Progress on SDG 13 (Climate Action) by Al-Quds University
With an interdisciplinary focus on education, research, operational sustainability, and global outreach, Al-Quds University constitutes a considerable section of the university’s strategic approach. Al-Quds university’s efforts is a nationally and regionally recognized climate educator and sustainable operator focusing on climate education. Al-Quds is nationally a leader to climate education and sustainability as is growing the commitment on the climate initiatives, climate resilience, and the carbon converse.
Education and Capacity Building
Al-Quds university also committed to the climate science and education sustainability by. Tackling issues within the offered academic programs. The climate-related academic programs that the university, for instance, the Master of Renewable Energy and Sustainability, Master of Water Science Innovations, climate adaptation and the Bachelor of Professional in Solar Energy Technology. Further, the directed and registered climate change offers of these programs is to enable students to comprehend and give the direction of the initiatives at the global level to climate challenges. The offered programs promotes students to participate and offered for Palestine as an globally integrated and registered climate change provided programs candidates.
Research and Innovation in Climate Solutions:
The university promotes innovative research in climate change mitigation and adaption, renewable energy, and sustainable water management. Faculty and students work together in research on low-carbon technologies, ecosystem climate resilience, climate resource modeling, and climate sustainable resource management, watershed management, and ecosystem services. This research informs local adaptation initiatives and targets national level emissions reduction and climate resilience policies.
Climate Action Plan and Operational Sustainability:
In 2016, Al-Quds University aiming for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, instituted a Climate Action Plan at the university level. This plan is designed to facilitate the university in achieving its intended operational and value-chain emissions reduction, renewable energy system adoption, and full electrification of the campus. The university has been achieving its intended 2030, 2035, and 2040 milestones to reduction emissions, positioned to attaining carbon neutrality in compliance with the Paris Agreement to 1.5°C of global warming.
Focus on Global Climate Initiatives:
“Al-Quds University is part of the global Rise to Zero Campaign” This statement reinforces the position of the University on the continued fight for climate justice globally. This is part of the global sustainability lobbying. By participating in this global initiative, Al-Quds University partakes in global collaborative efforts, exchanges valuable insights, and enhances their climate-related partnership ecosystem.
Focus on the Community and Climate Change:
To promote inclusive climate action, the University undertakes awareness initiatives, workshops, and community engagement activities that advocate for climate action and sustainability. In this way, the University enables students and staff as well as the surrounding community to join the fight for climate action, to bring about change in behavior, adopt renewable energy, and use resources mindfully.
Al-Quds University is dedicated to achieving SDG 13 as demonstrated through its educational excellence, and the leadership of its research, as well as its strategic commitment. This involves the relentless work of improving climate impacts, securing the climate future of Palestine and the global south, advancing innovative sustainable solutions, and building innovative resilient global citizenship.
Goal 13 incorporates urgent action to be taken on the climate crisis and its consequences. Climate change is an undeniable and phenomenally threatening reality, and the consequences are already observable. Catastrophe is imminent if there is no action.
This reality is for the survival of the planet, social equity, and people’s overall well-being. The university engages with SDG 13 in the following ways:
Teaching Climate Science, Environmental Science and Sustainable Development: Al-Quds University is dedicated to empowering the next generation climate change leaders, offering degrees at the BA and MA level in Climate Science, Environmental Science, and Sustainable Development. Students in these very well designed programs will acquire the necessary skills to understand the complex and multifaceted climactic challenges of mitigation, adaptation, and resilience to climate change and prepare for climate change resilience careers across multiple sectors.
Research on Climate Change: The university engages in research on a variety of climate change issues, including greenhouse gas emissions, climate modeling, disaster risk reduction, and climate adaptation. This important scholarship deepens our understanding of climate change and its consequences and is critical to the development of evidence-based strategies and policies.
Collaboration with Local and Global Stakeholders: Al-Quds University engages with stakeholders within and outside the country in relation to the impacts of climate change. He university provides technical support and engages in partnerships in research, workshops, and other forms of collaboration to assist in the climate change mitigation and adaptation response planning and implementation.
Climate Action on Campus: Active on taking measures to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, the University has made climate action an integral part of its operations and place of study by the implementation of energy-efficient infrastructure, green transportation, and the adoption of large-scale renewable energy technologies, available to students, faculty, and staff.
Community Outreach and Capacity Building: The University Al-Quds has developed and implemented community outreach programs aimed at climate change and its impacts at the community level. These mitigative and adaptive programs, and programs aimed at disaster risk reduction, help to empower and equip local community clusters.
Advocacy and Policy Development. Al-Quds University focuses on the advocacy of climate action related frameworks and strategies, related policies and legislations at the local and country level and internationally.
Encouraging Climate-Related Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The University fosters innovation for the commercialization of new technologies, climate-related products, and services designed for the mitigation and adaptation of climate change. Providing support and resources to researchers and entrepreneurs as well as offering start-up incubators, accelerators, and financing are foundations for promoting a culture centered on climate-related innovation and entrepreneurship.
As previously outlined, Al-Quds University is committed to achieving SDG 13. This has been evident through its wide-ranging integration of innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to education, innovative climate change research, partnerships with global and local stakeholders, climate positive actions on campus, advocacy policies and research development, climate entrepreneurship, outreach and capacity building within the community, and climate advocacy. The University is committed to creating a positive impact on social justice, environmental justice, and community well-being through impacts on climate change.