The sprawling 1.6 million sq. ft. campus of the American College of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) is on monitor to realize the sustainability targets set out in its five-year Sustainability Motion Plan (SAP), with preliminary reviews displaying that it has the bottom greenhouse gasoline (GHG) emissions amongst UAE universities.
Additional, based on revealed information from UAE universities, AURAK reveals the bottom GHG emissions per capita of three.67 metric tons of carbon dioxide equal (MTCO₂e), in distinction to 3 different prime universities whose emissions ranged between 5.68 to 7.59 MTCO₂e.
The college has set an bold goal to cut back Co2 emissions by 20% by 2030. This discount shall be achieved by means of the usage of autos that depend on various vitality gas sources, decreased reliance on on-site backup turbines, and the enlargement of renewable vitality sources on campus, corresponding to solar-powered lighting and heating programs.
Prof. Stephen Wilhite, Senior Vice President of Educational Affairs and Pupil Success and Provost at AURAK, says: “We take sustainability very severely at AURAK. We dedicated to aligning our sustainability actions with the Internet Zero by 2050 strategic initiative by decreasing greenhouse gasoline emissions by means of intensive use of photo voltaic vitality, adoption of unpolluted transportation, adherence to inexperienced constructing laws, implementation of round waste programs, and integration of agriculture with nature-based options.”
AURAK has additionally aligned its methods to the Inexperienced Constructing Requirements set forth by the RAK Municipality’s “Barjeel” laws. Accordingly, we purpose to cut back embodied carbon within the major supplies utilized in new building and main renovations on our campus.
One of many important initiatives outlined in AURAK’s sustainability motion plan is to boost biodiversity on campus and enhance the standard of life for the college group. The college has launched into a public-private partnership to create a biodiversity hub — a forest-centric sustainability area that may operate as a central hub for analysis in agriculture and biodiversity, specializing in the analysis of applied sciences and programs that harness wastewater and photo voltaic vitality to advertise a round economic system.
AURAK has additionally arrange the Ras Al Khaimah Middle for Out of doors Consolation (RAKCOC), which develops modern options that may improve out of doors consolation and high quality of life whereas selling vitality effectivity and decreasing environmental affect.
As well as, AURAK has partnered with the Emirates Environmental Group to collaborate on a number of recycling initiatives on campus. The college has additionally raised workers and scholar consciousness of environmental and social sustainability and has organized a number of coaching applications and competitions in collaboration with Deloitte and Supluss to advertise inexperienced expertise.
