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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.

間眅埶AV's Strategic Sustainability and Climate Action Plan

Focusing on six goals and 18 actions, 間眅埶AVs 2022-2025 Strategic Sustainability and Climate Action Plan guides 間眅埶AV to take bold steps to prioritize climate justice, resilience and action at our university and in our communities.

This renewed plan approved in September 2022 is an update to the original 間眅埶AV 2020-2025 Sustainability Plan that was published in January 2020. It reflects the substantial shift in context post pandemic, modernizes some aspects of the plan and aligns the plan with the Embedding Sustainability and Climate Action Approach (ESCAA).

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Our commitments to climate action

Declaring a climate emergency

After years of community advocacy, 間眅埶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 will address 間眅埶AVs approach to responding to the climate emergency and the declaration compels 間眅埶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, 間眅埶AV announced a full divestment from fossil fuels by 2025. Many of the strides 間眅埶AV has made are driven by the commitment of it its Board of Governors, its Investment Advisory Committee, Responsible Investment Committee, groups like 間眅埶AV 350, and our students, who continue to raise awareness about the importance of the impact that we can make.

Engagement

From left, 間眅埶AV students Paige Hunter, Skye Noh and Alea Mohamed at COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt as part of 間眅埶AVs first formal delegation.

Embedding Sustainability and Climate Action Approach

The Embedding Sustainability and Climate Action Approach is a framework that the central 間眅埶AV Sustainability team is using to facilitate the creation, implementation, evaluation and communication of 間眅埶AVs strategic sustainability and climate action plans in collaboration with each VP portfolio at 間眅埶AV.

間眅埶AV at COP 27

was the first formal delegation sent by 間眅埶AV to the conference. The purpose of this delegation was to share our work, connect with other global organizations, document the conference and how climate negotiations take place, share with the 間眅埶AV community what we see and learn, connect 間眅埶AV student climate leaders with the youth delegation, speak at sessions and showcase 間眅埶AVs climate action leadership.

Climate Action Student Collaborative

The is a comprehensive program that is designed to support the beginning of student exploration of a diverse range of climate action topics. It is meant to be flexible, in order to enable students to complete the program components at a pace that works for their unique needs.

Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions

The and 間眅埶AV have collaborated on multiple regional-partnership initiatives. PICS unites experts from British Columbias four research universities (including 間眅埶AV) with government, businesses and community leaders to generate evidence-based, usable, and durable solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. PICS supports BCs GHG emissions reduction targets and contribute to resiliency across industry, business and multi-level government policies.

Student Organizations

  • : This student-led non-profit at 間眅埶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 間眅埶AV community in meaningful action against climate change in pursuit of a more sustainable world.
  • : A student-run environmental activism group based out of 間眅埶AV Burnaby campus that aims to engage students of 間眅埶AV in environmental movements through the organization of fun social networking events.

Research

Student researchers participate in 間眅埶AV's Sustainability and Climate Solutions Student Research Day.

Sustainability Research Intersection: Exploring Climate Solutions

This event celebrated the remarkable research at 間眅埶AV across four sustainability themes: energy futures, sustainability mobility, sustainable cities and nature-based solutions. The event also includes presentations and panel discussions from researchers, government and industry leaders.

間眅埶AV Sustainability and Climate Solutions Student Research Day

This event brought together 間眅埶AV graduate students, faculty members, and researchers who are conducting research in sustainability and climate solutions, for an opportunity to share their work and develop interdisciplinary networks at 間眅埶AV and beyond.

Community-Centred Climate Innovation at 間眅埶AV

Community-centred climate innovation is a critical research program and priority at 間眅埶AV that takes a community-first approach to co-develop and co-implement innovative solutions to address climate change. Community-centred 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.

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ACT 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 impactswhile transitioning toward sustainability goals.

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Facts and Figures

  • 381 research publications relating to SDG 13, 2017-2022
  • 203 active research projects related to SDG 13 funded from 2017-2022

Operations

The Corix Biomass project at 間眅埶AV is a high-efficiency heating plant. Fueled by burning urban wood waste from Metro Vancouver the plant greatly reduces demand for natural gas on campus and in the surrounding community.

Climate Change Accountability Report 2022

As part of B.C.s carbon neutral public sector, 間眅埶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 間眅埶AVs 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.

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Climate Action at 間眅埶AV

As part of 間眅埶AV's Strategic Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, the university has made strong institutional commitments to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

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