The Sustainability Scholars Program is an innovative paid internship program. We match UBC graduate students with on- and off-campus sustainability partners to work on applied research projects that advance sustainability across the region. Managed by the UBC Sustainability Hub.
Apply your research skills to real-world sustainability challenges
Get paid and gain valuable professional work experience
Develop applied skills and knowledge under the guidance of a mentor
Build your professional network and enhance your career prospects

How It Works

The program is open to full-time UBC graduate students from any program or discipline. As a Sustainability Scholar, you work under the guidance of a mentor on an applied research project that supports their organization's sustainability goals.
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Apply

UBC Sustainability Scholars work on applied research projects across a wide range of environmental, economic and social sustainability topics. See our list of current paid internship opportunities.
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Project Library

The Scholars Project Library contains hundreds of reports, charts, tool-kits, and more, documenting the applied research produced by Scholars since 2010. A useful body of knowledge to support further research around sustainability.
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Fraser Estuary Research Collaborative (FERC)

A new stream in the Sustainability Scholars Program focusing on applied research with the goal of restoring and protecting the endangered Fraser Estuary.
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Partner with us

Partner organizations are essential to the UBC Sustainability Scholars Program. Partners provide work experience for UBC graduate students and benefit from their applied research.
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Meet the scholars

UBC Sustainability Scholars come from all kinds of backgrounds and academic disciplines. Scholars stand out for being passionate about sustainability, having a strong work ethic, and for their applied research skills.
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Fund scholars

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and growing inequality are some of the most urgent issues facing our world today. Support from donors will allow scholars to make a direct impact through organizations doing the on-the-ground work needed to address climate change and other critical sustainability challenges.
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Program History

Sustainability Scholars’ projects have been helping to move the dial on sustainability across the region for over 10 years. Find out more about our history, milestones, and impact.
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Project Library

Supporting the Urban Freight Strategy: Mapping the City's Loading Facilities for On- and Off-Street Delivery Activity

This project aims to address the challenges associated with urban freight and last-mile delivery by advancing the City of Vancouver's knowledge of existing loading assets. Includes the development of a framework and pilot for compiling a comprehensive and systematic inventory of both public and private loading facilities as well as a discussion of the opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for a future expansion of the inventory.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: transportation, urban freight

Climate Change & Energy
Data & Technology
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Jimin Park

Understanding the Impacts of Ride-hailing Vehicles on Congestion and the City of Vancouver's Climate Emergency Response

This project aims to monitor the early stages of how ride-hailing impacts Vancouver in terms of congestion and climate change. The report recommends policies that the City should consider implementing/adopting by quantifying, at a high level, the early stages of ride-hailing impacts. The work involved qualitative research to investigate curb management, congestion pricing and electric vehicles. The quantitative research is based on 4 months of data from Lyft.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: transportation

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
Data & Technology
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Gracie Pu

Retail in Review: Determining the Relationship between New Commercial Buildings in Vancouver and the Businesses that Occupy them over Time

This project analyzes how redevelopment may affect changes in the type of businesses that occupy commercial space (e.g., chain vs. independent stores) over time. Through statistical analysis, the study presents findings on business type occupancy, longevity and vacancies to confirm the extent to which new development favours chain businesses. Recommendations include ways the City can better support independent businesses in occupying new commercial retail space.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy

Built Environment & Mobility
Data & Technology
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Tru Taylor

Supporting the Creation of Walkable Complete Communities: Understanding Walkability through a Holistic Lens

The intention of this report is to provide policymakers with a general framework for approaching walkability, starting with a purely technical perspective and advancing towards a human-centred intersectional approach. The report also reviews the most common tools to measure different dimensions of walkability and explore the general findings of the existing literature. After reviewing this document, readers will know how to measure walkability and the limitations of their chosen methodology.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy, transportation

Built Environment & Mobility
Human Well-being & Social Systems
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Jorge Delgado-Ron

NEU Feasibility Study: Strategy for Transitioning the Neighbourhood Energy Utility to 100% Renewable Energy

Further to the declaration of a climate emergency by the City of Vancouver in 2019, this project aims to contribute towards the work needed to transition the Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU) to 100% renewable energy by 2030.  The report identifies baseload and peak technologies to further explore in light of the findings. The project involved a global literature review and qualitative interviews with district energy specialists.  

