University of British Columbia

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

UBC's new campus plan incorporates objectives from Trek 2010, the university's sustainability vision statement. The university has written a climate action plan with measurable strategies for reducing emissions. The sustainability office employs 12 full-time staff. The university's purchasing policy specifies that all paper be 30 percent recycled and all cleaning products be Green Seal-certified.

UBC will be carbon neutral by the year 2010. ECOTrek, an eight-year energy and water infrastructure retrofit project, saves the university over $3.3 million annually, and has reduced emissions to below 1990 levels. The occupants of five UBC buildings are provided with their buildings' real-time energy statistics through a website. Volunteer sustainability coordinators within departments advocate for responsible use of resources.

Dining halls feature produce from the campus farm. All food waste and biodegradable take-out containers are processed in UBC's in-vessel composter. The university favors purchasing food from suppliers who minimize packaging, and limits the number of deliveries per week. The dining hall distributes reusable containers to students. Nearly all coffee is fair trade.

All construction must comply with UBC's own guidelines, which specify standards beyond those of British Columbia's green building codes. Aging buildings are renovated to the LEED Silver level. Two buildings on campus are certified LEED Gold, and nine others meet LEED criteria. Motion sensors control lighting in hallways and bathrooms, and most incandescent lighting has been eliminated.

Residence sustainability coordinators work to enforce green practices within dormitories. Paid student interns work in the sustainability office, as well as in waste management and transportation. There are more than 15 active student groups, including Sprouts, a group working to make sustainably produced food available on campus, and the Student Environment Centre.

UBC's fleet includes hybrid cars and electric trucks, the largest of which have been replaced with hybrids. An unlimited public transportation pass is subsidized for students. The campus has two car-sharing programs and a bike co-op. Roads in the center of campus are closed to vehicles.

The university makes a list of external managers, mutual funds, equity holdings, and fixed-income holdings available online to the public. Information about votes cast on proxy resolutions is available to the public at the investment office.

The university aims to optimize investment return and, though it does not allocate to dedicated renewable energy funds or community development loan funds, there are renewable energy investments within some funds. Investment managers consider environmental issues, labor practices, health, and safety standards.

The university provides its investment managers with general guidelines that determine its proxy votes. An SRI advisory committee is being established to provide a mechanism for a wide range of view points and input.