The Georgia Straight
Summary
Our province is still reeling from an unprecedented and deadly heat wave fuelled by climate change. Tragically, hundreds of people died from heat-related illnesses across the province, and the town of Lytton burned to the ground. But this extreme weather also serves as an urgent wake-up call for all of us—we need to do more to combat the climate crisis.
At the University of British Columbia, we are committed to doing our part to address the climate crisis. We have pledged to achieve net-zero operational emissions by 2035—15 years ahead of the previous target date—and to reduce our emissions by at least 85 percent below 2007 levels.
UBC’s Climate Action Plan 2030 (CAP 2030), builds on two previous climate action plans at the university and significant progress we’ve achieved so far in reducing emissions.
Since 2007, UBC has reduced our GHG emissions by approximately 30 percent, with the help of key decarbonization projects, including the Bio-energy Research and Demonstration Facility (BRDF), which provides low-carbon district heat to buildings on the Vancouver campus.
By 2030, 100 percent of the district energy used to heat buildings will come from low-carbon sources. It’s part of our “Campus as a Living Lab” platform, and I’m confident the lessons learned on campus will help our province reach a more sustainable future.
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