Sustainable AASTMT

Net-Zero Commitment

Race to Zero

AASTMT Net-Zero Commitment and Climate Action

Overview

The Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) is a proud and active participant in the Race to Zero Campaign, a global initiative led by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This campaign mobilises a coalition of non-state actors, including businesses, cities, regions, financial institutions, and academic institutions, in the shared mission to achieve a healthy, resilient, zero-carbon world.

Race to Zero is the largest global alliance of non-state actors committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest, in alignment with the Paris Agreement and the IPCC's recommendation to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

AASTMT Public Commitment to Net-Zero

In 2022, AASTMT made a public and strategic commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, formally joining the Race to Zero Campaign. This commitment reflects the institution's dedication to mitigating climate change through leadership, education, and sustainable development, and is embedded in its Strategic Plan 2021-2026, which identifies sustainability as one of its four core strategic pillars.

The commitment is structured around four pillars:

1. Pledge

AASTMT has pledged at the highest level of leadership to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century or sooner. This pledge supports global climate action and aligns with international efforts to cap temperature rise at 1.5°C (United Nations, 2015; IPCC, 2018). The Academy's approach further aligns with Egypt's National Climate Change Strategy 2050.

2. Plan

Within 12 months of joining the initiative, AASTMT published a clear, transparent, and actionable climate strategy. This plan includes:

• Short-, medium-, and long-term goals.
• An interim target of at least 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025 (against the 2019 baseline), already exceeded by end of 2024 at -32.8%.
• A long-term target of 50% carbon reduction by 2040, aligned with Egypt's national renewable energy plan targeting 40% renewable energy by 2040.
• Focus areas covering energy systems, transportation, water use, and curriculum integration (UNFCCC, 2020).

3. Proceed

Implementation of tangible actions is well underway. Through the AASTMT Climate Action Plan 2024-2025, the university is:

• Improving energy efficiency across facilities, with approximately 95% of conventional lighting replaced with LED and smart building management systems (BMS) deployed across major buildings.
• Promoting renewable energy adoption, with approximately 230kW of on-site solar capacity operational across campuses, including a 150kW grid-tied PV station at the Aswan branch and a 50kW grid-tied PV station at the Alexandria Abukir campus, both featuring net-metering systems.
• Applying tighter refrigerant management to reduce Scope 1 direct emissions.
• Expanding waste minimisation targets and standardised sorting protocols across campuses to reduce Scope 3 emissions.
• Advancing sustainable mobility policies and embedding climate literacy and sustainability education in academic programmes (UNESCO, 2018).
• Achieved a verified -32.8% reduction in total carbon emissions against the 2019 base year by end of 2024, exceeding the 2025 interim target ahead of schedule.

4. Publish

AASTMT publishes progress updates annually, ensuring transparency through participation in recognised reporting platforms, including the UNFCCC Global Climate Action Portal (UNFCCC, 2020). Key publications include:

• AASTMT Carbon Emissions Reduction and Sustainability Progress Report (2024)

AASTMT Carbon Emissions Reduction and Sustainability Progress Report (2024)

• 2024 AASTMT Insights: Insights into Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions

2024 AASTMT Insights: Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions

Progress Towards Net-Zero: Key Milestones

The table below summarises AASTMT's key milestones in progressing toward its 2050 net-zero commitment.

External Validation and Recognition

QS World Sustainability Rankings 2024

In December 2023, AASTMT was recognised in the QS Sustainability Rankings 2024 as the only non-governmental university in Egypt to be listed. This recognition demonstrates the institution's commitment and visibility in sustainability among global peers.

AASTMT Recognised by QS World Sustainability Ranking 2024

UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2024

AASTMT was ranked 453rd globally and 11th in Egypt in the 2024 UI GreenMetric rankings, which evaluates universities on environmental sustainability metrics covering campus, energy, waste, water, transportation, and education. This ranking provides independent, external validation of the institution's commitment to environmental performance.

AASTMT Ranks Among the World's Most Sustainable Universities in 2024 UI GreenMetric Ranking

INTERREG (EU) Funding 2025

AASTMT secured funding for five innovative projects under the EU's INTERREG programme, which emphasises regional development, environmental sustainability, and transboundary collaboration, further reinforcing the Academy's international partnerships in the sustainability space.

AASTMT Triumphs in European Union's INTERREG Programme

Leading the Region in Net-Zero Ambition

Through rigorous climate action, cross-sector collaboration, and innovative research, AASTMT is emerging as a regional pioneer in climate leadership. The 2024/2025 research published in peer-reviewed literature proposes a roadmap toward total AASTMT-Alexandria campus sustainability through solar rooftop PV installation, electric bus conversion, smart building technology deployment, and biodiesel production from waste cooking oils, projected to reduce campus carbon emissions by 696.76 tCO2e per year.

These efforts inspire universities and communities in the MENA region and beyond to join the global movement for a zero-carbon, sustainable future.

Approved and Endorsed By:

Prof. Dr. Kareem Tonbol

Dean of Scientific Research for Maritime Affairs

Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT)

Date: 2025