Project Library

This report explores why life transitions (e.g., starting university, becoming a parent, immigrating, retiring) can serve as effective intervention points to advance low-carbon living. Based on a review of the literature and practice, it highlights 10 elements that make life transitions promising opportunities to take action. This report identifies how to use these moments to support people going through transitions, while encouraging pro-environmental behaviour. 

Partner: OneEarth Living
Funder: UBC
Keywords: climate action, green economy, zero emission vehicles ecological systems, social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy 

The project examines policies and programs currently in place to promote energy-efficiency retrofits and fuel-switching in residential homes across British Columbia, with a particular focus on effectiveness and equity. After identifying several shortcomings, the study reviews residential sector decarbonization policies implemented in other jurisdictions, as well as those recommended in the academic literature, and proposes policy pathways to advance equitable decarbonization in British Columbia.

Partner: Ecotrust Canada
Funder: Ecotrust Canada
Keywords: sustainable development & green economy, building retrofits, equitable decarbonization

World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) is the sole governing body for all DanceSport related activities recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The 2024 Olympic games will be the first Games a DanceSport discipline participates in the Medal Programme. A key priority of the Olympic agenda is Sustainability. This report serves as a recommendation and implementation schedule of sustainable practices for WDSF to adopt and a tool to amend existing WDSF sustainability policies and goals.

Partner: World DanceSport Federation
Funder: World DanceSport Federation
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy 

This project aims to help improve tenants' rights to energy efficient, climate resilient, and safe housing through policy amendments and program activation. It considers effectiveness, feasibility, and tenant justice in its suggestions. The report includes recommendations for BC policymakers that quantify and track rental housing stock, increase transparency, improve rental housing standards, and provide supports so that retrofits are not at expense of housing stability and affordability.

Partner: Ecotrust Canada
Funder: Ecotrust Canada
Keywords: Economics & Governance, rental housing, energy poverty, tenants' rights

The purpose of this project is to provide nurses in the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment BC (CANE BC) with tools and strategies to use their trusted voices to mobilize climate action through social media with confidence, thereby directly engendering progress toward the promotion of planetary health.

Partner: Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment 
Funder: UBC
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, sustainable development & green economy, Nurses & Planetary Health

This project aims to understand how to motivate climate action from people concerned about climate change but do not change their behaviour. This report includes summaries of other household climate action projects and evaluates the first phase of the Nanaimo Climate Pledge: who took the pledge, which actions people are most willing to take, and the effectiveness of different outreach methods.

Partner: Nanaimo Climate Action Hub Society
Funder: UBC
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, climate action

This research supports City of Vancouver's exploration into the creation of potential centralized datasets and maps that illustrate how various equity indicators (e.g., gender identity, racial identity, income, etc.) overlay with climate policy indicators (e.g., access to transit options, tree canopy, etc.). This report is intended to serve as a starting point for further interdepartmental conversations among City staff about the opportunities and risks of mapping equity-denied populations.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver & UBC
Keywords: equity, diversity, inclusion, land use planning, social planning, climate policy, mapping

The project's objective was to conduct research to get a better understanding of datasets, data sources, and the accessibility of climate risk data and to provide a set of recommendations to try to include climate risk data into GRID - a building energy benchmarking software. Key questions pertaining to key climate risk datasets, stakeholders, and existing gaps in climate risk data are addressed.

Partner: OPEN Regenerative Technologies
Funder: OPEN Regenerative Technologies
Keywords:  green buildings, climate risk, data

Introduced Canada Geese eating large amounts of vegetation in the Fraser estuary presents a conservation challenge. Loss of tidal marsh habitat caused by Canada Geese is occurring throughout the Fraser estuary, threatening salmon and ecological processes, and various cultural and economic values. This report documents the history and significance of this conservation challenge and presents findings that support the need for habitat restoration and collaborative stewardship in the Fraser estuary.

Partner: UBC Sustainability Hub
Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation)
Keywords:  biodiversity, conservation, restoration