September 12, 2023
Dear members of the NYUAD community,
It is with pride and enthusiasm that I introduce NYUAD’s inaugural Climate Action Plan (CAP). This visionary roadmap charts our course towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and projects our unwavering dedication to safeguarding our planet for generations to come. We are delighted to launch this plan during the UAE’s Year of Sustainability and less than three months before the country will host the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28).
CAP is not just a plan. It is a testament to our resolve, and a call to action that resonates to every corner of our campus. It maps out a future of optimal energy efficiency and meaningful change of our practices and habits, driven by our community’s understanding of its stewardship responsibilities and power to make a difference. Each step we take along this path, every idea we contribute, and every action we embrace will propel us to become a more sustainable and resilient institution. This is our commitment to a livable planet.
That commitment does not stop at the borders of our campus. NYUAD is the only academic institution in the UAE that has signed an MOU with the incoming COP28 Presidency. The Universities Climate Network (UCN) that we are co-chairing with the Office of the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change has been growing under our leadership, and now includes 27 universities that seek strategic collaboration on climate action across our campuses.
As chair of UCN, NYUAD is working closely with member universities and COP28 to submit proposals and expressions of interest for individual and collective presence at the conference. If you are looking for ways to get involved or have questions, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page on the faculty and staff intranet and student portal for up-to-date information. It will be updated continuously in the lead up to COP28.
Our students are front and center as hosts of the global Student Energy Summit and the 18th Conference of Youth. They are championing change as youth leaders in the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, COP28 Youth Delegates program, and more.
Our faculty and staff are renowned for their climate research and community engagement. We've redoubled our own commitment to a livable planet through our unique capacities to deliver key research, education, and community involvement. We have joined the EN-WWF UAE Alliance for Climate Action, which enables organizations to collaborate across sectors to catalyze their plans to get to net zero.
As we stand on the cusp of this transformative journey, I want to thank the dozens and dozens of colleagues and students who shaped CAP this past year. Now, I invite each one of you to be an integral part of this essential endeavor. Our shared dedication, innovative capacities, and collaborative muscle will turn our ambitious climate vision into a reality.
The moment for climate action is now.
Sincerely,
Mariët
