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Climate change is a major global challenge in the 21st century that has far reaching impacts over the longer term on ecosystems on earth. As such, climate change calls for concerted international efforts to reduce all occurrences that might affect the climate, in order to preserve sustainable nature. For the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, climate change is of great concern several measures have been taken by the Kingdom to reduce causes of climate change. The Kingdom has adopted a number of measures that address both causes and impacts of climate change. Vision 2030 prioritizes climate change and outlines several initiatives and policies related to it.
KAU’s strategic plans and its “Strategic Center Kingdom’s Vision 2030 Realization” are closely tied to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in various topics including “Climate Change”. Therefore, KAU has been:
Undergoing actions to combat climate change and its impacts.
Incorporating measures to fight climate change into KAU’s plans and feeding the Kingdom’s national plans, strategies and policies.
Improving the awareness, education and community capacity on impact reduction.
KAU is playing a pivotal role in combating climate change.
The university is not only conducting cutting-edge research but also educating the next generation of climate change experts.
By incorporating climate change into its academic programs and research initiatives, KAU is contributing to Saudi Arabia's national climate action plan.
KAU applies, within its premises, several actions & procedures that tackle climate change issues.
KAU has a set of centers and units to follow SDG13 related aspects and assure KAU’s alignment with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 related to climate change.
KAU engages in international conferences and research, with well-known international universities and research centers that are related to “Climate Change”.
KAU publishes and applies climate change related policies within its premises.Here are some specific examples of KAU's efforts in climate change.
King Abdulaziz University has multiple centers of research excellence that support the Kingdom’s Vision2030, KAU’s strategic direction and sustainable development goals SDG’s. These centers provide a niche in which faculty members, full time researchers, highly cited visiting scholars, administrative, laboratory technician, undergraduate and postgraduate students work together to develop innovative research projects and solutions in the area climate and environmental sustainability. Research Centers Directory These Centers include the following:
Center of Research Excellence in Environmental Studies.
Water Research Center.
Center of Research Excellence in Water Desalination Technology.
Center of Research Excellence in Climate change.
Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Systems.
Saudi Society for Environmental Sciences. (For more details, click here )
In the same context, KAU has established a journal concerning the climate change with impact factor more than 8.
Prominent KAU Efforts In light of SDG 13
In 2022 KAU Achieving the fifth place globally according to the Global Green Metric ranking for green universities committed to climate action.
KAU’s strategic plans are closely tied to the UN’s SDGs in various topics including “Climate Change”. Therefore, KAU has been:
Undergoing actions to combat climate change and its impacts.
Incorporating measures to fight climate change into KAU’s plans and feeding the Kingdom’s national plans, strategies, and policies.
Improving awareness, education, and community capacity on impact reduction.
Highlighting the award’s, King Abdulaziz University has won in the field of environmental sustainability, specifically from the Middle East and North Africa Sustainability Awards 2023. The university has won three distinguished awards in different categories:
Sustainability Award in the Organizations Category:
Awarded to the Department of Environmental Design in the College of Architecture and Planning.
Recognized for excellence and contributions to sustainability practices in this field.
Lifetime Achievement Award in Sustainability:
Awarded to Dr. Abdul Mohsen Farhat.
Recognized for his dedication throughout his career in the field of sustainability and influential contributions to the academic and environmental community.
Sustainability Award in the Practitioners Category:
Awarded to Eng. Fahad Mohammed Al-Bayari.
Recognized for practical applications and progress in sustainability practices. (click here)
A Saudi innovator, Dr. Hussein Basi, KAU’s faculty member, has received a global patent for an invention that increases the efficiency of solar panels in generating energy by up to 25%, especially in hot climates like Saudi Arabia. This invention could help to reduce Saudi Arabia's reliance on fossil fuels and support its Vision 2030 goal of becoming a global leader in renewable energy. (click here)
The British Council has crowned Dr. Hani Al-Hudrami, a faculty member at King Abdulaziz University, with the award for the Best British University Graduates in the fields of Science and Sustainability for the year 2023 AD. The pathways of work in science and sustainability are diverse and include climate action, clean energy, medicine, sustainable cities and communities, and engineering. (click here)
“AstroTech from King Abdulaziz University Took First Place at NASA Hackathon with a Climate-Change Game”
With great pride, we announce the victory of the AstroTech team from the female students of King Abdulaziz University in first place at NASA's International Hackathon. The team developed an interactive game based on NASA data to raise awareness about the climate change crisis. We congratulate the team on this distinguished achievement. (click here)
King Abdulaziz University, through its Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, concluded the “Redefining Plastic” competition in collaboration with SABIC and the Oil Demand Sustainability Program, and in strategic partnership with the Scientific Endowment.
The winning teams were: Eco Design (First Place), Hydro Guard (Second Place), and EcoHup (Third Place).
The initiative aims to empower young innovators to develop sustainable environmental solutions to the plastic challenge and to promote creative and responsible thinking for a greener future(click here)
Renewables Generated On-site
King Abdulaziz University Solar Panel Project at the Rabigh campus is a revolutionary endeavor harnessing solar energy to illuminate the university's premises. It stands as a beacon of the institution's dedication to fostering sustainability and diminishing dependence on traditional energy sources. This initiative not only sets a precedent for other educational entities but also underscores King Abdulaziz University's steadfast dedication to environmental stewardship. By spearheading diverse sustainability projects like the solar panel installation, the university plays a pivotal role in safeguarding our planet and securing a sustainable legacy for posterity.
The Solar Shaded Car Park project is commissioned by the King Abdulaziz University under the auspices of the King Salman Chair for Energy Research (KSCER) and the Vice‐presidency for Projects in collaboration with the University of Southampton. (To Read More Click Here)
Solar lighting project at King Abdulaziz University branch in Rabigh city
Data Publishing
KAU frequently publishes and reports all events and data that are related to SDG13, as part of its strategy to monitor and control the sustainability goals improvement and as part of its alignment with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 towards “Climate Change”.
All the data that is related to SDG13 “Climate Change” is openly available and can be fetched from the below channels:
SDG13 report (2024).pdfThe below areas explain, in details, how KAU is approaching this SDG while enhancing aspects related to Climate Change.
13.1: Publications in Climate Change
This focuses on research that is relevant to Climate Change, measuring clinical citations and the volume of research produced.
KAU has a significant 146 scholarly publications on Climate Change, 38% of which are in top 10% Journals.
13.2: Low Carbon Energy Use
This focuses on the Carbon Footprint of Energy Use at the university.
29% of KAU's Energy Consumption is from Low Carbon Sources.
13.3: Environmental Education Measures
KAU has been executing a lot of activities, like Local Education Programmes, Collaborations with the Government and NGOs, as well as various measures regarding Disasters.
13.4: Commitment to Carbon Neutral University
KAU is committed to becoming a Carbon Neutral University Reach Net-Zero the realization of this commitment to all 3 Greenhouse Gas Protocols Scopes by 2060 that is reflected in its strategy and targets.
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