Green Building Action Plan

The Green Building Action Plan (GBAP) is a policy framework that outlines the pathway for academic and residential buildings at the UBC Vancouver campus to advance towards making net positive contributions to human and natural systems by 2035.

Green Building Requirements

• Institutional building requirements: Requirements for institutional buildings on the UBC academic campus.
• Residential building requirements: Requirements for residential buildings in UBC neighbourhoods.

Learn more about the goals, actions and targets for each of the component areas that guide the construction, renovations and retrofits of institutional buildings on campus.

Learn more about the goals, actions and targets for each of the component areas that guide the construction, renovations and retrofits of residential buildings on campus.

Learn more about how the plan is structured and the process for implementing (follow the drop links below).

Structure

For both institutional and residential buildings, the GBAP provides ambitious goals, targets and actions in eight distinct but interrelated component areas: energy, water, materials and resources, biodiversity, health and wellbeing, quality, climate adaptation, and place and experience.

Process and Connection to Research

Actions within each of the 8 component areas of the GBAP are sorted, with highest-priority actions intended to be completed within five years (short term). The actions follow a structured cycle of research, benchmarking, piloting, implementation and monitoring to help inform policy and enable continuous improvement of UBC buildings.

1. Research and review to advance knowledge of the component area through staff reviews of international best practices, academic research projects and consultant work.
2. Benchmark and develop metrics to establish standards of measurement for the component area and set levels of performance.
3. Pilot new approaches and installations to test, learn and inform the development of policy and practices.
4. Implement policy and practices to put the experiences of steps 1 to 3 into action and introduce new policy or strengthen existing policy.
5. Monitor and evaluate to learn from experience and encourage continuous improvement in UBC’s buildings.

Related links for an overview of GBAP

• Green Building Action Plan 2-Page Summary
• Action Appendices (5 Year Plan for actions by UBC staff)
• Plan at a Glance

The Green Building Action Plan is an opportunity to engage UBC's academic expertise through innovative research while providing enhanced educational opportunities for students. Learn more about the approach taken to engage with students and faculty on GBAP.

The UBC Climate Action Plan 2030 (CAP 2030) puts the university on an accelerated path to net zero emissions for buildings and energy supply as well as to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions for extended impact areas over the next 15 years.