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: green buildings, leadership & behaviour change

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
Production, Consumption & Waste
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Alexandra Chapman

Homeowner's Guide to Electrification

This project focuses on the existing electrical system of single-family homes in the Vancouver area and the barriers to adding to the electric load when a system is either outdated or has limited capacity for expansion. It talks about the cost of service upgrades, technical challenges that occur, the benefits of electrifying a home, and potential technological solutions that can manage load demand and reduce energy usage and utility bills.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: green buildings

Climate Change & Energy
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Shikhar Kumar

COVID-19 Impacts on City-Supported Childcare Providers and Opportunities for Future Sectoral Resilience

The purpose of this project is to understand how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted city-facilitated childcares and to explore opportunities for the City of Vancouver to better support resilience in the non-profit childcare sector. This report includes a literature review of the childcare sector in the current context of the pandemic and an analysis of the interview responses from city-facilitated childcare operators in Vancouver.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: social sustainability, childcare

Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Iris Liu

The Relationship Between COVID-19 Pandemic and People in Poverty: Exploring the Impact Scale and Potential Policy Responses

This research project aims to identify the issues presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and how they might push people into poverty; and the impact of COVID-19 on people already living in poverty. The report includes several examples of COVID-19 recovery policies and projects being implemented elsewhere that could support people experiencing poverty in Vancouver.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Keywords: social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy

Human Well-being & Social Systems
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Xinyue Duan

Energy Consumption Analysis of Architectural Design Decisions in BC

This report analyzes data provided through the HOT2000 program to determine the efficiencies of different typological design decisions seen throughout metropolitan Vancouver and greater British Columbia. It will quantify how different architectural decisions impact energy efficiency, with a focus on TEDI, MEUI, and other costs to the homeowner or builder. These findings will help influence the BC Step Code in regards to how architectural design choices can have an impact on energy consumption.

Partner: BC Housing
Keywords: green buildings, sustainable development & green economy, step code

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
Ecological Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Kieran Mortimer

Remote Sensing as a Tool for Efficient Forest Health Monitoring in Metro Vancouver's Water Supply Areas

Metro Vancouver is responsible for monitoring the 60,000 hectares of watersheds that supply Vancouver with drinking water. The report includes an overview of remote sensing approaches used by other organizations, available remote sensing (mostly satellite) products, and a decision tree for choosing the correct product for different monitoring needs. The report also includes a discussion on the application of existing data to assess ecosystem health in Metro Vancouver watersheds. 

Partner: Metro Vancouver
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems, water

Climate Change & Energy
Ecological Systems
Natural Resources
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Sarah Smith-Tripp

Trend Analysis of Background Levels of Ground-Level Ozone in the Pacific Northwest: Preparation for Renewal of the Regional Ground-Level Ozone Strategy

This project supports the planned renewal of the Regional Ground-Level Ozone Strategy (RGLOS) for Metro Vancouver. Specifically, the project investigated the background levels of ground-level ozone from the decommissioned Marine Boundary Layer Station (MBLS) in Ucluelet, B.C. One main focus was to find the underlying trend of background ozone over the seven years of operation of the MBLS after removing for seasonality and other contributing variables.
The project also explored the impact of precursor emissions on MBLS background ozone levels, classified geographic source regions of ozone levels on a given day based on back-trajectories, and compared MBLS to ozone trend levels at other Pacific Northwest monitoring stations.

Partner: Metro Vancouver
Keywords: air quality 

Data & Technology
Natural Resources
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Carlina Kim

Electrification of Non-Road and Heavy-Duty Vehicles

This report scans the international status of electrification of heavy duty and non-road equipment, such as ferries, buses, trucks, construction equipment, airport ground support equipment, port equipment, and others. It finds that the electrification of these technologies is in its nascent stages but there is promise for many of these categories of equipment to switch to electric power to reduce or eliminate emissions of greenhouse gases and diesel particulate matter.

