The University of British Columbia has received a $2 million donation from The RBC Foundation in support of a number of sustainability projects across its Vancouver campus.

The gift, part of UBC’s start an evolution campaign, will be split evenly between The Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) and The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS) at the UBC Farm.

"RBC’s generous donation enhances UBC's role in developing sustainable solutions to some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges," says UBC President Stephen Toope.

"This gift will advance the university’s commitment to green innovations, both in research and in operations."

CIRS will use the $1 million gift to fund green technology and systems used at the CIRS building which harvests, treats and recycles its own water. The donation will also help fund the work of several graduate students, including researcher Ghazal Ebrahimi, who studies sustainable water systems.

RBC's investment in the CSFS makes them the first major donor committed to helping construct a new eco-friendly building at the UBC Farm, which will be used for research, teaching and community learning.

"RBC is consistently regarded as one of Canada’s most socially responsible corporations and one of the planet’s greenest companies," said Graham MacLachlan, Regional President, BC, RBC. 

"We have united our company and our employees around the RBC Blue Water Project and our commitment to help create sustainable communities. That’s why we are pleased to support projects like the UBC Farm (CSFS) and CIRS that have a positive and measureable impact on communities today and tomorrow."

RBC has donated more than $5 million to UBC.

Background

UBC Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability
CIRS is an innovative, high performance research centre and UBC’s living laboratory flagship project. As one of North America’s most sustainable buildings, CIRS aims to be an internationally recognized research institution that accelerates the adoption of sustainable building technologies and sustainable urban development practices in society. The building, processing its own energy and water on-site, is certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum, one of the highest designations in green building performance.

A Centre for Sustainable Food Systems
CSFS is a unique research initiative that aims to understand and fundamentally transform local and global food systems. The CFSF manages a diverse range of programs concentrated at the UBC Farm, a working farm in the city of Vancouver that is a living laboratory for food system sustainability. CSFS is committed to finding solutions to the global challenges facing the sustainability of our food system, and our resultant personal, community and environmental health.