UBC Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability

09/04/2026

As carbon removal technologies continue to develop, how we measure their impacts matters. This new paper argues that research and monitoring for carbon removal technologies must account for the fact that measurement is never purely technical. The paper offers a framework to help researchers and practitioners develop monitoring systems that are better equipped to account for diverse values, knowledge systems and environmental priorities

🔗 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104417

09/03/2026

Our alumna Annie Lalande's new paper shows how her team developed and implemented a new Planetary Health menu at Vancouver General Hospital...cutting GHG emissions by 39% and land use by 51%, while keeping patients satisfied.

A model for healthier, lower-carbon healthcare!
Open access: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(26)00056-2/fulltext

09/02/2026

SFU is hosting the upcoming APRU Food Security & Agritech Conference (October 5–7, 2026)...and the conference features panel discussions by IRES’s own Hannah Wittman and alum Sarah-Louise Ruder!

Register now at https://www.sfu.ca/international/index/news-events/events/apru-food-security-and-agritech-conference-2026/registration.html

09/02/2026

Think "do more of" rather than "stop doing".

Instead of saying, "Eat less meat," say, "Eat more plants."

When it comes to changing our climate habits, actions that make us feel better are more likely to be repeated. Forbes interviewed IRES's Jiaying Zhao and UBC psych's Elizabeth Dunn:

New research says joy, not shame, is what makes better habits stick. Here's the 5-step method two UBC psychologists use to build them.

08/31/2026

🌱 Thursdays = sustainability!

Join us 12:30-1:20pm, starting Sept 17, for weekly seminars on community research, bees, mining, Ghana’s cocoa sector & more.

Save the dates! We'll be updating this page frequently: https://ires.ubc.ca/seminar-series

08/26/2026

After two B.C. vet clinics warned pet owners to watch out for bats, IRES alum Aaron Aguirre hopes the public won't demonize the whole species.

A Whistler veterinarian says the positive cases come alongside a surge in overall bat encounters in the Sea-to-Sky region this year, with her clinic handling six bat-pet run-ins on Tuesday alone.

08/18/2026

This summer IRES grad student Charlotte Milne worked with the City of Surrey to scope out an integrated floodplain strategy for the Bridgeview and South Westminster neighborhoods. 🌊 🌧️

"The area is situated directly on the Fraser River floodplain and has a fascinating history of development that's led to a complex mix of land uses, flood management structures, and ownership interests," says Charlotte. "During a summer where disasters have been top of mind for many in BC it was heartening to work on a project where a City is treating holistic flood risk-reduction so seriously."

You can read the final UBC public report here: https://sustain.ubc.ca/about/resources/scoping-integrated-floodplain-strategy-bridgeview-south-westminster

08/12/2026

While most of what we hear about climate change is learned passively through social media and news outlets, Yunfei Li thinks there might be a better way. Her project explores new ways to engage people on climate change through Urban Future Walks.

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Podcast Episode · The Jas Johal Show · June 24 · Bonus · 13m

08/05/2026

If you make joyful changes, other people will follow suit, quickly. This is just one insight from Dunn and Zhao's new book Leave the Lights On, outlining how so many environmentally friendly choices add joy to life! 😊💚

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Co-authors Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao share 5 key insights from their new book, Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species.

07/28/2026

Improv meets climate action...
🌿🎭 IRES grad student Anaïs Pronovost-Morgan brought eco-improv to the UBC community!

With 10+ years in theatre and now pursuing her second master's, Anaïs blends head, heart and hands to spark fresh perspectives on environmental challenges: