Sharjah: One of the leading universities in the Gulf, the American University of Sharjah (AUS) has been recognized as one of the top 5 institutions across the globe for community engagement in sustainability, as per the 2022 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI) issued by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
An initiative by AASHE, the Sustainable Campus Index points out innovative and high-impact initiatives from colleges and universities that submitted a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report in the most recent calendar year.
“We are proud to see AUS being recognized for its sustainable campus engagement. We have always believed that we are responsible for being part of global and national efforts that confront the challenges of climate change and sustainability. This is why we are committed to graduating students who have a deep understanding of the complexity of sustainability challenges and are ready to address them no matter where they are.”
Ms. Rose Heather Armour, Head of AUS Sustainability shared about the recognition.
Commending the University on its recognition, Ms. Meghan Fay Zahniser, AASHE’s Executive Director remarked that, “Congratulations to AUS for their incredible work in creating a more sustainable world.”
“Upon reading the innovative and high-impact sustainability initiatives within this report, I’m encouraged that the future we all need will soon be realized,” Ms. Zahniser added.
SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES BY THE UNIVERSITY
The American University of Sharjah has been widely recognized for its sustainability initiatives. The university is currently developing its 1st comprehensive Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions. The plan further aligns the university’s sustainability efforts with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.
A member of the AASHE, in 2020, the University became the 1st university in the Gulf region to ban single-use plastics across its campus. Additionally, the university’s Engineering and Sciences Building received a highly sought-after 2 Pearl rating by Estidama, a sustainable development initiative of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.
AUS was also the recipient of the Green Audit Award as part of the Abu Dhabi Environmental Agency’s Sustainable Campus Initiative for university students.