With the province experiencing the piercing effects of climate change through a devastating year of wildfires, unprecedented heatwaves and, recently, flooding, UBC Okanagan is forging a bold path forward in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and planning for adaptation. The campus is building on previous success to create its first Okanagan-specific Climate Action Plan (UBCO CAP 2030).
“Climate change is a global issue that both affects and demands action from everyone—UBC Okanagan is no different,” says Lesley Cormack, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UBC’s Okanagan campus. “This first climate action plan lays out our ambitious goals, provides a clear pathway to meet those greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets and ensures accountability so that we can demonstrate how, here in the Okanagan, we are enacting bold changes to address the climate emergency.”
The UBCO CAP 2030 plan responds to UBC’s Climate Emergency Declaration and Climate Emergency Community Engagement process and will accelerate the campus’ emission reductions in alignment with the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
It outlines a path of greenhouse gas emission reductions for campus operations including buildings and energy supply, as well as extended or indirect sources like commuting, business air travel, food, embodied carbon and waste and materials, which represent the majority of campus emissions and are most impacted by individual actions.
The plan will target a 65 per cent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to below 2013 levels in campus operations, as well as a reduction of 45 per cent reduction in GHGs created by extended or indirect sources.
Greenhouse gas emissions sources at UBC Okanagan
In 2020, UBC Okanagan achieved a reduction in absolute campus operational GHG emissions by 41 per cent since 2013, based on the continued implementation of projects to optimize buildings and energy supply systems.
Looking toward the future, UBC Okanagan will continue to employ best practices for energy reduction during building planning and construction, focusing on LEED Gold Certification for the recently opened Nechako Residence and Commons, as well as the upcoming Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Innovation (ICI) building. More recently, the adoption of remote work opportunities has contributed to these emission reductions.
“Given much of our infrastructure has been built or updated in the past 10 years, we’re fortunate to have started on strong footing. While student enrolment and the number of buildings on campus have tripled since 2007, GHG emissions have dropped by seven per cent in the same time period,” says Cormack. “As we work to further reduce emissions in areas influenced by our daily choices—like how we travel to campus—the university looks forward to working with partners like municipalities and BC Transit to meet our shared climate objectives.”
Additionally, the newly constructed Skeena Residence is on track to become the first Passive House Certified dormitory in Canada. This new building, which opened to students in January 2021, features stringent insulation standards, a tightly sealed building, and the introduction of fresh air via high-efficiency heat recovery ventilation system. It is also the site of a living lab, which aims to identify the energy patterns of passive residential buildings related to resident behaviours, in order to provide recommendations on the most energy efficient uses.
Climate action is also being addressed through the UBCO Transportation Plan, which will address transportation demand and management strategies with a focus on commuting and public transit through ongoing dialogue and collaboration with the City of Kelowna and BC Transit, as well as personal commitments made by UBCO faculty, staff and students.
An electric vehicle station at UBC Okanagan.
The UBCO CAP 2030, which was approved by the UBC Okanagan Board of Governors December 7, will also include the implementation of the 10-year Strategic Energy Management Plan and a new Low Carbon Energy Strategy, which will address energy demand and supply side decarbonization. It is anticipated that alignment and implementation of this work over the long term will enable the campus to grow sustainably toward the achievement of its goal of net-positive performance in operational energy and carbon by 2050.
The UBCO Climate Action Plan includes an accountability framework that outlines responsibilities for implementation, monitoring progress, and governance for decision making over time. Starting in early 2022, engagement and outreach activities will accelerate, to underpin and foster these changes which are needed to reach the Paris Agreement target-aligned goals for business air travel, commuting, food and waste.
UBC Vancouver has also developed a Climate Action Plan, taking into account the specific assets and actions of that campus.
“I’m proud that UBCO is taking action to reduce our collective carbon footprint,” says Cormack. “We are far more than just a place to study. We have a responsibility to lead by example, to innovate and to engage the great minds of tomorrow in enacting the solutions of today. I believe that our UBCO Climate Action Plan helps chart the course for exactly that.”
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