UBC launches ambitious climate action plans
I am pleased to share that UBC has unveiled two ambitious climate action plans for the Vancouver and Okanagan campus. With the release of these plans, UBC has pledged to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 for both campuses and continue to play a leadership role in addressing the climate emergency. For Vancouver, that […]
UBC Sending Delegation of Eight to COP26
I am pleased to announce that, following an open competition for all students, faculty, and staff, UBC is sending a delegation of eight to the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow this November. By attending the COP as official observers, UBC delegates deepen their understanding of how global climate […]
Episode 28: Collaborating on Sustainable Water Treatment
https://soundcloud.com/ubc_blue_and_goldcast/episode-28-chief-liliane-squinas-and-dr-madjid-mohseni?si=99e0471b75194391b858627decab77c0 In this episode of the Blue & Goldcast, Santa talks to UBC engineering professor Dr. Madjid Mohseni and Chief Liliane Squinas of the Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation about how UBC and and Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation collaborated to build a sustainable water treatment plant for the community. Download the transcript here
Weekly Update, February 26, 2021
Dear members of the UBC community. Next week, March 1 to March 5 is SDG Week at UBC. SDG stands for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by world leaders in 2015 at a historic UN summit and came into effect on 1 January 2016. The goals call […]
Episode 12: UBC as a Climate Leader
https://soundcloud.com/ubc_blue_and_goldcast/episode-12-ubc-as-a-climate-leader This week on the Blue & Goldcast, Santa talks to Dr. Walter Mérida, the president’s senior advisor on climate, as well as the director of the Clean Energy Research Centre. Dr. Mérida and Santa sit down to discuss how UBC can continue its role as a climate leader in Canada and beyond. You can […]
Choose to Reuse
At this time of year, a hot beverage is one of life’s simple pleasures. That ritual is even more satisfying if it’s done sustainably. I’m proud that the UBC Vancouver community is making a change this month: reducing the use of disposable coffee cups and plastic food ware. We’re encouraging students, faculty and staff to […]
Declaration on the Climate Emergency
This morning, the UBC Board of Governors endorsed the following UBC Declaration on the Climate Emergency. I would like to thank all those who have engaged with us on this issue, especially UBC’s students, faculty and staff members. Their activism and passion were essential in getting the university to act on the climate crisis. I […]
Response to UBCC350 Climate Strike Open Letter
UBCC350 c/o ubcc350@gmail.com Thank you for your letter of October 4th, 2019. I appreciate the energy and dedication you have put into this cause. It is inspiring to see so many students and other members of the UBC community use the power of the collective voice to raise awareness of climate change and the need […]
U7 Alliance will Address the World’s Most Pressing Challenges
Earlier this month, I had the honour of participating in the inaugural meeting of the U7 Alliance – which consists of universities from around the world coming together to addressing the most pressing global challenges (such as sustainability, clean water, gender equality and chronic diseases) in a multilateral context. The U7 Alliance includes universities from […]
UBC gets global recognition for sustainability impact
I’m proud to announce that UBC has been ranked first in the world in university climate action and first in Canada (third in the world) for sustainable cities and communities in the first ever THE University Impact Rankings. UBC was singled out for its “research on climate change, use of energy and preparations for dealing […]
Episode 6: Living Lab
Can parking garages help us tackle climate change? On this episode, we look at how UBC has turned itself into a Living Lab. UBC Mechanical Engineering Professor Walter Merida explains to Santa Ono how UBC experiments with itself — with its buildings, its operations, and its surroundings — to develop innovative green technologies. Blue and Goldcast […]
Take the Cool Campus Challenge
UBC is participating in the BC Cool Campus Challenge, a fun and friendly initiative between BC universities and colleges to save energy this winter season. Across the province, post-secondary institutions are challenging each other to see who can gather the most pledges from students, staff, and faculty to help reduce our natural gas use and […]
Innovative Partnership Powers Living Lab Initiative
I had the pleasure today to announce that the University of British Columbia has entered into a new and innovative partnership with Alpha Technologies and Corvus Energy.