Policy
Summary
Last year, Canada experienced its most devastating wildfire season in recorded history, both in terms of carbon emissions and area burned. Our community experienced that firsthand when wildfires forced the sudden evacuation of the University of British Columbia‘s beautiful Okanagan campus last summer. Already, this year is predicted to be at least equally dire.
At the University of British Columbia, sustainability has been at the forefront of our academic mission and campus operations for more than 25 years. The university was an innovator of the “campus as a living lab” concept, using academic research to test solutions to operational issues on campus.
Today, UBC’s new climate action plan aims to achieve net-zero operational emissions by 2035 on the Vancouver campus—15 years ahead of our previous target date. Our Bio-energy Research and Demonstration Facility, which processes renewable biomass sourced from urban wood waste to heat campus buildings, has enabled the university to cut campus operational emissions by approximately 60 per cent from 2007 levels, moving us closer to our goal of sourcing 100 per cent of our district energy from low-carbon sources by 2030.
UBC is also building a $23-million renewable energy hub that will transform an entire city block into a smart energy district, complete with B.C.’s first hydrogen refuelling station. Supported by government and industry partners, the project, led by Dr. Walter Mérida, advances renewable energy technologies and serves as a living laboratory, uncovering new insights that can be applied in communities across Canada.
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