Sustainability Scholars Program

This project exploresthe challenges and opportunities of government-supported food emergency assistance for Asian migrant communities in the Okanagan. It focuses specifically on the impact of the 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire, highlighting the increased need for culturally appropriate food. The project also explores the roles of various levels of government through the delivery of Emergency Support Services (ESS), private businesses, and ethnic community organizations.

Partner: Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Funder: Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Keywords: climate resilience, food systems, social sustainability 

Herschel Supply Company is an iconic Vancouver brand. This report aims to enhance Herschel'd social and environmental impact efforts. It evaluates third-party memberships to improve working conditions in tier-one factories and proposes a strategy to standardize social compliance. The report also summarizes Herschel's current strategy and relevant environmental and supply chain disclosure legislation.

Partner: Herschel Supply  
Funder: Herschel Supply  
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, supply chain management & green procurement 

This report explores how community science can help address the widespread lack of data on urban biodiversity. It focuses on involving communities in species monitoring at various green rainwater infrastructure (GRI) sites to better understand the impacts of creating new urban habitats and foster dynamic ecological urban planning. It offers strategies and tools for city staff to select target species and design engaging programs that address data gaps, monitor species, and optimize staff time.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver
Keywords: biodiversity, equity, diversity, inclusion, ecological systems, green infrastructure 

This project aimed to promote the intentional use of values-based approaches in coastal adaptation. The resulting literature review summarizes how values are conceptualized, operationalized, and integrated into coastal adaptation strategies. This report, intended for practitioners and program staff, highlights lessons learned, identifies entry points for integrating values-based approaches, and offers practical guidance to enhance the impact and sustainability of coastal adaptation efforts.

Partner: Fraser Basin Council Society  
Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation Grant)
Keywords: climate adaptation, climate resilience, leadership & behaviour change, water 

This project identifies key innovations and technologies aimed at reducing GHG emissions in drinking water services. It provides an overview of the water supply system life cycle stages and the associated GHG sources, accompanied by an inventory of interventions to mitigate these emissions. Each intervention is described in terms of its GHG reduction potential and unit cost. Additionally, the report features case studies on water utilities that have successfully implemented these strategies.

Partner: Metro Vancouver
Funder: Metro Vancouver
Keywords: climate mitigation, green infrastructure, low carbon buildings, water 

The field of sustainable health care is rapidly emerging, with many organizations becoming involved; however, there is currently no centralized place to access or view existing educational resources. This report provides an overview of the current landscape of sustainable health-care education, including how resources are developed, who they are developed for, challenges, gaps, and recommendations. The report also describes how a database of publicly available, online resources was created.

Partner: Vancouver Coastal Health
Funder: Vancouver Coastal Health
Keywords: climate mitigation, leadership & behaviour change, sustainability in education, health, health care

This project examines the equity, diversity, and inclusion practices of three Business Improvemant Areas (BIA) in the City of Vancouver top understand how they promote and protect cultural food assets amidst development pressures. Aligned with Vancouver's placekeeping strategy, the research highlights the importance of safeguarding both existing and prospective cultural food assets. Utilizing qualitative methods, including a targeted jurisdictional scan and expert interviews, the study presents comprehensive findings and recommendations.

Partner: City of Vancouver
Funder: City of Vancouver
Keywords: equity, diversity, inclusion, cultural food assets, Equity Framework, Place-keeping

This report analyzes global and local restoration policies, identifying gaps in integrating nature-based solutions. The review examines biodiversity-related policies of the Government of  Canada and the Province of BC for alignment with the Convention on Biological Diversity, and Canada's commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The review highlights the need for better ecosystem mapping policies, steady funding, and communication of restoration benefits to property owners.

Partner: World Wildlife Fund Canada
Funder: UBC (Sitka Foundation Grant)
Keywords: biodiversity, climate resilience, green infrastructure, restoration

This report equips practitioners with innovative approaches for mapping water scarcity in British Columbia, with a particular focus on Indigenous communities. Integrating global best practices with local context, it emphasizes enhancing community engagement, investing in data collection infrastructure, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. By adopting these strategies, partners can create accurate, culturally sensitive water scarcity maps that support sustainable water management.

Partner: Fraser Basin Council Society
Funder: Fraser Basin Council Society
Keywords: climate resilience, equity, diversity, inclusion, water, Indigenous Communities