Introduction

Khalifa University is committed to creating an environment of positive change through the power of community, collaboration and actions and initiatives that result in greater environmental, social and economic sustainability for all.

Sustainability and corporate responsibility are key tenets of the Khalifa University community. Our Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Office publish an annual sustainability report, in which they address how the university’s everyday activities impact the physical environmental. We support our students to take matters into their own hands, and help them research and develop unique solutions to some key environmental, social and economic sustainability challenges found in the UAE and around the world.


01 Supporting the United Nations’ SDGs

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are the plan to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, energy crises, water and food shortage, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. Khalifa University is committed to supporting the implementation of the SDGs at national and global scales through faculty and student-led research projects and activities.

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02 Students Taking Action

Students at Khalifa University focus their academic, research and extracurricular efforts on projects that can result in a significant environmental, societal and economic impact. Our students are encouraged to pursue complex engineering challenges that have a direct and tangible impact on human lives, and the life of our planet.


Strata bike project: In collaboration with Strata PJSC and Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Khalifa University is developing lightweight high-performance carbon bicycles in-house. Led by Dr. Sanjeev Rao, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, a team of researchers from Khalifa University is turning carbon composites from the aerospace waste stream into state-of-the-art bicycle frames, ideal for racing and completely custom-fitted to each individual rider. Italian- designed and manufactured in-house in the UAE, each bike features aerospace materials from Strata, weighs just 2.6kg and contributes to recycling and sustainability in Abu Dhabi. 


When Aryam Ahmed, 21, saw a construction worker pass out from the heat in the street, she decided she wanted to solve the problem.

The Emirati engineering student spent the next two years developing a suit which would keep outdoor workers cool – and is now set to pitch her fledgling business idea to an audience of international business leaders and investors. She was recently chosen as one of the winners of the Pitch@Palace initiative that seeks to encourage Emirati entrepreneurship and is backed by UK royal, Prince Andrew.

She now hopes her invention will help over one million outdoor workers in the UAE and at the same time increase productivity for businesses.

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03 Energy and Water Efficiency on Campus

Khalifa University fosters an organizational culture that promotes energy and water conservation and engages with its stakeholders to encourage energy and water-saving behavior.

The EHS Office leads KU’s efforts to improve energy efficiency  on campus in various ways in order to reduce our energy consumption, cost, and carbon footprint, and to support the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 and UAE Energy Strategy 2050, by abiding by the following guidelines:

  • Setting clear Energy and Water targets and ensuring these targets are being met and communicated
  • Monitoring and regularly assessing energy and water aspects
  • Conducting programs promoting energy-efficiency
  • Ensuring environmental and energy best practice is properly considered and appropriately applied within all new build and refurbishment projects
  • Minimizing the energy requirements of our buildings
  • Utilizing sustainable sourced energy and water
  • Implementing a Purchasing Policy that promotes use of goods and services that have a lower energy, carbon, environmental and social impact
  • Publishing an annual Environmental Report to include a summary of environmental and energy performance
  • Developing and maintaining environmental frameworks and reporting that promotes data integrity enabling transparent communication and continuous improvement
04 EHS Sustainability initiatives at KU

The KU EHS and Facility Management Department has started various initiatives toward sustainability, including:

  • Replace the conventional lights with LED lights in some facilities in the Main campus.
  • Conduct detailed energy survey on SAN and Main campuses and obtain a proposal to replace lights with LED-type.
  • Meet green club student and advise them on sustainability matters.
  • Install online energy consumption monitoring system in one of the SAN facilities.
  • Maintain the online energy consumption monitoring system in the Main campus
  • Ensure lights are switched off afterhours.
  • Raise the awareness among KU community toward sustainability and protecting the environment and resources. ..
  • Discuss the opportunities of energy and water consumption reduction with KU contractors during the regular monthly meetings.
  • Regularly meet with KU contractors to highlight importance of environmental protection and maintain sustainability practice .
  • Segregate recyclable waste to be collected for recycling and reuse. Assess the consumption profile of water and electricity in the facilities to determine the significate contributors and accordingly establish an effective plan for reduction.
  • Coordinate with a specialized Envirofina company to conduct a comprehensive survey for lights in SAN campus to determine the areas of improvements in line with financial feasibility.
  • Ensure all waste generated from the facilities are collected, transported and disposed as per the relevant regulatory requirements.
  • Obtain the temporal water and electricity consumption, update and maintain the databases.