SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG13: Climate Action is a crucial global goal aimed at combating climate change and its impacts. Kuwait, like many other countries, faces climate-related challenges, and the American University of the Middle East (AUM) recognizes its responsibility to address these issues both within its campus and in the broader community. Here's how AUM is dealing with SDG13 in Kuwait:
Sustainable Campus Operations
AUM is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices on campus. The university has implemented energy-efficient lighting, heating, and cooling systems to minimize energy consumption. Additionally, AUM promotes waste reduction, recycling programs, and water conservation measures. These initiatives not only reduce the university's environmental impact but also serve as practical examples for students and staff.
Renewable Energy
To align with SDG13, AUM is exploring the use of renewable energy sources. Solar panels and other renewable energy technologies are being considered to generate clean energy on campus. These efforts aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrate the feasibility of transitioning to renewable energy sources in Kuwait.
Sustainable Transportation
AUM encourages sustainable transportation options for its students and staff. The university promotes carpooling, the use of public transportation, and cycling as eco-friendly alternatives to reduce carbon emissions from commuting. By advocating for sustainable transportation practices, AUM contributes to mitigating the effects of climate change.
Climate Education and Research
AUM integrates climate-related topics into its curriculum, emphasizing the importance of climate action. Students can enroll in courses related to climate science, sustainability, and environmental policy. The university also supports faculty and student research projects focused on climate change impacts and mitigation strategies.
Awareness and Advocacy
AUM actively raises awareness about climate change and the need for climate action through seminars, workshops, and public lectures. The university engages in advocacy campaigns, participating in climate-related events and encouraging students and staff to advocate for climate action on both local and global levels.
Community Engagement
AUM extends its commitment to climate action beyond the campus by engaging with the wider Kuwaiti community. The university collaborates with local environmental organizations, government agencies, and NGOs to promote sustainable practices and raise awareness about climate change. AUM students and faculty participate in community outreach programs and initiatives, furthering the impact of SDG13 in Kuwait.
Climate-Resilient Initiatives
Recognizing the need for climate resilience, AUM explores initiatives aimed at protecting against climate change impacts, such as rising temperatures and extreme weather events. This may include the integration of climate-resilient design principles into campus infrastructure and buildings.
In conclusion, the American University of the Middle East (AUM) in Kuwait is actively addressing SDG13: Climate Action through sustainable campus operations, renewable energy initiatives, education and research, advocacy, community engagement, and climate-resilient measures. AUM's commitment to climate action not only benefits the university but also contributes to Kuwait's efforts to combat climate change and build a sustainable and resilient future for all.
AUM is committed to reducing carbon emissions by systematically tracking and analyzing its carbon footprint to develop the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Programs on campus. The current GHG emission reduction programs implemented at AUM fall under scopes 2 and 3.
In scope 2, efforts to reduce purchased electricity and energy costs are undergoing with the use of energy-efficient appliances, cloud computing, and IT systems with lower energy consumption.
As for scope 3, two main emission sources are considered in the reduction programs: waste management and commuting.
AUM liaises with local organizations and companies to handle recyclable materials and maximizes efforts to reduce and manage all kinds of waste. Learn more
Moreover, AUM campus set up is designed with all buildings on the sides, thus creating a rectangular frame and leaving a very spacious open area in the center that offers to the community a green and car-free environment. Zero-emission and electric shuttles are available for journeys within the campus and there are designated tracks for pedestrians, runners, cyclists, and zero-emission vehicles. Furthermore, common transportation is available for a group of staff members and some faculty and staff members carpool together.
In December 2022, AUM has been ranked as the most Sustainable and Green University in Kuwait for the third year running, by UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2022. Compared to the previous year, AUM advanced 31 places to #237 worldwide, and made it to the Top 5 Most Sustainable and Green Universities in the Gulf and #16 in the Arab countries.The UI GreenMetric ranks universities around the world based on their commitment and actions toward sustainability as per the following distinct categories: Setting and Infrastructure, Energy and Climate Change, Waste, Water, Transportation, and Education and Research.
