campus sustainability

UBC ditching single-use coffee cups and plastic food ware

UBC Vancouver is ditching single-use coffee cups and plastic food ware, and encouraging students, faculty and staff to choose reusable options such as their own mugs, water bottles and cutlery instead.

Nov 25, 2019

A dedicated staff of 35 gardeners, arborists and horticulturists maintains the university’s 172 hectares of varied landscapes. Credit: Martin Dee / UBC Brand & Marketing

Behind the scenes with UBC’s gardeners

Every year, UBC’s campus erupts in bloom, from delicate cherry blossoms and magnificent magnolias to brightly coloured alliums and richly scented lilacs. It’s not just the work of Mother Nature that’s responsible for bringing the university landscape to life. A dedicated staff of 35 gardeners, arborists and horticulturists, divided into five crews, work year-round to maintain the university’s 172 hectares of varied landscapes.

Jul 23, 2019

UBC first Canadian university to produce clean heat and electricity from biofuel

Today, the University of British Columbia officially opened a pioneering $34-million clean energy facility, making it Canada’s first university – and one of a few institutions worldwide – to produce both clean heat and electricity for its campus from renewable bioenergy.

Sep 13, 2012

UBC receives Canada’s first ‘gold’ in new university sustainability ratings

Pioneering clean energy projects, an aggressive carbon-reduction strategy and North America’s greenest building have helped UBC to garner Canada’s first gold rating in a new international program that assesses sustainability achievements in higher education.

Aug 19, 2011

Recycling with a heart: UBC student's efforts help Cambodian university

A UBC student’s call to help a university in Cambodia resulted in a flood of donations from departments all over campus, via the university’s new reuse-it! program. The second-hand items were enough to fill a container, which is now on a ship bound for Southeast Asia.

Jun 30, 2011

UBC energy conversion saves $4 million a year, cuts GHGs

A new $85-million UBC district energy system will dramatically reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption while advancing clean energy research and development opportunities on campus.

Jun 9, 2011