The University of British Columbia
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan

UBC was the first university in Canada to create a comprehensive sustainability strategy. Inspirations and Aspirations: The Sustainability Strategy 2006-2010 was produced in 2005 in response to the university’s sustainable development policy (Policy #5), which calls for clearly targeted action plans in all departments to improve performance in key sustainability areas. In preparing this plan, a stakeholder consultation process was carried out with 20 departments, all 12 faculties, and all major student organizations at UBC Vancouver. Together these groups developed a framework and identified major goals for sustainability at UBC. Next, these groups identified objectives and set specific targets. The result is that each of the objectives listed in Inspirations and Aspirations: The Sustainability Strategy has at least one UBC unit that has assumed responsibility for achieving it.

Inspirations and Aspirations outlines UBC Vancouver’s goals, objectives, and action plans for improving the institution’s social, economic, and ecological performance. In 2007, the Plan was updated to include UBC's Okanagan campus. The Plan includes 89 metrics with corresponding strategies and timeframes to achieve goals in the three pillars of social, economic, and ecological sustainability, along with the VP responsible for each goal.

A detailed report was produced on each I&A metric for 2006-7 and select I&A indicators are reported in UBC's Annual Review: Triple Bottom Line Report produced by Public Affairs. Select I&A indicators are also reported in the UBC Annual Sustainability Report, which is submitted to the UBC Board of Governors as per Policy #5. A wrap up report reporting on the strategy and each metric will be produced in 2011. The wrap up report will evaluate the success of respective metrics as well as provide recommendations to set up the next Campus Operational Sustainability Strategy.