Workplace Sustainability Fund | UBC Campus & Community Planning

The Workplace Sustainability Fund is now closed for 2026. Please check again in early 2027 for the next round!

Overview

Do you have a project idea for your department or unit? The Workplace Sustainability Fund helps turn ideas into action. Funds are available annually for Sustainability Coordinators to pursue sustainability projects addressing at least one of the following focus areas:

Climate Action: projects that help to mitigate UBC’s carbon footprint and enhance resilience to climate change

Commuting: initiatives that address sustainable transportation options

Climate-Friendly Food Systems: projects promoting sustainable and ethical practices with regards to food (procurement, catering, events)

Waste & Materials: efforts towards achieving zero waste, promoting reuse, recycling, and fostering a circular economy

Education & Engagement: projects focused on educating and engaging your unit or broader UBC community in any of the listed focus areas, aligning with the CAP2030 targets

Biodiversity: projects focused on topics such as conserving on-campus biodiversity and reducing biodiversity loss

Past funded projects include lab glove recycling, waste-diversion networks, sustainable office challenges, botanical garden walks for climate literacy, and student-led climate storytelling workshops.

Application Process

Applicants to the fund must be registered Sustainability Coordinators. Applications are open to coordinators at the Point Grey campus, Robson Square, Learning Exchange, and Teaching Hospital sites. SC's may partner with non-SC colleagues to design and implement a project, but the SC must be the primary applicant.
Review the funding criteria
Complete the application form
Submit applications via email to sc.program@ubc.ca

Range of Funding Opportunities with Workplace Sustainability Fund:

Examples: Energy efficiency workshops, Sustainable Office Supply Kits, Forming a climate action committee

Examples: Climate-Friendly Food Program, Biodiversity Enhancement Project, Greening your breakroom/lunchroom

Examples: Energy-Efficient Office Appliances, Sustainability Student Staff

2025/26 Recipients

Museum of Anthropology: Faculty of Arts Waste Diversion Network

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) used the Workplace Sustainability Fund to support and launch the Faculty of Arts Waste Diversion Network, an initiative that aims to reduce landfill waste by collecting and recycling commonly used materials like polypropylene, plexiglass, and nitrile. Inspired by a successful lab plastics pilot, the initiative will engage departments such as MOA, LOA, and the Belkin Gallery to assess shared waste needs and identify sustainable solutions.

What the funding made possible

With the $3000 award, the MOA team was able to:

Hire a student research assistant to maintain project records, compile collected data, and design and distribute a survey to MOA staff to assess current recycling, composting and waste practices

Conduct a site visit to the Life Science Institute to meet with the Sustainability Coordinator and review building sustainability initiatives

Establish the MOA Sustainability Committee, including drafting its terms of reference and inviting representatives from departments across the museum

The project also helped secure an annual operating budget for the new committee, giving MOA a durable structure for continuing this work beyond the funded project period.

"It was great to see so many projects and connect with others on campus," said Mauray Toutloff, Conservator at the Museum of Anthropology, reflecting on UBC's Workplace Sustainability Showcase.

Lasting impact

The most significant outcome was creating the MOA Sustainability Committee and the creation of an associated committee budget. It provides a structured forum for developing and proposing projects to the MOA management team and allows sustainability initiatives to be pursued in a coordinated and organized manner. It also aims to raise the visibility of internal sustainability efforts through the museum's website.

Another achievement of this project is developing and strengthening connections with other departments across campus. Moving toward a circular economy is an important aspect of resource management within the arts sector. By bringing together staff with shared interests in waste reduction and circular-economy practices, the initiative is helping create pathways to share knowledge, resources, and expertise across the Faculty of Arts.

Geering Up Engineering Outreach

UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach used the Workplace Sustainability Fund to make sustainability part of its day-to-day STEM programming. A Sustainability Student Assistant developed training, improved materials management, and helped instructors and volunteers reduce waste during camps, clubs, and educational activities.

What the funding make possible

The Sustainability Student Assistant:

Delivered sustainability training to instructors and curriculum developers
Created an inventory management system to track materials and improve organization
Developed disposal guides, posters, slide decks, scripts, and other visual resources
Appointed weekly Materials Systems Junior Instructors to support mindful material use and disposal
Created camp-specific materials lists and disposal guidance for Junior Instructors
Helped integrate sustainability into both classroom activities and curriculum development

These resources gave staff and volunteers practical tools for making better decisions about material use, storage, procurement, and disposal.

Lasting impact

The project marked Geering Up’s first major effort to incorporate a sustainability lens across its organization. It helped spark new conversations among student staff about how materials are purchased, organized, used, and disposed of.

The project also demonstrated the value of embedding sustainability into existing responsibilities rather than treating it as a separate activity. For example, instructors could encourage campers to use materials thoughtfully, while curriculum developers could adapt STEM activities to include sustainability considerations.

The inventory system, training materials, disposal guides, and visual assets will continue to support Geering Up’s broader programming. The team is also exploring how to extend sustainability training beyond its Camps and Clubs team to other groups delivering STEM workshops across British Columbia.

If you have any questions about eligibility, project suitability, or would like to learn more about the fund, please contact sc.program@ubc.ca.

Green Labs

The Green Labs Program supports researchers to reduce the environmental impact of laboratory-based activities by implementing sustainable practices and technologies.

https://sustain.ubc.ca/green-labs

Sustainability Coordinators

The Sustainability Coordinators Program empowers staff and faculty to turn climate ambition into meaningful action.

https://planning.ubc.ca/sustainability-coordinator-program

Sustainable Funding Opportunities

UBC offers a range of funding opportunities to students, staff, faculty and residents for initiatives that support environmental and social sustainability. Find one that can help you make a difference.

https://sustain.ubc.ca/resources/sustainability-funding-opportunities