John Robinson, University of British Columbia

1. Regenerative Sustainability at UBC:
Beyond Harm Reduction
Presentation to
WG2 Session on
Campus-wide
Planning and
Target Setting
ISCN 2015
Conference
Hong Kong
John Robinson
UBC
Jun 18, 2015

2. Key Characteristics of
Sustainability at UBC
Regenerative Sustainability
Institutional Culture Change
Campus as Test-Bed
Two Cross-Cutting Themes

3. UBC Campus as Living Lab
– 50,000 students
– 14,000 staff and faculty
– 20,000 residents
– 15 million square feet
building floor space
– 48,000 tonnes GHG (2014)

4. UBC’s Climate Change goals (Mar, 2010)
• achieved Kyoto targets (-6%) for core
academic buildings in 2007 (with 35% growth
in floorspace)
• New targets:
- 33% by 2015
- 67% by 2020
-100% by 2050
Climate Action Plan Goals
Size of energy challenge:
• eliminate fossil fuels
• no new electricity transmission lines to
campus
• ~35% growth in research and residential
floorspace by 2030
0
20
40
60
80
100
2007 2015 2020 2050

5. Current Signature Projects
Continuous
Optimization
of Campus
Buildings
Demand-Side Supply-Side
Centre for
Interactive Research
on Sustainability
(CIRS)
Steam to Hot Water
Conversion of
Campus District
Energy System
Bioenergy Research
and Demonstration
Project
$150 million of capital investment

6. 2007-2014 Performance
• 22% absolute GHG reduction compared to 2007 levels
• 34% reduction per FTE student compared to 2007 levels

7. GHG from Electrical tCO2/yr GHG from Int. Gas tCO2/yr GHG from Oil tCO2/yr
GHG from Biomass
(50%MC) tCO2/yr
GHG from Gas tCO2/yr GHG Fleet, Fuel, Triumf and paper
-‐
20,000
40,000
60,000
UBC Climate Action Plan Targets

8. Climate Action Plan Schedule
Spring/Summer 2015 - preliminary technical analysis;
stakeholder engagement to identify potential actions for
consideration
Late Summer/Fall 2015 - assessment and evaluation of
potential actions
Winter/Spring 2016 - prepare and finalize the Plan
April 2016 - final plan will be presented for approval to the
Board of Governors
Steering Committee of operational staff, faculty and students

9. UBC Strategic Plan
Campus Plans
• Resource Conservation
Plans
• Community Plans
Implementation
• Technical and Design
Guidelines
• Unit-level Frameworks
• Engagement Strategy
and Program Plans
Operational
Sustainability Strategy
2013-16
Energy &
Emissions
Water
Materials &
Waste
Commuting &
Getting Around
Campus
Housing &
Amenities
Engagement
Programs
Integration

10. Campus Resource
Conservation Plan
Campus Community
Plans
Climate Action Plan UBC Land Use Plan
Community Energy & Emissions
Plan (in development)
Vancouver Campus Plan
Zero Waste Action Plan (in
development)
Public Realm Plan
Water Conservation Action Plan (in
development)
Housing Action Plan
Green Building Strategy (TBD) Neighbourhood Plans
Transportation Plan
Integrated Stormwater
Management Plan
Campus Plans

11. Implementation:
Unit Level Sustainability Frameworks

12. Social Sustainability
UBC
Wellbeing
Initiative
• Access & diversity
• Intercultural understanding
• First Nations
• Sport & Sustainability
• Healthy Campus initiative
• Community Engagement
initiative
• Community Service Learning
Initial Priorities
• Mental health
• Physical activity
• Inclusion & connection
• Food & nutrition
• Transportation
• Natural & built environments
 Human Wellbeing

13. 13
Greenest City Scholars, 2014
59 students (2010-14); 8/40 hired in first four years

14. Nexus program
Scholars 39 grad
students
SEEDS ~800
students
CCEL 3900
students
Work-learn 2600
students
Thousands of
students working
with partners on
sustainability
projects:
• Off campus/on
campus
• Grad/undergrad
• For credit/not
for credit
• Unpaid/paid

15. Innovator Working Group
Members:
• UBC (co-founder)
• Arizona State (co-founder)
• U Texas – Austin
• UC Davis
Regular
meetings and
exchanges:
• Share
knowledge
• Compare
best practice
North America leaders in campus energy & climate programs

16. Teaching & Learning Vision:
Integration across the University
Each student, regardless of their degree program, should
have access to an education in sustainability via a
“sustainability learning pathway” (UBC Sustainability
Academic Strategy, 2009)
Sustainability Pathways

17. Sustainability Learning Pathway
Yr 1
Yr 1/2
Yr 3/4
Yr 4 Capstone/Leadership Course
Sustainability
Electives
(courses vetted for
sustainability attributes)
Real World
Experience
(e.g. SEEDS, CLL,
Co-op, etc.)
SustainabilityLearning
Community
Introductory Course
(e.g. SCI 220)
First Year Courses with
Sustainability Embedded

18. NEXT
GENERATION
SUSTAINABILITY
AT UBC
Teaching,
Learning
and
Research
Operations
and
Infrastructur
e
UBC
Community

19. Engagement Summary
2,000+
ENGAGED

20. Musqueam Acknowledgement
Strategy developed in the spirit of respectful collaboration with
the Musqueam First Nation.
First Nations

21. At UBC's Vancouver campus, sustainability means
simultaneous improvements in human and
environmental wellbeing, not just reductions in damage
or harm. By 2035, such regenerative sustainability is
embedded across the University throughout teaching,
learning, research, partnerships, operations and
infrastructure, and the UBC community.
Vision
UBC is a vibrant, healthy and resilient community, deeply
engaged with its neighbours, surrounding region,
partners around the world, and in a supportive and
mutually respectful relationship with the Musqueam
people.

22. Teaching, Learning and Research
• Sustainability learning pathways
• Preferred destination for students
• Sustainability research and scholarship excellence

23. Operations and Infrastructure
• Sustainability lens
• Integrated campus-scale systems
• Regenerative, net-positive sustainability

24. Community
• Affordable and diverse housing
• Wellbeing and social sustainability
• Sustainable live-work-learn community
• Integrated and sustainable food systems

25. 20YS Next Steps
• Identify gaps and opportunities and develop an
implementation roadmap
• Socialize strategy and communicate progress
• Convene working groups (food, social sustainability)
to develop plans
• Map metrics to the strategy components
• Leverage the Campus as a Living Lab to explore
regenerative sustainability

26. Lessons Learned
• Importance of leadership
– Strategic institutional priority
• Institutional culture change is critical
– Not just academic excellence and cost-saving
– Connect the pyramid and the plain
• Power of a positive goal: regenerative
sustainability
• Critical importance of enabling role

27. Replication?
• Need to make strategic case
• Enlist existing on-campus champions
– Existing courses
– Students!
• Build external partnerships
• Quick wins
– e.g. Scholars program
Top-
down +
Bottom
-Up