SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi is committed to sustainability through a comprehensive approach that addresses various environmental policies. The university implements an ethical sourcing policy to ensure that all materials and resources are obtained responsibly, aligning with sustainable practices. It has established stringent waste disposal policies for hazardous materials to mitigate environmental risks and protect public health. Additionally, the university emphasizes minimizing landfill use by promoting recycling initiatives and tracking waste effectively, ensuring a high proportion of waste is diverted from landfills. Policies aimed at reducing plastic use and disposable items are enforced across campus, extending these minimization efforts to suppliers as well. Through these measures, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi not only fosters an eco-friendly campus but also sets a standard for responsible resource management within the academic community.

Partnerships and Initiatives

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi signed MoU with and Veolia Abu Dhabi, the benchmark company for ecological transformation offering game-changing solutions for water, waste and energy management, to roll out an exclusive partnership covering research and academic collaboration, student internships, and research capacity building and development promoting sustainable practices in UAE

Initiatives held at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

Sustainability Initiatives: A Greener Sports Building

In line with SUAD’s sustainability efforts, the Sports Department eliminated single-use plastic bottles from the sports building. Athletes, staff, and visitors are encouraged to use reusable bottles, with water dispensers available throughout the facility. This initiative aligns with global environmental goals and promotes responsible behavior.

Recycling at SUAD’s campus

The 3R's

  • Reduce

    Use goods which stop waste being generated. Reduce waste by choosing products that have minimal packaging and can be used productively and then recycled.

  • Re-use

    Re-use containers, packaging or waste products, wherever possible.

  • Recycle

    Recycle waste material into useable products, wherever possible.

Carbon Footprint Reduction Targets

1. Food Waste Management

  • Reduce pre and post food waste by reaching full use of all composting capacity on campus, on a full-time basis.

  • Phase out of single use plastics in all facilities.

2. Utilities Management

  • Reduction in utilities consumption by 10 to 25%

  • Revitalisation and adaptive reuse of assets

  • Recycle bins on campus

  • Consolidation of physical servers

  • Carbon footprint review

3. Food Waste Management

  • Paper Reduction

  • I-procurement signatures

  • Automation of Visiting Professors Travel

  • Increase the adoption of Learning Management System

  • Digital transformation of manual processes

4. Sustainable Friendly Policies

  • Draft an HSE circular for third parties to committing supplier to comply, attain, implement, and monitor HSE system as part of their obligation in the contract.

  • Allocate 5% of the technical evaluation scores in Tenders to HSE compatibility and GO GREEN initiative among SUAD contractors

Activities and Events

Smart Optical Films: Controlling the optical properties of nanostructured oxide-based polymer films

Dr. Stavros Christopoulos led a project aimed at developing environmentally friendly materials with advanced properties by embedding metal-oxide nanoparticles (e.g., ZnO, TiO2) into polymer matrices. The goal is to improve the physical properties of the films for applications in agriculture, construction, and display technologies, such as greenhouse covers and anti-glare coatings. The nanoparticles are treated, coated, and incorporated through processes like extrusion, resulting in low-cost, high-performance materials. The project also focused on using biodegradable polymers and developing a theoretical model to better understand the interaction between nanoparticles and the polymer, optimizing the films' performance.

A Pre-study on Greening Information Management for Sustainable Development

Dr. Proscovia Svard led a study, with Dr. Victor Kabata as a participant, focused on investigating how governments can implement green information management strategies to address environmental challenges posed by the exponential growth in digital information and data centers. The literature review highlighted the lack of research in this area, justifying the need for the study. Research was conducted in several countries, including the UAE.
The study aimed to explore how governments are working to align information management with sustainable development goals. Specific objectives included identifying strategies and policies implemented by selected countries (including the UAE) for sustainable information management, assessing public officers' awareness of the environmental impact of information management, examining how open data developments align with sustainability goals, and making recommendations for greening information management practices.

Research and Publications on Responsible Consumption and Production

  • Tunable Optical Greenhouse Covers – Dr. Stavros Christopoulos
  • EVENT & PUBLICATION “Raising green awareness through children’s literature” – Dr. Karine Germoni
  • Responsible Consumption & Production (we have a thesis that is discussing this in this promotion) – Dr. Amar Ahmed (MMCM)
  • “The impact of fintech-based eco-friendly incentives in improving sustainable environmental performance: A mediating-moderating model” – Dr. Rana Husseini Frangieh (https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2023.9.013)
  • “Revolutionizing sustainable supply chain management: A review of metaheuristics” Dr. Raed Abu Zitar (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2023.106839)
  • BOOK CHAPTER “Future of nanomaterials in agricultural practices” – Latefa Hamdan Al Mansoori (A00021952) (https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91703-2.00012-9)
  • CONFERENCE PAPER “Geologic environments for nuclear waste repositories” – Dr. Kosmas Pavlopoulos (https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201712006003)

Sustainable Development Goals