A digital sustainability initiative started by a King George Secondary student has earned recognition from the City of Vancouver through its 2025 Awards of Excellence. 

The Youth Impact in Innovation Award was presented to Gabriel Dalton, a King George Secondary student. Gabriel founded Oasis of Change, a project that promotes sustainable web design and digital practices while empowering young people to take climate action. The project supports nonprofits in reducing their online carbon footprint, securing technology resources and contributing to global reforestation efforts. Oasis of Change, which includes a student-led digital agency called Web-Ready, has helped organizations cut digital emissions by up to 83 per cent, access more than $865,000 per year in in-kind technology grants and plant more than 9,000 trees in more than 20 countries. 

“The reason I do this work is simple. Most people don’t realize that the internet consumes enormous amounts of energy and has a significant carbon footprint,” Gabriel said. “My mission is to educate individuals, nonprofits and businesses about how websites, servers and data use energy, and how we can reduce that impact through sustainable web design and optimization. I also want to inspire more youth to take action. We are the generation that will lead the shift toward sustainable innovation, so it’s important we start now.” 

The Awards of Excellence celebrate individuals and groups whose achievements strengthen Vancouver’s prosperity, innovation and equity. This year’s recognition highlights the growing environmental impact of online activity and the role youth can play in advancing sustainable technology solutions.

“Receiving this award means so much to me because it recognizes years of dedication to making technology more sustainable. It shows that youth leadership and innovation can create real environmental impact when combined with education and awareness,” Gabriel said. 

During the ceremony, representatives of Oasis of Change engaged with Mayor Ken Sim to discuss Vancouver’s leadership in digital sustainability. The City also issued a proclamation for Sustainable Technology Week (Oct. 20 to 27). 

Looking ahead, Oasis of Change plans to expand its sustainable web design education programs and continue its goal of planting one million trees by 2030.