91ÅÝܽ

On April 22, 91ÅÝܽ (SFU) joins more than a billion people worldwide honouring . This year’s theme Our Power, Our Planet, invites everyone around the globe to unite behind renewable energy, and to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030.

91ÅÝܽ committed to building a sustainable future through its research, operations, teaching and learning and by collaborating with communities. Over the past year the university has announced major partnerships to advance clean energy research, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and empower citizens. SFU continues to be a world leader in climate action and sustainable cities and communities, according to the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

This Earth Day we highlight just a few of the major university initiatives towards a cleaner, greener planet.

Partnerships fuel clean energy innovation

The SFU Clean Hydrogen Hub, launched last spring, brings together researchers, industry and community partners to develop and advance clean energy solutions. In partnership with government, associations and leading companies in B.C. and across Canada, the Hub aims to lower the costs of clean hydrogen production, while developing technologies and products to decarbonize the Canadian economy and export around the world.

The hub leverages ³§¹ó±«â€™s leadership in clean hydrogen research and industry partnerships and demonstrates SFU Climate Innovation in action.

³§¹ó±«â€™s biomass plant, built, owned and operated by —as part of the Renewable Energy Centre—has reduced GHG emissions from heating by 80 per cent now since opening in 2021. The GHG saved is equivalent to the emissions from 900 homes every year, giving SFU one of the smallest carbon footprints of any university in Canada.

³§¹ó±«â€™s School of Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) program and Corix are now partnering on a research project aimed at measuring the quality of locally-sourced wood waste and the performance of the biomass plant to improve operations and cut emissions even further.

Training the next generation of sustainability leaders

SEE recently announced a new 16-month Master of Engineering program, now accepting applications for fall 2025. The program is designed for recent graduates with a degree in engineering or closely related disciplines in natural sciences. It aims to give students the skills and knowledge needed for them to hit the ground running in emerging clean-tech sectors, such as renewable power generation, clean buildings and zero-emission vehicles.

“As we look for solutions on how to address challenges related to global climate change, there’s a broad realization that you need people with specialized engineering backgrounds: folks who specialize in technological advances and innovations that are sustainable, efficient and will boost the economy.

“We are developing a brand-new engineering domain and we’re looking at providing young professionals and fresh graduates the skills to be natural leaders in this rapidly growing field.�
– Zafar Adeel, director
SFU School of Sustainable Energy Engineering

Energy management team leads ³§¹ó±«â€™s greenhouse gas reduction efforts

In 2007, SFU Facilities Services formed a committee of energy specialists across all three campuses. Their goal: meet provincial government GHG reduction targets for public sector organizations of one third by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. By 2022, SFU had exceeded targets and cut GHGs by more than 50 per cent—even exceeding its own UN Race To Zero targets.

Year after year, the energy managemnt team continues to work hard to reduce GHG emissions. SFU has a target of reducing energy by 2 per cent year over year. Help by integrating easy energy conservation behaviors into a daily routine.

Research that benefits people and the planet

SFU and the City of Burnaby are partners in the , engaging in projects to enhance the economic, social and environmental well-being of the community. Their priorities include climate action, sustainability, transportation and social justice. Projects include (SCRAM), a multidisciplinary partnership researching community-centered urban transportation decarbonization strategies.

Sustainable Transportation Research Team

³§¹ó±«â€™s Sustainable Transportation Action Research Team (SFU-START) is an interdisciplinary research collaborative within ³§¹ó±«â€™s Faculty of Environment working to advance a lower impact transportation sector. Their research spans economics, engineering, marketing, policy and psychology and engages governments, industry and communities to move sustainable transportation systems forward. 

Scholars across all SFU faculties are pursuing research to address environmental concerns. SFU News and ³§¹ó±«â€™s Scholarly Impact of the Week featured the work of several of these scholars over the past year.

On Earth Day and throughout the year, 91ÅÝܽ committed to taking bold steps to prioritize sustainability, climate justice, resilience and action on our campuses, in our communities and through our research.

To learn more about Sustainability and Climate Action at SFU visit: sfu.ca/sustainability.html