Laying the groundwork: How UBC Sauder students helped UCS Forest Group turn climate ambition into action

Real problems don't wait for graduation. When UCS Forest Group needed its first comprehensive emissions baseline, they called on the UBC Sauder Centre for Climate and Business Solutions and the students were ready to deliver. 

Sustainability has always been part of how they do business. But like many industry leaders, they recognized something critical: ambition without measurement limits action. As a leading North American distributor and importer of wood and panel products operating 18 facilities across Canada and the United States, UCS Forest Group knew that to move decisively on climate, they needed a clear, consistent, company-wide understanding of their emissions.

Building a clear and consistent emissions baseline

UCS Forest Group sought a unified, data-driven view of emissions across all its Sierra, Upper Canada and A&M operations. Through CCBS’s BMO SME Climate Clinic program, two student analysts worked closely with the UCS Forest Group team over four months to deliver a facility-level emissions assessment across all 18 sites, focusing on two key emissions categories:

• Scope 1 emissions - direct emissions from operations such as fuel use in company vehicles and on-site fuel combustion
• Scope 2 emissions - indirect emissions from purchased electricity. 

Together, these sources represent a significant share of UCS Forest Group’s emissions footprint and a critical starting point for reduction efforts. 

Beyond the baseline, the student analysts developed a standardized calculation template and guidance manual, equipping UCS Forest Group with the tools to track emissions consistently, report with confidence and measure progress year over year. 

From data to insights: Strengthening business decisions

The impact of the project extended beyond the technical calculations. By translating complex data into clear, usable insights, the student analysts helped UCS Forest Group to connect emissions to operational decision-making. 

Gurnoor Kaur, a fifth-year UBC Sauder student specializing in Accounting, says the project reinforced the importance of foundational measurement.  

“Before an organization can take any actions or set any meaningful targets, they need a clear, consistent understanding of their emissions baseline. During project check-ins, team members from different functions actively engaged in understanding the data in a way that could be communicated internally. This reinforced that effective sustainability in business context is not only about technical accuracy, but also curiosity, clarity and organizational interest.” 

This alignment between data, teams, and decision-making positions sustainability as a strategic business priority rather than a reporting exercise, and it was only possible because of the commitment UCS Forest Group and students brought to the work. 
 

A culture of commitment

A defining feature of the project was UCS Forest Group’s organization-wide engagement. From the outset, employees across functions were genuinely invested in understanding the data and acting on it.  
 
As Cindy Ho, a fifth-year UBC Sauder student specializing in Global Supply Chain and Logistics Management, reflected: 

“It was inspiring to see how driven UCS Forest Group and their employees were to advance sustainability. It showed me how some corporations can be deeply committed to social impact beyond regulatory compliance. ” 

Each student analyst also gained significant technical and professional skills through the project. Ho applied her business analytics training to real, unstructured operational data—developing skills in data gathering, cleaning and manipulation while working across departments to build a complete dataset. She also gained experience navigating multi‑stakeholder collaboration, an essential skill in corporate sustainability. 

Kaur deepened her carbon accounting experience by building an emissions inventory from the ground up. She strengthened her understanding of structured data, transparent methodologies, and tool design—developing user‑friendly models and summaries that UCS Forest Group can rely on for years. The project also sharpened her ability to communicate technical insights to non‑technical teams, turning data into shared understanding.  
 

From insights to action: Initiatives already underway

With a clear baseline and an engaged organization, UCS Forest Group moved quickly from analysis to implementation.  The assessment identified high-impact opportunities across facilities and functions, several of which are now underway: 

• Solar energy: UCS Forest Group’s Mississauga facility has now received approval to install solar panels, reducing reliance on grid electricity and reducing long‑term energy costs. 
• LED retrofits across US locations: Upgrades across Chicago, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City are improving efficiency and reducing maintenance requirements.
• Fleet optimization and fuel efficiency: improved routing, reduced idling, and fuel efficiency measures supported by routing technology are lowering emissions from one of UCS Forest Group’s largest sources.  

These initiatives reflect both immediate wins and strategic investments that will drive measurable emissions reductions over time. They also reflect what becomes possible when academia and organizations do this work together. 
 

Developing a climate-ready workforce

This project demonstrates the value of applied, experiential learning in building climate-conscious future business leaders. Working with the real-world, unstructured data, student analysts developed both technical and professional capabilities, including:  

• Applying business analytics to complex operational datasets 

• Building emissions inventories using structured, transparent methodologies  

• Designing practical tools for ongoing business use 

• Communicating technical insights to non-technical stakeholders 

These experiences reflect the dual skillset the climate economy demands: analytical precision and clear communication. It is exactly the kind of training that prepares students to deliver value from day one.  
 

A partnership built for impact

The collaboration between UCS Forest Group and CCBS demonstrates what becomes possible when forward-looking organizations partner with applied academic talent. UCS Forest Group now has a robust foundation to guide future initiatives, including fleet electrification, building performance improvements, and deeper integration of emissions data into operational planning. At the same time, the student analysts gained hands-on experience delivering real business value, building the skills required to lead in a low-carbon economy.  

For Ho, the experience was motivation to seek out future employers with a similar drive to sustainability innovation.  

“After our work together, I'm left feeling hopeful and inspired that even small efforts can create meaningful change”

If your organization is ready to build an emission baseline, develop a climate strategy, or advance sustainability reporting, the Centre for Climate and Business Solutions can help. Reach out to climatecentre@sauder.ubc.ca to explore a partnership.