Words by Nina Huh.
SDG Month Canada is a national initiative that invites Canadian universities, colleges, and community organizations to host events and panels that increase awareness of and engagement with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Led by the UBC Sustainability Hub, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Canada, and Colleges and Institutes Canada, SDG Month took place in March and consisted of 66 events hosted with close to 800 participants!
This year also marked the transition from SDG Week to SDG Month, expanding the opportunities for meaningful engagement in sustainability goals.
Featured national events
Indigenous rights
One of the standout events of SDG Month was the UBC Reads Sustainability with Sundance Chief Rueben George. Rueben George discussed his bestselling book, It Stops Here: Standing Up For Our Lands, Our Waters and Our People, in a conversation moderated by UBC Associate Professor Dr. Shannon Leddy. Discussions revolved around climate activism and how “climate justice must involve transforming the destructive dominant social systems that contributed to the current tipping point.” Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive, and participants specifically appreciated getting the opportunity to hear from an Indigenous land defender “on his own terms.” Watch the livestream here.
Local UBC events
Making climate conversations accessible — and fun!
Conversations around climate issues and justice can sometimes feel daunting to those who are still unfamiliar with the topics, so events that spread awareness in an entertaining way are critical – climate trivia, sustainable campus tours, and paint night were just a few ways the UBC SDG team helped educate and inform in an accessible and engaging manner.
EVENTS planned and supported by SUSTainability AMBASSADORS
Climate justice and the future generation
The Sustainability Ambassadors, supported by the UBC Sustainability Hub, also planned events and initiatives: everything from climate literacy outreach booths to upcycling workshops to sustainable bingo challenges. Notably, a number of events focused on the involvement of youth in sustainability initiatives: the Youth Climate Ambassadors workshops focused on storytelling and case studies to address climate anxiety and climate justice, while “Youth-Led Policy Change: Advocating for a Just, Peaceful & Sustainable Future” helped amplify youth-led movements advocating for transformative policy change. Climate Camp, a week-long climate education program for students aged 13 to 18, aimed to support youth in addressing the complex emotions that arise when engaging with climate anxiety and climate issues. It’s clear that engaging youth is key in ensuring that climate conversations gain and maintain momentum, and these events were an important step forward.
partner-led events
Apart from the ones organized by the SDG Month team, a number of events and initiatives were hosted by organizers passionate about sustainability and climate action. The SDG Month team invited them to be a part of the SDG Month initiative, showcasing and supporting their work -- check out the events website for full event details.
"In the five years since UBC began actively advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, we have made remarkable progress. The inaugural pan-Canadian SDG Month at UBC was a significant milestone—strengthening our institutional partnerships with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network at the University of Calgary and Colleges & Institutes Canada, and engaging hundreds of participants in driving the global goals forward through a transdisciplinary and equity-focused approach."
Kshamta Hunter, Manager of Transformative Learning & Student Engagement.
A big thank you to all those who made SDG Month possible!
SDG Month UBC 2025 took place at both the UBC Point Grey and Okanagan campuses, located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy ̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx ̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), Sel ̓ íl ̓ witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and Syilx (Okanagan) Nations. As part of the UBC community, we recognize our role as guests on these lands and our shared responsibility to learn from and with Indigenous peoples. Our work in sustainability and climate justice is deeply connected to the protection of human rights, and we’re committed to strengthening relationships with host Nations through respect, learning, and collaboration.
We would also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to our sponsors and
partners for their generous support: UBC Sauder School of Business, UBC Alma Mater Society (AMS) Sustainability, Sustainable Development Solutions Network University of Calgary, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Edith Lando Virtual Digital Lab, UBC Climate Hub, UBC Sustainability Ambassadors, UBC Sustainability Hub.