This summer, the City of Vancouver and the University of British Columbia celebrate a milestone in their Greenest City Scholars Program. A 100th Greenest City Scholar will be applying their research to the City’s policies related to the Greenest City Action Plan and the Renewable City Strategy.
“This program is one example of what makes Vancouver an innovative leader among green initiatives in the country,” said Sadhu Johnson, Vancouver City Manager.
Designed to leverage the innovation and research capacity of universities and apply it in a highly focused way to an urban environment, the Greenest City Scholars Program brings together UBC graduate students with mentors from the City of Vancouver.
With rapid urbanization, cities are increasingly seen as key actors in global efforts to address climate change.
Cities account for over 70 per cent of global GHG emissions and energy consumption, and are projected to host nearly 70 per cent of the global population by 2050.
Yet to address such complex and large scale issues, cities can’t do it alone. The Greenest City Scholars Program, launched seven years ago, is one example of how cities can create partnership to advance sustainability.
“Partnering with UBC and providing meaningful opportunities for students to work with staff to solve challenges we face, provides them with hands on experience and fosters their enthusiasm and commitment to fight climate change.
“In return, the City gains fresh ideas, valuable research, and potential solutions to help us as we work towards becoming the greenest city in the world. The success of this program demonstrates the importance of partnerships with institutions like UBC and the value it adds to all the participants.”
“The Greenest City Scholars Program provides UBC graduate students with applied learning experiences that will enrich their future careers," said UBC Interim President Martha Piper. "It also helps advance Vancouver's sustainability goals by working in partnership with the City."
The success of the model has inspired the program to expand. The UBC Sustainability Initiative recently launched the Sustainability Scholars Program, which builds on the Greenest City Scholars model, but includes partners such as municipalities, utilities and health authorities.