A new approach to measuring and reducing scope 3 emissions at UBC Sauder

The UBC Sauder School of Business is rethinking how to measure, manage, and reduce its carbon footprint—starting with scope 3 emissions, the largest and most complex part of its climate impact.

Scope 1 and 2 emissions—those associated with direct energy use—are calculated and managed at the university-wide level. In contrast, scope 3 emissions—stemming from commuting, procurement, business travel, waste, and other indirect activities—represent the most complex and significant portion of UBC Sauder’s greenhouse gas output and require targeted action at the faculty level. These emissions are challenging to measure and reduce, however they offer the greatest opportunity for meaningful reductions. 
 

A living lab for climate action 

Through the UBC Sauder as a Living Lab initiative, the school is using its campus to pilot solutions, test methodologies, and build scalable approaches that support both UBC and partner organizations as they navigate scope 3 strategies. This Living Lab model provides a real-world testbed to see what works, what doesn’t, and what can be translated into practical tools for industry.

“At UBC Sauder, thinking about our scope 3 emissions is not just a reporting exercise—it is a foundation that enables both learning and action,” says Kate White, Senior Associate Dean, Strategy and Responsible Business at UBC Sauder. “By creating a living lab and making funding available to bring ideas to life we can empower our UBC Sauder community members to actively design, test, and implement climate solutions.”

As UBC Sauder continues to advance its goals in environmental responsibility, the school remains committed to transparently sharing its sustainability journey and insights gained. By doing so, the aim is to encourage learning within the UBC Sauder community and beyond as we work toward reducing emissions across the business school.
 

Where we started: achieving carbon neutrality through offsets 

In 2023, UBC Sauder achieved carbon neutrality by offsetting 100% of its scope 3 emissions through investments in high-quality, locally relevant carbon reduction and sequestration projects, including the following:

• Great Bear Rainforest Carbon Project - Indigenous-led forest conservation in British Columbia
• Pacific Coast Renewables - Composting initiative in Abbotsford

These projects were selected not only for their environmental impact but also for their alignment with UBC Sauder’s values—supporting biodiversity, Indigenous leadership, and credible climate solutions.
 

Where we’re going: shifting from offsets to real reductions

While carbon offsets play an important role in addressing unavoidable emissions and supporting biodiversity, we have recognized that relying on them can reinforce a “business as usual” approach. This year, we are moving away from an offset-heavy model. Instead, we are prioritizing internal reductions in our largest emitting categories and reserving offsets for emissions we cannot yet eliminate.

To achieve this, the school is focusing on the two largest contributors of our scope 3 footprint:

1. Commuting emissions stem from the daily travel of students, faculty, and staff to and from campus. Given the scale of this activity and its cumulative impact, UBC Sauder is working to better understand commuting patterns and identify strategies that encourage switching to low-carbon transportation.
2. Purchased goods and services includes all areas of procurement–from small items such as office supplies to larger purchases such as technology equipment, furnishings, and contracted services.

By focusing on these two areas, the school aims to build internal capacity for emissions tracking, strengthen decision-making, and develop scalable solutions to reduce emissions that can be adopted across UBC.  
 

Turning insights into action: the UBC Sauder Emissions Reduction Fund 

To drive real emissions reductions, UBC Sauder launched the Emissions Reduction Fund, specifically targeting the two largest contributors of our scope 3 footprint. With over $100,000 in funding available, the initiative empowers faculty and staff to propose and implement projects that reduce scope 3 emissions. The fund is designed to support practical, measurable actions that contribute to long-term emissions reductions.

This year’s Emissions Reduction Fund projects incorporate a mix of research-based and project-based initiatives that advance these goals, including:
 

Research-focused projects:

1. Enabling smart EV charging solutions at UBC – Surveying parkade users and piloting Level-1 EV chargers to optimize charger mix and minimize grid impact.
2. Understanding and overcoming barriers to sustainable commuting at UBC – Investigating the barriers that lock individuals into unsustainable commuting and establishes the intensity of interventions needed to shift behaviour through multi-wave surveys, passive trip tracking, and pilot behaviour-change exercises.
3. Social norms in promoting carpooling behaviour – Exploring how social norms can encourage carpooling among UBC commuters.

Project-based initiatives:

1. E-bike rebate and education – Expanding the staff/faculty e-bike rebate for UBC Sauder, coupled with educational workshops on e-bike skills.
2. Making SPARK (UBC Sauder orientation) more sustainable – Improving sustainability in procurement and orientation swag. In addition to these initiatives, UBC Sauder will continue to purchase offsets in areas that are not yet addressed internally, taking a combined approach that pairs internal emissions reductions with strategic offsetting.
    

Aligning with UBC’s Climate Action Plan 2030 

UBC Sauder’s efforts are part of a broader university-wide climate strategy. The university’s Climate Action Plan 2030 (CAP 2030) sets ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all campuses. Specifically, UBC aims to cut emissions from campus operations (scope 1 and 2) by 85% and achieve a 45% collective reduction in emissions from extended impact sources (scope 3)—such as commuting, food systems, business air travel, and procurement—by 2030.

UBC Sauder’s Living Lab approach directly supports these ambitions. By piloting new tools, testing behaviour-based strategies, and improving data accuracy, we are aiming to help advance UBC-wide sustainability goals and understand which solutions are scalable across campus. At the same time, this work generates insights for businesses across BC and beyond, especially those grappling with scope 3 measurement, supply-chain engagement, and offset strategies.
 

Looking ahead

Over the next year, UBC Sauder will implement selected emissions-reduction projects and monitor their impact. This experimental, community-driven approach will help identify the strategies that best drive meaningful behavioural change across the school’s large and diverse population. UBC Sauder’s approach to scope 3 emissions illustrates how academic institutions can lead by example. By leveraging the campus as a living lab, engaging its community, and investing in both offsets and reductions, UBC Sauder is not only mitigating its environmental impact but also cultivating a culture of climate leadership within the school.