Office of Sustainability
The Office of Sustainability is the central institutional body that coordinates, supervises and reports on all sustainability activities carried out across the Applied Science University campus. The Office translates the University’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to the National Vision of the Kingdom of Bahrain into a coordinated programme of action that spans education, research, operations, community engagement and institutional governance.
The Office of Sustainability reports directly to the President of the University and operates under a Presidential Decision that establishes its mandate, structure, membership and reporting obligations.
Mandate
- Coordinate the implementation of the University’s sustainability strategy across all colleges, deanships, directorates and support services.
- Supervise the University’s annual participation in international sustainability rankings, including the UI GreenMetric Sustainable University Rankings, the QS Sustainability Rankings, the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, and other relevant frameworks.
- Maintain the institutional Sustainability Portal at sustainability.asu.edu.bh as the public-facing repository of evidence, activities and progress reports.
- Coordinate inter-institutional partnerships and external representation of the University on matters of sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Publish an Annual Sustainability Report aligned with the six UI GreenMetric categories and with the UN SDGs.
Strategic Objectives
- Integrate sustainability into the academic curriculum across all four colleges and into the institutional research agenda.
- Reduce the environmental footprint of campus operations through targeted programmes in energy, water, waste and transportation.
- Strengthen the University’s community engagement and outreach programmes with a sustainability focus, in partnership with civil society organisations in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
- Embed sustainability into governance processes, including procurement, facilities management, financial planning and human resources policies.
- Communicate transparently with internal and external stakeholders on sustainability performance, progress and challenges.
Governance Structure
Reporting Line
The Office of Sustainability reports directly to the President of the University and is established under a Presidential Decision. The Office submits an annual sustainability report to the President and to the Board of Trustees.
Leadership
The Office is led by a Director of the Office of Sustainability, supported by a Sustainability Coordinator. Both positions are full-time appointments dedicated exclusively to the coordination of sustainability activities across the institution.
Sustainability Steering Committee
- Chair: Director of the Office of Sustainability
- Vice-President for Administration, Finance and Community Engagement
- Vice-President for Academic Affairs
- Dean of the Deanship of Research and Graduate Studies
- Dean of the College of Administrative Sciences
- Dean of the College of Law
- Dean of the College of Arts and Science
- Dean of the College of Engineering
- Director of the Research Centre for Interdisciplinary and Futuristic Studies
- Director of the Community Engagement Office
- Director of Administration and Finance
- President of the Student Council, representing the student body
Working Groups
| Code | Working Group | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| SI | Setting and Infrastructure | Green space, biodiversity, campus design, building footprint, open space, smart campus |
| EC | Energy and Climate Change | Energy efficiency, renewable energy, building performance, greenhouse gas emissions, climate adaptation |
| WS | Waste Management | Waste reduction at source, recycling programmes, hazardous waste handling, organic waste, paper consumption |
| WR | Water Management | Water consumption, conservation, treated water reuse, water-efficient appliances, piped water programmes |
| TR | Transportation | Campus mobility, university fleet, parking policy, public transport, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure |
| ED | Education and Research | Sustainability in the curriculum, sustainability-related courses, publications, research funding, student engagement |
Activities and Programmes
- Annual Sustainability Week, hosted on campus with workshops, panels, exhibitions and student-led initiatives.
- Coordination of the institutional submissions to UI GreenMetric, QS Sustainability Rankings, Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and other relevant international frameworks.
- Annual environmental footprint review, covering energy consumption, water consumption, waste generation and recycling rates, transportation patterns and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Community sustainability projects in partnership with local civil society organisations including the Royal Charity Organization, the Bahrain Red Crescent Society and the Friends of Bahrain Environment Society.
- Sustainability-focused curriculum review supporting the integration of SDG-aligned learning outcomes across all academic programmes.
- Annual Sustainability Report, published on the Sustainability Portal and submitted to the President and the Board of Trustees.
Reporting and Accountability
The Office of Sustainability publishes an Annual Sustainability Report covering the academic year and summarising performance against the six UI GreenMetric categories, progress against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the results of the institutional submissions to international sustainability rankings.
The report is presented to the President of the University and to the Board of Trustees, and is made publicly available on the Sustainability Portal at sustainability.asu.edu.bh.
Contact
Office of Sustainability
Applied Science University
East Al-Ekir, Kingdom of Bahrain
Sustainability Portal:
https://sustainability.asu.edu.bh
Institutional Website:
https://www.asu.edu.bh
Email:
[email protected]