Q. What does a Senior Planning and Sustainability Engineer do?
My focus is on developing sustainability plans like the Zero Waste Action Plan and the Climate Action Plan in collaboration with different units and stakeholders across UBC, and then working to facilitate implementation along with those stakeholders.
Q. In 2015, we cut our emissions 30% relative to 2007 levels. What’s next in terms of our sustainability aspirations and addressing sustainability at a systemic level?
Continuing to figure out how we could meet our next emissions target of 67% reduction by 2020 is a priority right now, as part of the Climate Action Plan 2020. But integrating the goals and objectives in these plans into ongoing operations in a practical way is really the key; implementation must be co-developed with stakeholders, in a way that is feasible given financial and other constraints. Huge progress has been made but the bar is set very high so we must work very effectively and creatively together to continue that progress.
Q. What is one thing that you do and that you could recommend to others in terms of reconnecting with nature and the environment
Personally I try to enjoy every moment of outdoor time, even if it’s a walk around the block – taking a moment to appreciate the living things that are all around us but easy to overlook with our busy schedules.