Sustainability Facts and Figures

The American University in Cairo incentivizes carpooling to campus by allowing carpoolers to park for free as stated within the University’s parking policy. As of September 2023, designated parking spots for members of the community who carpool to campus were introduced on campus. Carpoolers may park in specially reserved slots at parking lot G near Gate 5 and Omar Mohsen Gate. Check AUC's statement on reserved carpool parking.

AUC became a signatory to the global UN-backed Race to Zero Campaign for Universities and Colleges. The Race to Zero initiative was launched by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2019. By joining the Race to Zero initiative as a signatory, AUC has an interim goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 2035 and reaching a nearly zero-emission campus as its ultimate goal in 2050.
For the sixth year, AUC was named in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges with a green rating of 98/99. AUC joins a school in Canada, Ecuador, and Greece, as non-U.S.-based colleges in the Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges.
#1 Most Sustainable University in Africa and Egypt for two years in a row according to the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking.

A total average of $23.5 million per annum of research funds was dedicated to sustainability research in 2020-2022.
300+ average per annum scholarly publications were released on sustainability in 2020-2022.
451 sustainability courses were offered in 2020-2021.

There was a 45% reduction in carbon footprint due to COVID-19 in 2019-2021. This reduction is based on the difference between 2019 (normal operations a pre-COVID year) and 2021 (disturbed operations amidst the COVID year).

AUC declared its commitment to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a strategic policy initiative for organizations working in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Sustainability Measures and Policies part was first included in The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Accreditation for AUC.

AUC’s sustainable campus practices were featured in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Green Universities Toolkit as a global example of a green, low-carbon institution.

AUC became the first University in MENA region to produce a Carbon Footprint Report.

AUC became a member of The Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
Six global sustainability initiative memberships.
25 student organizations working toward sustainability efforts.
Eduniversal listed the MSc. in Sustainable Development Program (SSDV) as the top master’s program in Africa focusing on sustainability and green technologies.
For two years in a row, AUC faculty members were recognized globally for sustainability research: 11 AUC faculty members have been named among the top 2% impactful scientists globally by the Stanford University-Elsevier list.
Almost 100% of campus landscape irrigation uses treated wastewater.
The orientation of buildings and the design of indoor and outdoor spaces reduce the energy requirements for cooling AUC’s campus by nearly 40%.
AUC meets 50% of its total water needs with treated wastewater, which is only used in irrigating the campus landscape.