The theme of UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2022 focused on “Collective Actions for Transforming Sustainable Universities in the Post-Pandemic Time”. Being recognized as one of the most sustainable universities in the region reflects AUM’s commitment to greening its campus, equipping students with business ethics, and engaging with the sustainable development goals through education, research, and social responsibility initiatives.
The Green Energy club is dedicated to addressing the challenges of climate change and promoting sustainable and green energy solutions that lead to a greener and more resilient future. We believe in the power of collaboration and collective action to make a difference in the fight against climate change. The club aims to provide the students with the opportunity to apply their engineering design and project management skills as well as theoretical knowledge in a challenging competition. It also aims to increase awareness of the importance of renewable energy sources for the environment and the economy.
AUM collaborated with SLB to host The Sustainability Village on November 9 and 10, 2022. A sustainability mini walk-through experience linked with a number of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals and local sustainability goals. The purpose behind the project is to showcase the importance of these topics to the modern-day Kuwaiti Household.
The project consists of three main booths: Electricity Consumption Booth, Waste Management Booth, and Health and Wellbeing Booth; and are all designed in an interactive way that would encourage individuals to participate and experience how sustainability can make a difference in their lives.
In cooperation with slb... our students had an interesting experience yesterday in slb sustainability village ♻️
Its aim is to raise awareness of the concept of sustainability. Those who attended the event will be present today after 🤩 from 3 o'clock, towards the Lake, we are waiting for you.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the American University of the Middle East (AUM) organized a competition among students and alumni to encourage them to think in a more environmentally friendly way and come up with creative solutions that can make the campus more sustainable.
World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5 to keep the environment top of mind among people, and to remind them that nature should not be taken for granted and must be respected for its values.
Students and alumni submitted their ideas through written reports and videos where they came up with creative solutions that can reduce the carbon footprint of university campuses.
As part of AUM’s approach to sustainability, the university will be exploring the implementation of these ideas and initiatives with students and alumni in the future.
Certification of participation and plants were distributed to all participants, in addition to prizes to the top three winners: Danah Afat, Ayah Sharaf, and Ali Hashem.
Who would have imagined that the paper used could turn into masterpieces! 🎨
AUM students celebrated World Sustainability Day by participating in a workshop where they learned how to recycle used paper and turn it into paintings. ✨
AUM launched an upcycling workshop series as part of its efforts to teach students about waste management, recycling, and responsible consumption.
The first series of workshops was titled “Plastic to Plant” and comprised two sessions on the first week of December and another two sessions on the second week of the same month so both groups of students can attend, while taking all the necessary health and safety precautions.
The workshop started with an informative session about recycling, upcycling, the negative effects of waste on the environment, and the sustainable development goals. Different ideas about what kind of wastes can be upgraded into something artistic and have real usage were discussed during the workshop.
During the session, students learned how to give life to used plastic bottles by turning them into plant pots. Students enjoyed creating a pot from the plastic, designing the water bottle, and adding soil and a plant to it.
After the workshop, students hung the plants on a designated wall on campus.
