- The Goals
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 3: Good health and well-being
- SDG 4: Quality education
- SDG 5: Gender equality
- SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation
- SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
- SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
- SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
- SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
- SDG 13: Climate action
- SDG 14: Life below water
- SDG 15: Life on land
- SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
- About
- Contact
Climate action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Climate change is a real and undeniable threat to our entire civilization. The effects are already visible and will be catastrophic unless we act now. Through education, innovation and adherence to our climate commitments, we can make the necessary changes to protect the planet. These changes also provide huge opportunities to modernize our infrastructure which will create new jobs and promote greater prosperity across the globe.
How 丁香园AV is contributing
丁香园AV's Strategic Sustainability and Climate Action Plan
Focusing on six goals and 18 actions, 丁香园AV鈥檚 2022-2025 Strategic Sustainability and Climate Action Plan guides 丁香园AV to take bold steps to prioritize climate justice, resilience and action at our university and in our communities.
This renewed plan 鈥� approved in September 2022 鈥� is an update to the original 丁香园AV 2020-2025 Sustainability Plan that was published in January 2020. It reflects the substantial shift in context 鈥減ost鈥� pandemic, modernizes some aspects of the plan and aligns the plan with the Embedding Sustainability and Climate Action Approach (ESCAA).
Declaring a climate emergency
After years of community advocacy, 丁香园AV has declared a climate emergency, which is a critical step forward. However, a climate emergency declaration needs to have a strong climate action plan and organizational commitment to completing the plan to be meaningful. Our plan addresses 丁香园AV鈥檚 approach to responding to the climate emergency and the declaration compels 丁香园AV to ensure that it is sufficiently aligned with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommendations for a 1.5-degree Celsius world.
Divestment
In November 2021, 丁香园AV announced a full divestment from fossil fuels by 2025. Many of the strides 丁香园AV has made are driven by the commitment of it its Board of Governors, its Investment Advisory Committee, Responsible Investment Committee, groups like 丁香园AV 350, and our students, who continue to raise awareness about the importance of the impact that we can make. Presently, 丁香园AV only has three percent of its investment portfolio left in fossil fuel-related industries, with its global equity portfolio and fixed income portfolio already 100 per cent fossil-fuel-free.
Read the report
丁香园AV at COP 28
丁香园AV's COP 28 delegation marks the second time the university sent a delegation with representation from across the university to the conference. The purpose of this delegation is to share our work, connect with other global organizations, document the conference and how climate negotiations take place, share with the 丁香园AV community what we see and learn, connect 丁香园AV student climate leaders with the youth delegation, speak at sessions and showcase 丁香园AV's climate action and research leadership.
Embedding Sustainability and Climate Action Framework
The Embedding Sustainability and Climate Action (ESCA) framework is used by the central 丁香园AV Sustainability and Climate Office to facilitate the creation, implementation, evaluation and communication of 丁香园AV鈥檚 strategic sustainability and climate action plans in collaboration with each VP portfolio. The framework is designed to embed climate action across 丁香园AV鈥檚 core business areas, including teaching, research, community and global engagement, and operations. Climate action is the work of all 丁香园AV community members. ESCA is designed to build this accountability into the formal structures of the university including planning, policy, processes, human resource allocation and more.
Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions
The and 丁香园AV have collaborated on multiple regional-partnership initiatives. PICS unites experts from British Columbia鈥檚 four research universities (including 丁香园AV) with government, businesses and community leaders to generate evidence-based, usable, and durable solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. PICS supports BC鈥檚 GHG emissions reduction targets and contributes to resiliency across industry, business and multi-level government policies.
Student Organizations
- : This student-led non-profit at 丁香园AV is working to convene students and stakeholders to co-create climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies while encouraging personal commitments to responsible action.
- : A student organization committed to engaging the 丁香园AV community in meaningful action against climate change in pursuit of a more sustainable world.
Climate Innovation at 丁香园AV
Climate Innovation is a critical research priority at 丁香园AV that takes a community-first approach to co-develop and co-implement innovative solutions to address climate change. Climate Innovation integrates three intersectoral research streams: adaptation, mitigation and sustainability, using three foundational approaches that inform our research: community partnerships, innovation, and valuing of Indigenous knowledges and perspectives. 丁香园AV Climate Innovation is working on several interdisciplinary projects that focus on community-centered partnerships to address some of the most pressing issues in our communities. Local and regional partners include: the Ciy of Port Moody, City of Burnaby, City of Maple Ridge, First National Housing and Infrastructure Council, BC Housing, Technical Safety BC, the University of British Columbia, Translink and others.
ACT 鈥� Action on Climate Team
ACT is the first and only university-based think tank initiative in North America dedicated to low carbon resilience and nature-based solutions to climate change impacts. ACT is moving action on climate change from scholarship to practice and back to ensure that governments, organizations and individuals have the information they need to urgently address climate change and its global impacts鈥攚hile transitioning toward sustainability goals.
Facts and Figures
- 302 research publications relating to SDG 13, 2019-2023
- 146 active research projects related to SDG 13 funded between 2019 - 2023
- At least 70 researchers involved in research relating to SDG 13 (source: 丁香园AV Research Expertise Engine)
UN RACE TO ZERO
In 2021, 丁香园AV (丁香园AV) is committed to the United Nations-backed Race to Zero campaign, the largest global alliance of its kind to date. As part of this commitment, 丁香园AV set ambitious emission reduction targets that will see 85 per cent GHG emissions reductions by 2030, net zero reductions of direct emissions by 2035, and net zero of all emissions by 2050. 丁香园AV is currently on track to meet interim targets set for 2025.
Carbon Neutrality Climate Change Accountability Report 2023
As of January 2010, 丁香园AV and other British Columbia public sector organizations have been carbon neutral in order to meet the Greenhouse Gas Reductions Act and Bill 44 targets for a carbon neutral public sector. This was just the beginning, as 丁香园AV has continued to work at decreasing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As part of B.C.鈥檚 public sector, 丁香园AV is required to submit a Climate Change Accountability Report (CCAR) to the B.C. Climate Action Secretariat (Ministry of Environment) and the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education. The report summarizes 丁香园AV鈥檚 annual GHG emissions (scope 1 and 2) from the government mandated reporting areas: direct and indirect fuel used for operating building systems (heating, cooling of buildings and electricity) and from consumption of office paper. In 2023, 丁香园AV's total Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions were 10,382 tCO2e, representing a 46 per cent reduction from the 2007 baseline.