Project Library

This report examines how Indigenous non-profit housing and service providers across British Columbia experience and manage climate-related emergencies. Drawing on interviews with AHMA member societies and existing literature, it assesses mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery practices, identifies gaps in funding, training, and communication, and offers five recommendations to strengthen emergency management capacity and better support Indigenous communities during extreme weather.

Partner: Aboriginal Housing Management Association
Funder: Aboriginal Housing Management Association
Keywords: climate resilience, equity, diversity, inclusion, leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, Indigenous housing 

The objective of this project was to provide management options for the current heritage buildings on Vancouver Airport (YVR) lands through the combined lense of climate action and heritage planning. This work included a literature review of best practices for building conservation, adaptive re-use, and maintenance of historic structures in industrial/commercial settings along with a scan of potential funding incentives. 

Partner: Vancouver Airport Authority
Funder: Vancouver Airport Authority
Keywords: climate resilience, green buildings, land use planning, heritage

This project developed a regional bikeway condition monitoring framework and ArcGIS Survey123 assessment tool to improve the consistency of bikeway inspections across Metro Vancouver. Through literature review, partner agency engagement, framework development, and pilot testing, the project established a standardized approach for assessing bikeway conditions. The proposed framework supports proactive maintenance planning, and long-term management of the major bikeway network.

Partner: TransLink
Funder: TransLink
Keywords: active transportation, sustainable development & green economy, transportation, maintenance planning, asset management

The Low Carbon Resilience and Environmental Sustainability Guidelines (LCRES) are the Energy and Environmental Sustainability (EES) team's principal resource for new healthcare construction in British Columbia. This evaluation examined their use, effectiveness and barriers to implementation through thirteen semi-structured interviews with internal and external stakeholders. Thematic analysis found a valued technical resource operating within an organizational incentive structure that limits uptake and reach.

Partner: Vancouver Coastal Health
Funder: Vancouver Coastal Health
Keywords: green infrastructure, leadership & behaviour change, low carbon buildings, sustainable development & green economy, healthcare construction 

This project examined how technologies such as battery storage systems and smart thermostats impact energy-insecure households in B.C. The findings inform recommendations for utility and government programs that improve energy affordability for households and reduce peak demand on the grid. The report also includes guidance on electricity rate designs that pair best with different technologies.

Partner: Ecotrust Canada
Funder: BC Hydro
Keywords: equity, diversity, inclusion, green buildings, low carbon buildings, sustainable development & green economy, electrification 

Companion Analytical Workbook (Google Sheet)

This project analyzes the City of Courtenay's development approvals, servicing standards, and tree-related bylaws to identify structural causes of servicing tree conflicts under development legislation. Using policy review, process mapping, and practitioner interviews, it evaluates gaps in electrical servicing coordination, tree data, and procedural timing. The work proposes modernization strategies, earlier inputs, clearer standards, and digital workflows to align urban forest protection with densification.

Partner: City of Courtenay
Funder: BC Hydro
Keywords: biodiversity, climate resilience, land use planning, sustainable development & green economy, electrical servicing

Resistance to the legally required Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) implementation in Canada's forestry sector persists. The extensive research for this project identifies and assesses FPIC implementation barriers in Alberta, British Columbia, and New Brunswick. Federal and provincial forestry laws, Aboriginal and treaty right laws, and international legal and voluntary commitments were reviewed to assess the need for a Canadian Centre for Social Excellence to advance FPIC implementation in forestry.

Partner: Earthworm Foundation
Funder: Earthworm Foundation
Keywords: Aboriginal and treaty rights, FPIC, forestry

This project developed an implementation guide for Power Efficient Design (PED) strategies to accelerate decarbonization of existing multi-unit residential buildings at UBC. It examines how space conditioning, domestic hot water systems, centralized ventilation, energy management, and energy storage can support electrification while managing peak electrical demand. The project also identifies Canadian Electrical Code barriers and proposes practical implementation pathways.

Partner: University of British Columbia
Funder: BC Hydro
Keywords: climate resilience, green buildings, low carbon buildings, sustainable development & green economy, building electrification

This project identifies updated or emerging climate-related language in BC's collective bargaining agreements to understand the current climate-aligned provisions that unions and employees count on for a just transition. This report highlights areas of success and possible bottlenecks in negotiations to issue recommendations to strengthen and improve green language, outlining potential next steps for future research, training tools, and curriculum development.

Partner: Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC)
Funder: Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC)
Keywords: climate adaptation, equity, diversity, inclusion, leadership & behaviour change, labour, green language, green work