Sorbonne University plays a vital role in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which focuses on clean water and sanitation. Through interdisciplinary research, the university contributes to understanding water resource management, pollution control, and sustainable practices such as rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, and ecosystem restoration. Its programs foster collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and local communities to address water scarcity and improve sanitation systems. By promoting innovative solutions and public awareness, Sorbonne University not only enhances water accessibility and quality but also supports global efforts to ensure sustainable water management for future generations.
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi implements various sustainability initiatives aimed at conserving water resources and promoting eco-friendly practices. The installation of water refill stations encourages the use of reusable bottles, reducing plastic waste on campus. Additionally, water-saving devices have been installed on taps, shattafs, and showerheads to minimize water consumption without compromising functionality. The university creatively reuses fountain water for cleaning canopies and utilizes solar-powered and soil moisture-controlled irrigation systems to optimize water use in landscaping.
Together, these initiatives reflect Sorbonne Abu Dhabi’s commitment to sustainability and responsible resource management, fostering a culture of environmental awareness within the university community.
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Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi has been developing a network of green partners to support its initiative with universities, governmental entities, and the private sector.ย
In December 2022, SUAD joined the UAE Universities Climate Network (UCN) to Support Youth-Focused Objectives of COP28. As part of this collaboration with other HEI, the UN Special Envoy to COP28 and the COP28 team, SUAD was committed to ensuring that its initiatives and events throughout 2023 support the COP28 to achieve its key priorities:
In March 2023, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi to collaborate in the fields of Research and Development. This partnership was further strengthened in June 2023 when the University officially became one of the eight founding institutions of the ADERN Network (Abu Dhabi Environmental Research Network), a part of Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, leading the way to developing cross collaborative research in the field of environment.
The Environment Agency โ Abu Dhabi (EAD) launched ADERN (Abu Dhabi Environmental Research Network), a community of research scientists, research institutions and allied innovators, to convene research and development experts around the scientific knowledge gaps facing stakeholders to continuously enhance the environment of the emirate. Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi has joined 7 universities as founding institutional members With a focus on addressing environmental challenges, ADERN plays a vital role in advancing the understanding and implementation of sustainability in Abu Dhabi.
In March, RECAPP by Veolia became the preferred partner of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, sponsoring the โGreen Dictationโ public event and became the Universityโs provider of recycling bins on campus.
As a signatory to the UAE Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge in support of the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Initiative and to advance decarbonisation efforts, the university is a member of the UAE Alliance for Climate Action (UACA - an alliance of stakeholders committed to enhancing momentum towards Paris-aligned targets and fostering greater collaboration)
Climatize, is a sustainability award winning partner of SERCO, SUADโs facility management company. Climatize launched BeyondZero+ initiative that aims to address and tackle Global Issues Response with actionable Sustainable Business Objectives and Programs in parallel to its advocation and execution of projects targeting carbon-neutrality, zero energy, zero water and waste.
Sorbonne University is an active member of the Universities Climate Network, launched in April 2023. Comprising of 12 higher education institutions, the UCNโs aim is to encourage youth engagement in the country in the lead up to COP28. SUAD joined the UAE Universities Climate Network (UCN) to Support Youth-Focused Objectives of COP28. As part of this collaboration with other HEI, the UN Special Envoy to COP28 and the COP28 team, SUAD showed commitment to ensuring that its initiatives and events throughout 2023 support the COP28 to achieve its key priorities: 1. Global Stock Taking 2. Climate Impact Responses 3. Operationalising the new Loss and Damage Fund (agreed at COP27) 4. Just Energy Transition 5. Inclusion
As part of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabiโs Go Green 2023 initiative and its commitment to environmental sustainability, the university organises beach cleanup activities where its community comes together to clean-up the Abu Dhabi beaches. Participants in the initiatives collect 115 kg of plastic debris and waste from the Abu Dhabi shorelines. This waste would then be responsibly disposed of, leaving the beaches and their surroundings pristine and waste-free.
Dr Emad Alhseinat Chemical Engineer, Khalifa University (Leading as PI) Prof Kosmas Pavlopoulos Professor of Environmental geomorphology-Geology, SUAD (Leading as Co-PI) This project contributed directly to the efforts of achieving one of the goals of Abu Dhabi 2030 plan as it targets the issues related to water scarcity and lack of water resources and reducing energy consumption in UAE; through providing full water management guidelines toward the utilization of oil and gas Produced Water.
Prof Mateo Spagnolo Personal Chair, University of Aberdeen, Prof Kosmas Pavlopoulos Professor of Environmental geomorphology-Geology (Leading as Co-PI) A key to address long-standing questions regarding underlying climate change mechanisms in the Mediterranean, such as timing and amplitude of precipitation variability, is a multiproxy record (e.g. pollen, glacial, marine sediment records), which covers multiple glacialโinterglacial cycles and is sensitive to regional changes in the hydroclimate. As mountain glaciers change volume in response to climatic changes, their former extents record past changes in climate, providing data on how patterns of ice distribution have varied spatially with time. Mapping and dating of past ice margins, documented by terrestrial glaciogenic sediments and landforms, provide valuable information to gain a better understanding of landscape evolution. In order to juxtapose palaeoglaciers in different geographical settings, a useful tool is the Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA), which marks the area of a glacier where annual accumulation and ablation are equal and is governed by air temperature and precipitation.
The AquaTyr project, led by Jean Baptiste Yon and Prof. Kosmas Pavlopoulos, aimed to study how the Tyrians managed water over two millennia, adapting to geopolitical, environmental, and demographic challenges. Combining onshore and offshore investigations with multidisciplinary approaches, the project explored water flow from sources to the sea. It provided new insights into Tyre's water management, offering potential inspiration for modern, sustainable water networks. The project also allowed for a reassessment of Tyre's buried archaeological structures, contributing to a deeper understanding of the city's historical development.
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