UBC’s Executive has given the green light on priority actions identified by the campus community during preparation of the forthcoming UBC Climate Action Plan: Point Grey Campus. This move signals the university’s commitment to continue aggressive reduction of its green house gas emissions, and to demonstrate the ‘next generation’ of leadership focused on climate solutions. Further, the Executive endorsed a vision and four commitments also developed by the campus community. The vision is:
Confronting the challenges of climate change, the University of British Columbia will advance solutions on campus that eliminate emissions, will accelerate efforts to respond to the impacts of climate change, and will partner locally and globally to demonstrate leadership and accountability to future generations.
The commitments are:
- Become a net positive energy producer by 2050
- Partner for change
- Use the campus as a living laboratory, and
- Account for the full costs of our decisions.
Over the course of the spring and summer of 2009, UBC led campus-wide consultations and working groups to develop targets and strategies for emissions reductions in six areas. Key priorities resulting from these consultations include: setting specific targets for energy performance for all future building projects; developing a program for securing more energy reductions in core and ancillary buildings; selecting more sustainable-sized fleets and fueling options; and launching a program to encourage students, faculty and staff to take personal and organizational actions to achieve emissions reductions.
In addition, the Alternative Energy Sources Project (AESP) Study is underway, assessing low-carbon alternatives to the existing natural gas based steam district heating system which is the largest source of green house gas emissions at UBC Vancouver. When the AESP Study is completed in January 2010, UBC will release the UBC Climate Action Plan which will establish emission reduction targets and timelines.
The UBC Sustainability Office will continue to work with the campus community in order to move ahead with key priorities.
For more information, contact the Campus Sustainability Office at www.sustain.ubc.ca.
