UBC has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers in 2015, for the fourth straight year.
UBC’s many sustainability oriented initiatives include the Sustainability Coordinators Program involving over 80 staff and faculty, the Sustainability Ambassadors Peer Program for students, and, as part of the “zero waste” program, achieving a waste diversion rate of 67%.
Other green initiatives include:
- UBC was the first university in Canada to develop a sustainable development policy in 1997, followed by the opening of the first sustainability office in 1998.
- UBC partnered with other BC-based universities in 2008 to write and sign the “Climate Change Statement of Action for Canada” that commits signatories to develop emissions reductions and develop annual greenhouse gas inventories.
- Over 1,000 UBC employees participated in the spring and fall Bike to Work Week campaigns – riding over 10,000 kilometres. UBC was recognized as best workplace and best in the higher education category for its participation levels.
- In support of a provincial-wide initiative, the University has installed 20 electric vehicle charging station that are available for use by employees with electric vehicles.
- UBC’s new “Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Facility” uses clean wood chippings and sawmill residues to generate up to two megawatts of energy for the Vancouver campus, producing enough electricity to power 1,500 homes as well as reducing the university’s natural gas consumption by 12 percent.
Read the 2013/2014 Annual Sustainability Report to learn more about UBC’s sustainability efforts, or visit sustain.ubc.ca.