About

The Green Labs Program promotes the reduction of energy, water, solid and hazardous waste from UBC labs

UBC’s Policy #6 (Environmental Protection Compliance) and Policy #9 (Hazardous Materials Management) among other commitments, require UBC’s research community to adopt practices to prevent pollution and reduce the amount of dangerous substances in University research activities.

A specific focus is on developing and delivering high-impact energy conservation programs as part of the implementation of UBC’s Climate Action Plan’s goal to achieve 100% GHG reduction by 2050, given the energy intensity of laboratories. In addition, the Green Labs Program parallels the long term strategic direction given within UBC’s 20 Year Sustainability Strategy through teaching, learning, research, operations and infrastructure and community.  

Green Labs provides UBC’s research community with the tools, education and processes necessary to help reduce the environmental impact of research activities. The program is a cooperative effort between:

• Campus + Community Planning
• Energy and Water Services
• Financial Services
• Risk Management Services Vancouver
• Risk Management Services Okanagan

and committed members of the University’s research community.

Goals and objectives

UBC’s Green Labs Program supports these policies and aims to further reduce the environmental impact of research activities by actively working in these areas:

• Buildings
  Optimize building and lab systems to run more efficiently and use less resources
• Lab practices and processes
  Define and implement environmental best management practices and processes
• Engaging researchers
  Increase the uptake of environmental best management practices in the research community