Sustainability Scholars Program

This report looks into the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing trees as natural assets to manage rainwater in low-density residential zoning across the city of Vancouver. Through the review of case studies and climate adaptable tree species suitable to Vancouver, recommendations were made as to which trees may be suitable to be planted in a residential front yard in an effort to mitigate surface runoff and manage rainwater. Required setbacks and restrictions were also considered.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver & UBC
Keywords: climate mitigation, green infrastructure, healthy city, sustainable development & green economy, water

The key goals of this research are to detail:
1. Who are the entities responsible for urban freight?
2. What is their parking behavior?
3. What modes do they use? 
4. What impacts do they have on other users?
We conducted extensive data collection across five municipalities. We found that freight parking activity was dominated by invisible freight, primarily food delivery from passenger vehicles. Almost all freight delivery had short-duration parking and occurred in metered parking.

Partner: TransLink
Funder: TransLink
Keywords: transportation

This project aims to improve the mental health support services provided for IBPOC students, faculty, and staff on both UBC campuses, and provide considerations for engaging with IBPOC affinity groups. The report includes suggestions on improved institutional infrastructure and systemic changes that are necessary to respond to existing recommendations. Draws from scholarship and University of Toronto, University of Southern California, and McGill University as comparative case studies. 

Partner: UBC Wellbeing
Funder: UBC Wellbeing
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, sustainability in education

This report explores the opportunities to grant legal recognition to the Fraser River estuary. This includes a global survey of rights-of-nature laws in other jurisdictions and an assessment of the feasibility of applying these models in the local context.

Partner: Raincoast Conservation Foundation
Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation)
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems, water

How can a municipality go circular? This project explores 13 case studies in circular district innovation to understand patterns in creation and operation. Project findings identify key actors, policy frameworks, governance structures, and funding sources characteristic of successful projects. An annotated bibliography, a case studies Spreadsheet, and a tools and resource library offer interested jurisdictions specific tools, resources, and best practices to initiate their circular transition.

Partner: Recycling Alternative
Funder: UBC
Keywords: supply chain management & green procurement, sustainable development & green economy, waste management & recycling 

This project aims to leverage existing policies to reduce embodied carbon in retrofits. This research identifies policies and incentives for reducing embodied carbon emissions in the existing building sector and provides policy recommendations. The findings can assist policy-makers and other stakeholders in gaining a holistic view of retrofit policies, understanding the barriers to the uptake of retrofit schemes, and developing more efficient retrofit policies in the future.

Partner: Community Energy Association
Funder: BC Hydro
Keywords: green buildings

This report aims to assess the environmental, social, and financial impacts of the implementation of water reclamation in the Metro Vancouver region. Reclaimed water can provide substantial benefits to the region, with those benefits potentially outweighing the costs of setting up such systems. The study finalizes by recommending the next steps of identifying potential users, setting a pricing structure for this new source, and projecting its distribution costs. 

Partner: Metro Vancouver
Funder: Metro Vancouver
Keywords: social sustainability, waste management & recycling, water 

This study compares an alternate test method (adenosine triphosphate, ATP) with the current method used by MetroVancouver (heterotrophic plant count, HPC) for monitoring bacteriological activity in the water transmission system to support continuous innovation of Metro Vancouver's water services. Includes a review of HPC and ATP studies, analysis of water quality data from Canadian municipalities, and results of preliminary ATP testing for the Greater Vancouver Water District transmission system.

Partner: Metro Vancouver
Funder: Metro Vancouver
Keywords: potable water, water treatment

As civil society organizations (ENGOs more specifically) are beginning to reckon with past mistakes and strive for equity and inclusivity, they need tools to create meaningful and lasting organizational change. For several years, Sierra Club BC (SCBC) has been working to decolonize the organization's efforts; this project is among those that are the direct result of this initiative. 

The purpose of 'Implementing a Pathway Together' is to identify and create innovative approaches to intercultural climate engagement by centering Indigenous and diverse lenses. This includes generating reflection, analysis, tools and practices, enabling ENGOs, educational institutions, and other NGOs more generally, to engage with and learn from diverse communities on the climate crisis. The project builds on collaboration with the UBC Sustainability Scholars program on A Pathway Together (2020 - 2021). The scholar will work with SCBC to develop a "process guide" exploring questions of authentic relationships, intercultural collaborations that are respectful of protocol, and how we might centre the SĆȺ ~work with the lands and waters in good ways. 

Developing climate solutions that work for everyone requires increased capacities to learn from and work with diverse knowledge systems and tell different kinds of stories about the climate crisis. Implementing a pathway together, for ENGOs and other climate-engaged organizations to work with Indigenous and other historically marginalized communities is imperative to forward their climate action goals on a foundation of social and environmental justice.
 

Partner: Sierra Club of British Columbia Foundation
Funder: UBC
Keywords:  leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, decolonization