Selected Award-winning student projects on SDG13. Climate Action
Carbon dioxide capture from flue gas emissions using green separation agents - Won the third prize in AUM Innovation Day Event in Spring 2023 & Won the third prize in Chemical and Petroleum Processing Category, 10th Undergraduate Research Competition 2023, Abu Dhabi, UAE
The increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has been a leading cause of the global crisis that has been taking place. Therefore, the capture, storage, and utilization of CO2 have been widely studied recently. However, most of the available CO2 sorbents that are used in the industry are not eco-friendly. The purpose of this project is to develop a preliminary design of a CO2-capturing plant that uses chitosan as a green sorbent. The process is designed to capture CO2 from flue gas that is released from Al-Sabiya power plant in Kuwait, which has approximately 10 mol% of CO2. The designed CO2-capturing process uses adsorption technology for capturing the CO2, and it is capable of capturing around 2,473 kg/h of CO2 per cycle and with a purity of 100%. The captured CO2 will be liquefied and stored in tanks for the ease of transportation and utilization. In this project, material and energy balances calculations were performed to obtain material quantities and the required power for all units. Detailed design and sizing are performed for all main units in this process to ensure that the units used perform efficiently, consume minimal energy, are safe, and cost-effective. Finally, material of construction selection and capital cost estimation are done for the main units in the process. The capital cost of major equipment in this process is approximately 4.5 million USD, which was estimated using the module factor approach. As for the future work of this project, we aim to perform lab-scale experiments on developing chitosan for higher CO2 capturing capacity and to be able to use software modeling like Aspen Adsorption to simulate the CO2 capturing process.
Design Optimization and Fabrication of Hub and Spindle Assembly In Solar Car - Conference paper published in “The 33rd CIRP Design Conference”
Vehicle exhaust is a major contributor to pollution and global warming. To generate mechanical energy, most vehicles' motors burn fossil fuels through a chemical process. As a result of this reaction, many diseases and environmental problems result. To move vehicles, engineers are looking at alternative energy sources, such as solar power which generates electric power from the sun's rays. As part of this concept, mechanical engineering students will build a solar car to compete in world challenges. Mechanics students have already built the solar car chassis. This project focuses mainly on the design of wheel assemblies, specifically the front wheel uprights. These components are crucial to steering, suspension, and brakes, which connect the steering system, suspension system, and brake system to the chassis. They are responsible for steering, riding, reliability, and durability of the vehicle. Manufacturing the right effectively follows the engineering design process. The following chapters provide an introduction, a problem definition, a comprehensive literature review, concepts and evaluations of design, simulations of design, optimum design, project management, and future work. Following the evaluation of the first concept, the second concept was selected, and then further simulations were conducted to obtain the best design features through DOE. In the end, Aluminum 6061-T6 proved to be the most durable material for the upright; the FOS generated for the spindle was 5.5 and the mass was 1085.72 grams, while for the hub the FOS was 3.2 and the mass was 731.45 grams.
Analysis and Design of An Optimum Powertrain for An Electric Battery Vehicle for AUM Campus Shuttle Service - Conference paper published in 8th World Congress on Mechanical, Chemical, and Material Engineering (MCM'23) and won “Best Paper” award. Extended version of the paper published in Journal of Fluid Flow, Heat and Mass Transfer
In order to achieve both high performance and a longer driving ranges, conventional automobiles rely on fuels supplied from petroleum. However, there are certain drawbacks to consider, such as poor fuel economy and emissions of exhaust gas that contribute to the pollution of the environment. To this end, there has been a recent rise in interest in electric cars. The purpose of this paper therefore, is to analyze and design an optimum powertrain for an electric battery vehicle for AUM campus shuttle service. The history of electric cars as well as academic studies on the subject have both been covered in this paper. Additionally, the benchmark of five different electric golf carts, including Xunhu, Lgao, Zhongyi, Suzhou Eagle, and Autopower, has been investigated as part of this research. After that, the design parameters of the best possible model of an electric golf cart were produced. In order to assess the selected design in relation to other designs already on the market, a quality function deployment (QFD) diagram has been designed. The proposed study involves, the selection design and optimization of an EV to be used in the American University of the Middle East (AUM) campus considering the main objective is to complete the daily tasks within a single charge. A longitudinal EV model is generated in MATLAB/Simulink, a benchmarking vehicle is selected and parameter optimization for battery capacity and final drive ratio (FDR) is performed. The final design has 19.9 % less battery capacity and 7.901 second 0 – 25 kph vehicle acceleration duration, 17.86 % less than the original configuration. The results of this study will be used for the autonomous driving car development project.
Energy, Water, Waste management are three research themes at AUM: