Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability Accelerating Sustainability

Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability “Accelerating Sustainability” John Robinson Project Leader, SDRI, UBC Support from CFI, BCKDF and Industry

The Sustainable Development Imperative 10 challenges: Clean air Housing Clean water Jobs Energy Health care Land use Waste disposal Transportation Human Security

The CIRS Opportunity To make Canada a world leader in three interconnected fields of applied sustainability: Part 1 - building design and operations Part 2 - visualization, simulation and community engagement Part 3 - partnerships and strategies of regional implementation

The Three Dimensions of CIRS 1. Building as Laboratory 2. Simulation and Visualization 3. BC Showcase

CIRS Sustainability Dimensions The Building as Laboratory Energy 1. GHG neutral 2. Net energy generator 3. No mechanical cooling 4. Simple, passive design 5. Very low embodied energy 6. 100% daylighting Health and Well-being 13. Daylighting for productivity 14. Indoor & outdoor oxygenation 15. Healthy design Operations and Maintenance 16. Integrated design and maintenance Water Sustainable Community 7. No external water supply 8. On-site treatment of all liquid waste 17. TDM planning 9. No stormwater run-off from site 18. Community education programs 19. Local employment Resource Efficiency 20. Widespread dissemination 10. No solid waste leaving site 21. Support native fauna 11. Maximize building utilization 12. Sustainable building materials

Showcasing Sustainable Development in BC • Identify handful of areas of comparative advantage in SD in BC • Create new forms of partnership to make them happen on the ground in this region: create Showcase • Use Showcase as springboard for penetrating global market in SD technology and services

Benefits to Canada CIRS has potential: to contribute to increased economic activity, help Canadian industry increase competitiveness, and lead to improvement to society, quality of life, health, and environment • Build sustainable building industry in region • Export knowledge & interactive software • Test building industry products • Demonstrate sustainable technologies • Identify regional comparative advantage in sustainability • Assess human/social dimensions of technology and its performance • Contribute directly to policy development for sustainability • Engage civil society in thinking through policy & behavioural choices

The Outcomes • World leadership in three critical areas of sustainability research – Technology, behaviour, and policy/investment • Real progress on sustainability in the region – Create ‘sustainability precinct’ in Vancouver • Enormous export potential – Incubator for entering a trillion dollar market