Sustainability Scholars Program

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the current landscape of electric vehicle (EV) charging retrofits in Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs) to identify the major barriers to successful retrofit support programs. These barriers were then contextualized to the City of New Westminster and a set of recommendations were developed to inform and guide city staff as they develop an EV charger retrofit strategy for MURBs.  

Partner: City of New Westminster
Funder: BC Hydro
Keywords: sustainable development & green economy, transportation, electric vehicles

This project aims to improve the health of existing and new street trees in hardscape infrastructure in Vancouver through evaluation of research and best practices, comparison of peer municipal practices and case studies, and analysis of current city trends. Recommendations are provided for Vancouver's existing design and management standards and specifications for below and at-ground practices for existing street trees, newly planted street trees, and current sidewalk and boulevard design.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver & UBC
Keywords: climate adaptation, green infrastructure, climate resilience, urban forests

This report examines the relationship between farming practices and shorebird conservation on the Fraser River Delta and globally. It includes a description of shorebird ecology, an outline of the state of shorebird habitat and agricultural land use on the FRD, and an analysis of current research on shorebird conservation. It concludes with research-based recommendations for farming practices to improve habitat for resident and migratory shorebirds on the Fraser River Delta.

Partner: Bird Studies Canada
Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation)
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems, food systems 

Southern Resident killer whales are an endangered population of orcas living in the coastal waters of southern British Columbia and Washington state. With only 74 individuals remaining, timely and meaningful action to protect this population is of critical importance. This report identifies the limitations of the Species at Risk Act and argues for expanding Southern Resident killer whale critical habitat into the Fraser River watershed to include Chinook salmon tributaries.

Partner: Raincoast Conservation
Foundation Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation)
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems, endangered species

This project reviews passive solutions for addressing overheating and potential barriers for cooling retrofits. Existing multi-family buildings contribute significantly to emissions and exacerbate the impact of extreme weather. To meet 2030 climate goals, prompt retrofitting is vital. The study evaluated options such as behavior change, natural ventilation, green roofs, white roofs, green walls, exterior shading, and window treatments based on effectiveness, ease of retrofit, and cost.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver & UBC
Keywords: climate action, low carbon buildings, climate resilience, biodiversity, green buildings 

This project provides recommendations to develop a zero emissions municipal buildings policy for the City of Port Moody through the study and research of similar policies from other municipalities and reports by other public organizations. The project suggests carbon balance calculation as the key framework of the policy, including operational, embodied, construction and avoided carbon emissions in an attempt to record emissions from the whole building life cycle of the municipal buildings.  

Partner: City of Port Moody
Funder: BC Hydro  
Keywords: green buildings, municipal buildings, zero carbon 

The Township of Langley is exploring a shared micromobility pilot program in support of its sustainability and transportation objectives. This report examines the experience of municipal staff involved in similar work in other jurisdictions, explains the perspective of private shared micromobility operators, and profiles some potential pilot program areas. It then makes key recommendations for the design and scoping of any potential shared micromobility pilot program in the Township.

Partner: Township of Langley
Funder: Township of Langley
Keywords: transportation, micromobility, active transportation, e-bike, e-scooter

This study aims to provide a roadmap for retrofitting existing mid-rise building retrofits in order to understand the required capital investment, energy savings, corresponding energy cost savings, and carbon footprint. The findings can assist policy-makers and other stakeholders in gaining a holistic view of energy retrofits and making better decisions on implementing energy retrofit measures to reduce utility bills and carbon emissions.  

Partner: City of Richmond
Funder: City of Richmond
Keywords: green buildings, sustainable development & green economy

The project reviews emissions modeling methods used in the textile and apparel industry to assess environmental impacts of textile waste end-of-life management strategies. Case examples are compared and approaches for performing emissions estimations based on industry standards and guidance are provided. This work contributes to the Textile Lab for Circularity's (TLC) project, Roadmap to Textile Recycling for Western Canada, which aims to inform strategic action planning to enhance textile diversion in the region.

Partner: Canadian Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) - Textile Lab for Circularity (TLC)
Funder: UBC
Keywords: supply chain management & green procurement, sustainable development & green economy, waste management & recycling