorable moment as a volunteer with the Climate Change and Sustainability Advisory Group? The highlight for me is the network of peers, and the opportunities to be in conversation with people from different walks of life, from different disciplines within the profession, and different positions within their organizations. We come together in a shared space, all as equals, showing up for a discussion from our hearts and minds to influence our profession’s responsibility for its impact on climate change and sustainability. Another point that comes to mind is also the opportunities that volunteering has opened to me as a woman in engineering. Being part of the advisory group

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Fall 2026

Innovation