INTRODUCTION
KAUST is highly committed to working towards the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development . Over the past two years , the university has made significant advances in its sustainability agenda at a local , national and international level .
In a global cooperative effort , KAUST joined 57 other universities in signing an international joint statement of support for the UN 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the SDGs , and enrolled in multiple international sustainability networks . Additionally , the university has showcased sustainability leadership in global fora , including COP 26 and 27 , the UN Ocean Conference , G20 , Future Investment Initiative , World Sustainability Forum , and UNESCO-TWAS General Conference .
Nationwide , KAUST has partnered with several pivotal giga projects for the sustainable development of Saudi Arabia , and been a key partner for the Saudi Green Initiative , in line with the Kingdom ’ s Vision 2030 .
At the university , a Sustainability Working Group ( SWG ) was created with the purpose of bringing together all relevant teams and departments of KAUST to a common platform aimed at facilitating discussion and promoting cross-cutting collaboration on KAUST ’ s sustainability objectives .
Consolidating all these efforts , KAUST has released a Sustainability Vision Statement , launched a Sustainability website - which showcases our leadership in sustainability-driven education , research , innovation , operations , and outreach - and has accelerated the development of a sustainability roadmap and climate action plan , aimed at informing the institution ’ s sustainability commitments .
This report aims to celebrate some of the several contributions KAUST has made towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals over the years of 2021 and 2022 . While not being an extensive showcase of all our contributions , we have highlighted projects , programs and initiatives that have been set-up or continuously ran during the reported period , and are related to each specific SDG across three broad categories : Education & Research , Operations , and Engagement & Outreach .
With this first SDG Highlight Report , we aim to openly share meaningful achievements , evaluate our impact within and beyond our borders , and foster joint growth with other academic institutions and organizations who share our values and goals .
Education & Research
Funding research initiatives and investigating solutions for pressing sustainability challenges , which enable development for the region and the world
Operations
Tackling operational excellence through efficient management of people , resources and infrastructure
Engagement & Outreach
Engaging with like-minded stakeholders who commit to a shared sense of purpose in the pursuit of sustainability
Developing meaningful academic curricula , educational programs and lifelong learning opportunities , that guarantee quality education and inclusiveness
Developing and piloting resource circularity programs towards zero waste and net zero carbon operations
Creating inclusive and empowering opportunities for human development and capacity building
Enhancing the services provided to the KAUST community
Reaching to local , national and international communities and disseminating information and awareness about sustainable development
4 | KAUST SDG HIGHLIGHT REPORT