Partner: Metro Vancouver
Keywords: sustainable development & green economy, transportation

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Narayan Gopinathan

Community Resilience & Wellbeing Amid Climate Crisis

This report highlights the linkages between climate change, mental health, resilience, and community wellbeing. By way of a literature review, this report outlines ways to overcome resilience-building barriers, develops a set of resilience guiding principles, and offers five progressively staged recommendations to assist stakeholders in addressing climate change impacts on community mental health and wellbeing.  

Partner: UBC Climate Hub
Keywords: climate change, mental health, community resilience, climate grief, climate anxiety

Human Well-being & Social Systems
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Meghan Wise

Incorporating Embodied Carbon into Sustainable Decision-Making in Construction

This project involves a methods, tools, and best practices review of embodied carbon in airport buildings and infrastructure. The outcome of this project will help to determine how the Vancouver Airport Authority (VAA) can calculate and reduce the embodied carbon emissions in the development of projects, and how to use this information in making decisions that help the airport address embodied carbon in infrastructure projects.

Partner: Vancouver Airport Authority
Keywords: green buildings, supply chain management & green procurement, sustainable development & green economy
 

Climate Change & Energy
Policy, Economics & Governance
Production, Consumption & Waste
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Aanchal Sharma

Recommendations for Regional Energy Benchmarking: Informing a Roadmap for Benchmarking Energy and Emissions Associated with Complex Buildings in the CRD

Energy benchmarking can be defined as measuring and comparing the energy use of a building to encourage energy efficiency. This report presents a framework of recommendations for a successful regional benchmarking program for complex buildings, specific to the analyzed characteristics of buildings in the capital region of BC. These recommendations consider successful existing policies, recommendations of organizations that promote energy efficiency, and advice from industry professionals.

Partner: CRD
Keywords: green buildings, sustainable development & green economy

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Christopher Moore

Implementing the BC Energy Step Code for Part 3 (Non-Residential) Buildings in Township of Langley

This project aims to provide a pathway for implementation of the Step Code for Part 3 (Non-Residential) Buildings in the Township of Langley. The report includes the results of a jurisdictional scan, a literature review and a survey to understand barriers and challenges. The report also includes an analysis and projections regarding future growth of P3 Buildings in the Township, and provides recommendations, a suggested way forward, and future research directions.

Partner: Township of Langley
Keywords: green buildings, leadership & behaviour change, sustainable development & green economy

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Madhur Motwani

Understanding Trends and Key Barriers to Scaling Zero Emissions Homes in BC

This study explores the trends and barriers in construction of high-performance homes being built in British Columbia. The observed trends in products, solutions, and challenges will inform opportunities to improve the cost-effectiveness of high-performance homes in Vancouver and British Columbia will be used to both building professionals and regulators.

Partner: ZEBx
Keywords: green buildings, sustainable development & green economy

Built Environment & Mobility
Climate Change & Energy
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Rhianna Lash

Life Cycle Cost Analysis of HVAC Systems Across British Columbia

This report includes a life-cycle cost analysis (LCA) of a variety of HVAC systems, including all-gas and all-electric systems. In addition, LCA was applied to a  variety of heat pumps and electric baseboard heaters to understand their performanice in different climage regions in B.C. The cost-effectiveness of solar panels for powering HVAC systems were also reviewed.

Partner: BC Housing
Keywords: green buildings, social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy

Built Environment & Mobility
Data & Technology
Natural Resources
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Taha Mohebbi

Recommissioning the City of New Westminster's Building Automation Systems

The purpose of this project was to research the many opportunities that building automation systems (BAS) offer in reducing a building's GHG emissions. The report includes research on how to implement a recommissioning of the BAS in four City of New Westminster civic buildings; City Hall, the Police Building, the Library, and Century House.

Partner: City of New West
Keywords: green buildings, leadership & behaviour change

Built Environment & Mobility
Data & Technology
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Annie Dahan

Energy Poverty Community Profile - District of Saanich

This project aims to identify housing characteristics and demographic groups that are more likely to experience energy poverty compared to those who do not experience energy poverty in the District of Saanich. It includes key takeaways and energy goals that will centre equity in climate plans, policies, and programs.

Partner: District of Saanich & CUSP
Keywords: social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy

Climate Change & Energy
Human Well-being & Social Systems
Policy, Economics & Governance
UBC Sustainability Scholars report
PDF
2020
Mark McNaughton

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