- About
- Commitments
- Sustainable Development Goals
- The Goals
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 3: Good health and well-being
- SDG 4: Quality education
- SDG 5: Gender equality
- SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation
- SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
- SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
- SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
- SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
- SDG 13: Climate action
- SDG 14: Life below water
- SDG 15: Life on land
- SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
- About
- The Goals
- SFU at COP
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Sustainability and Climate Plan
- Reports
- Get involved
- Contact
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
How SFU is contributing
To support Sustainable Development Goal 7, Simon Fraser University is making strides on multiple fronts. The university is actively taking measures to expand affordable and clean energy use with policies that enforce energy efficiency standards in renovations and new builds, and divest investments from carbon-intensive industries. SFU has implemented plans to upgrade buildings to higher energy efficiency and reduce overall energy consumption, processes for carbon management and carbon dioxide emissions reduction, and reviews to identify areas of high energy wastage.
To engage the wider community beyond the university on energy issues, SFU provides programmes for local communities to learn about energy efficiency and clean energy. The university provides direct services to local industry aimed at improving energy efficiency and clean energy, and assistance for start-ups that foster and support a low-carbon economy and technology. SFU also informs and supports governments in clean energy and energy-efficient technology policy development.
Renewable Cities
Renewable Cities is a global program of Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver, Canada. Its mission is to work with policymakers and practitioners to accelerate the transition to renewable, restorative, resilient cities through meaningful engagement, critical research, capacity building and policy innovation. Using research-based dialogue, collaboration, and thought leadership, Renewable Cities works towards urban energy solutions with cities, governments, the private sector, utilities, researchers, and civil society.
Clean Energy Canada
Clean Energy Canada is a climate and clean energy program and think tank from the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. It works to accelerate Canada’s clean energy transition by sharing the story of the global shift to renewable energy sources and clean technology.
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Civic Innovation Lab
Co-founded by Simon Fraser University and the City of Burnaby, the Civic Innovation Lab centralizes, connects, and accelerates the many different research and learning collaborations that occur between the two entities, with the aim of improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of Burnaby’s community members. Its projects focus on energy efficiency and clean energy for the local community to learn from and employ. Project topics include resilient sustainable mobility for the Vancouver Metro area, sustainable heat transformer technology, community-executed carbon capture, and a clean hydrogen hub for partners from the community, government, and industry.
Clean Energy Research Group
The Clean Energy Research Group is a non-profit volunteer-based group associated with SFU dedicated to studying the challenges and opportunities for the global transition from fossil fuels to renewable, clean energy systems. CERG helps partners solve a wide array of energy- and economic development-related issues and offers to:
Assist communities to create clean energy plans and projects, and tie them to more general economic development goals.
Document, assess, and analyse sustainable energy projects, policies, and regulations to provide recommendations and lessons.
Help partners find the right experts in clean energy on a wide variety of topics.
Research, Teaching and Learning
Research Centres and Labs
- The Energy and Materials Research Group
- Engineered Interfaces for Sustainable Energy
- Clean Energy Research Group
- Clean Hydrogen Hub
Facts and Figures
- 407 research publications related to SDG 7, 2020-2024 (source: SciVal)
- 152 active research projects by 66 researchers related to SDG 7 funded from 2020 - 2024
- Since the 2018/19 academic year, SFU has offered 10 courses relating to SDG 7, representing over 902 students
- At least 66 researchers involved in research relating to SDG 7 (source: SFU Research Expertise Engine)
SFU Launches Clean Hydrogen Hub to Drive Energy Innovation and Decarbonization
SFU has established the Clean Hydrogen Hub at its Burnaby campus to lead Canada in clean hydrogen technology development. Supported by over $9.4 million in federal funding and additional contributions from industry and government partners, the hub aims to scale up hydrogen production and innovation, reduce carbon emissions, and create jobs in the hydrogen sector. The facility will serve as a testbed for emerging technologies and help position British Columbia as a leader in the global hydrogen economy, contributing to Canada's climate and economic goals.
SFU Professor Investigates Carbon Storage Potential Beneath Metro Vancouver
SFU Earth Sciences professor Shahin Dashtgard is leading research to assess the potential of storing large volumes of carbon dioxide (CO2) deep beneath Metro Vancouver, aiming to help British Columbia meet its net-zero emission goals. Supported by over $899,000 in funding, Dashtgard’s team is exploring a novel approach—dissolving CO2 in water, creating a brine-like solution, and storing it thousands of meters underground. The project is also assessing seismic risks and using advanced geological data to identify viable storage sites. The research could also provide insights into geothermal energy and offer a model for similar evaluations in tectonically active regions.
Direct services to local industry aimed at improving energy efficiency and clean energy
SEE Research Labs
SFU's new School of Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) is the first of its kind in Western Canada, providing an interdisciplinary learning environment that will prepare students to become global leaders in clean energy technology. Their mission is to inspire and foster transformative innovations in energy systems that benefit society and the natural environment through outstanding interdisciplinary education, research, collaboration, and engagement amongst a diverse and equitable community. SEE’s work considers the economic, environmental, societal and cultural perspectives needed to develop truly sustainable solutions.
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In 2024, the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) hosted the inaugural SEE Graduate Student Research Conference at the SFU Surrey Engineering building. Organized by an executive committee of SEE students and staff, the conference featured 16 individual research presentations and 19 poster presentations.
These sessions showcased innovative ideas and research initiatives aimed at promoting a sustainable future. Over 80 people, including students, faculty, and industry professionals participated in the conference.
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Sustainable Energy Engineering researchers engage widely with university, community, government and industry groups across Canada and internationally to pursue highly collaborative, interdisciplinary initiatives for innovative energy solutions. Some SEE research labs are aimed at improving energy efficiency and clean energy with local industry partners:
The Vehicle and Engine Systems for Sustainable Transportation Lab provides services to expand potential for clean energy use via eliminating net greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. The Lab pursues promising approaches that use existing vehicle technology and fuel distribution infrastructure to improve energy efficiency and accelerate the transition to low-carbon transportation. They assess key vehicle, engine and fuel-system technologies; engine and vehicle simulation, basic combustion research using high-speed optical methods, and gaseous-fuel compression technology assessments.
The Power and Energy Systems Research Group fosters efficient, resilient, and progressive electric energy systems that play a pivotal role in driving decarbonization and clean energy efforts for industry and other partners. They research and advise on optimization models applied to power systems, situational awareness of assets, distributed energy resources integration, distribution systems resilience and reliability, and data analytics in power systems.
4D Labs
4D LABS is an open-access applications- and science-driven Core Facility at Simon Fraser University's Burnaby campus. It offers fully customized research and development programs and facilities for researchers, start-ups and industry. Its mission is to provide clients with material science, tailored to their specific needs, that fast track their technology’s deployment. 4D Labs also provides seminars on their industry partners’ innovative work, research, and products for clean technology, healthcare, biotech, and clean energy.
Assistance for start-ups that foster and support a low-carbon economy/technology
New Economy Canada Start-Up
New Economy Canada (NEC), a project of the Clean Economy Fund, is a start-up for which SFU provides funding assistance. NEC fosters and supports the low-carbon economy and low-carbon innovation, primarily through advocacy and education on regional and national scales. NCE is also an industry group uniting more than 60 businesses across the critical minerals, clean energy, and technology sectors — including labour, and Indigenous partners — all committed to accelerating investment and collaboration in Canada’s clean economy future.
NEC’s mission is to build broad-based political and public consensus about building a national clean economy, ensuring that:
- All government political parties understand and actively support growing the clean economy.
- The majority of Canadians are inspired and confident that building the new clean economy will make the economy stronger and their lives better.
- The broader Canadian business community values and advocates for building the clean economy.
Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship
The Chang Institute is Simon Fraser University’s interdisciplinary home and academic hub for experiencing entrepreneurship and growing the entrepreneurial mindset. From learning in the classroom, to workshops, events and a comprehensive start-up incubator program, its programs and services are open to all students, faculty, staff, and recent alum from every faculty.
For the SFU community from any faculty, the Incubator program directly supports the development of startup ventures with mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs. The Incubator program supports all business models and sectors, including in the low-carbon economy/technology space, providing a supportive environment for all founders to thrive. Over 2024 this startup cohort has generated over $2.5M in revenue, raised $1.5M in funding, and impacted more than 25,000 community members.
Via this initiative, co-founders Anthony and Hannah King launched Fingerprint Technologies in 2021, with a product focus on the most widely-used and fastest-growing form of micromobility—the electric bicycle. Fingerprint’s reinvention of the e-bike’s low-carbon technology aims to reduce car trips and attract new users by making e-bikes lighter and safer to ride. The founders’ mission is to dramatically increase adoption rates for lightweight, electric two-wheel vehicles. Fingerprint's e-bike is a next-generation battery-powered bicycle for those who want to leave their car at home and support a low-carbon economy but lack the confidence to cycle regularly.
Phyco is a marine biotechnology company focused on seaweed aquaculture and manufacturing compostable plastics in partnership with Indigenous Nations. Via the SFU Incubator program they began developing a home-compostable and non-toxic bioplastic alternative derived from seaweed, through breakthrough seaweed biorefinery low-carbon technology. Their mission is to replace petroleum-based plastics with compostable, carbon-negative alternatives that farmers actually want to use, targeting the 70% of plastic use that happens behind the scenes, supporting a low-carbon economy.
Operations
Promotion of a public pledge toward 100% renewable energy beyond the university
Climate Action & Sustainability Commitments
SFU's climate action commitments and sustainability initiatives help drive impactful change at the university and in our communities. These commitments include:
- Creation and adherence to the 2022-2025 Strategic Sustainability and Climate Action Plan
- Declaring a climate emergency
- Divestment from fossil fuels by 2025
- United Nations-led Race to Zero campaign participation
The 2022/23 – 2026 SFU Strategic Energy Management Plan (SEMP) supports the Strategic Sustainability and Action plan by specifically targeting energy management at SFU and continued efforts to optimize energy consumption and the transition to 100% renewable energy sources. The plan also supports University Energy Utilization Policy (GP 43). Prompted by participation in the UN led Race to Zero campaign, SFU has publicly pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 85% in 2030 from 2007 level and achieve net zero emissions in 2035 (scopes 1 & 2). The commitment puts SFU on an accelerated path to net zero emissions and 100% renewable energy transition. The plan provided a framework to achieve the 2025 Action Plan targets and sets out a roadmap to achieve the 2030 and 2035’s Race to Zero targets through the following strategies:
- High Performance Building Standards
- Energy Efficiency and Conservation Projects
- Low Carbon Electrification
- Renewable Energy Investment
- District Energy System Infrastructure Upgrade
SFU has set ambitious emission reduction targets for the UN Race to Zero campaign that will see 85% GHG emissions reductions by 2030, net zero reductions of direct emissions by 2035, and net zero of all emissions by 2050 with implications reaching beyond the university.
Climate Change Accountability Report (2023)
This PSO Climate Change Accountability Report for the period January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, summarizes our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions profile, the total offsets to reach net-zero emissions, the actions we have taken in 2023 to minimize our GHG emissions, and our plans to continue reducing emissions in 2024 and beyond.