Sustainability Scholars Program

Sustainable Product and Service Factsheets help inform more environmental, ethical, and social purchasing decisions in large public institutions across Canada, including cities, universities, and government agencies. More Canadian organizations want to align their purchasing with their sustainability goals and their staff needs simple tools to make sustainable choices when purchasing thousands of products and services every day. 

Partner: Canadian Collaboration for Sustainable Procurement (CCSP)
Keywords: social sustainability, supply chain management & green procurement, sustainable development & green economy

City governments globally are recognizing the benefits of living with nature, and are launching efforts to protect and regrow urban biodiversity. However, these efforts can reinforce existing inequities,  through green gentrification or ecosystem disservices (for example). How might we build cities that are biophilic, just, and equitable? This project offers a framework for understanding urban social-ecological justice and offers a practical planning tool based on a scoping review.

Partner: Urban Biodiversity Society
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems, social sustainability

The purpose of this project is to improve the individual and collective wellbeing of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPOC) staff and faculty at UBC through development of a podcast series focused on IBPOC wellbeing, equity, and community.

Partner: UBC Athletics & Recreation
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, equity, inclusion, BIPOC

This project aims to understand ways in which the resources, materials, and facilitator training for a family health promotion program known as Healthy Together can be optimized by partner organizations to work for newcomer immigrants to Canada. The findings from the project have informed several recommendations in which the materials and facilitator training can be adapted to facilitate delivery for newcomer families to Canada.

Partner: The Bridge Youth and Family Services
Keywords: food systems, leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability 

Applying an equity, inclusion, and reconciliation lens this project reflects on the biases and discrimination long-established in the Real Estate sector. It demonstrates how systems of oppression and injustice have been challenged within the sector, equipping individuals and organizations with access to resources and positive examples. Includes an annotated bibliography, list of resources, glossary of terms and examples of initiatives explored by members of the Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative.

Partner: Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative (SPEC)
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, real estate sector

This research project includes a jurisdictional scan of income-qualified home retrofit programs across North America and makes recommendations for better practices for an equity-focused program delivery model. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of BC Hydro and FortisBC's Energy Conservation Assistance Program (ECAP) is completed and supported by a customer journey map to illustrate points of stress in the ECAP customer journey.

Partner: Ecotrust Canada
Keyword: leadership & behaviour change, real estate sector, retrofits

The purpose of this project is to enable government officials and community champions to not only better understand what sustainable procurement is, but to also drive sustainable procurement pilot projects and programs in their city. This guide outlines key sustainable procurement terms, case studies, and a best practice framework for getting started. 

Partner: Canadian Collaboration for Sustainable Procurement (CCSP)
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, supply chain management & green procurement

This project aims to understand how the City of Kelowna has aligned local sustainability efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In conducting Canada's first Voluntary Local Review the project identified localized targets, trends, challenges and opportunities relevant to each of the 17 SDGs. The project highlights the relevance of local governance to meet global goals through local action towards a more in inclusive, resilient and sustainable society.

Partner: British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC)
Keywords: social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy

This project aims to visually communicate the importance of restoration work completed throughout the Lower Fraser River region. Visualization of restoration efforts such as this may increase public support and capital investment for restoration efforts in the region. The Sturgeon Bank Sediment Enhancement Pilot Project was utilized as a demonstration project, illustrating the opportunity to improve community resilience and ecological health at Sturgeon Bank.

Partner: The Rivershed Society of BC
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems