- 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
- Contact
Life on Land
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Engagement
SFU partners with the City of Burnaby to advance new Civic Innovation Lab
Simon Fraser University is partnering with the City of Burnaby on a new initiative that will see their combined expertise and resources address the biggest challenges facing today’s cities. Through the new Civic Innovation Lab, SFU will share its leading-edge research and strengths in innovation and sustainability to advance practical solutions for the city’s most pressing urban issues, from diversity and housing to sustainable growth and environmental challenges caused by climate change.
Research, Teaching and Learning
Proactive approaches needed to enable ecosystems to adapt to climate change
Research by Simon Fraser University biology professor Jonathan Moore and University of Washington professor Daniel Schindler has found that enabling ecological change amid climate change is key to preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. Their research, which was published in Science in June 2023, note that in order for species and ecosystems to adapt and be resilient it is critical to move beyond preservation-oriented approaches and include those that enable ecological change.
Wildfire & ecosystem scientist leads new research group at SFU
Wildfire scientist Sophie Wilkinson joins Simon Fraser University to launch a new lab addressing how increasingly volatile fire seasons are impacting communities and ecosystems. As head of SFU’s Fire and Ecosystems Research Lab, Wilkinson and her group are developing ecosystem management strategies that reduce the negative impacts fire can have on all aspects of the environment and society.
Five-decade study of wild orangutans points to new urgency as “pre-extinction” looms
A 50-year study of orangutans in the wild led by Simon Fraser University professor Biruté Mary Galdikas, the world’s foremost authority on these animals, concludes that the declining Bornean species is in a “dire state” and may be already in pre-extinction.
Historic logging contributes to water temperature increases for salmon, study finds
A collaborative study between researchers at Simon Fraser University and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has found that high logging intensity in the Interior watersheds of British Columbia is associated with warmer stream temperatures in salmon—bearing streams, potentially contributing to increased heat stress in salmon.
Research Centres and Labs
- B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation
- Civic Innovation Lab
- Fire and Ecosystems Research Lab
- Forest Ecology and Management Research Group (FEAM)
Facts and Figures
- 340 research publications relating to SDG 15, 2017-2022 (source: SciVal)
- 339 active research projects related to SDG 10 were funded 2017-2022
- Since the 2018/19 academic year, SFU has offered 8 courses relating to SDG 15, representing over 914 students
Operations
2,114 trees inventoried on Burnaby campus
SFU's Burnaby campus grounds are home to many native planting areas in which salal berries, ferns and mosses can be found throughout the campus. Native plant species in all new planting programs, especially when the area is near or adjacent to natural areas such as forest edges, swales and creeks.
Cuttings from landscaping and maintenance are mulched and spread back into the forested areas on campus so the nutrients can be returned to the system. In an effort to protect the watersheds and creeks on Burnaby Mountain and reduce salt contamination, SFU has also implemented a Salt Management Plan to reduce the amount of salt used on university roads and parking lots in wintry road conditions.