Muscat: The Environment Society of Oman (ESO), in collaboration with National Finance and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI), launched a pioneering initiative aimed at promoting sustainability practices and achieving zero-neutrality in higher education institutions across the Sultanate of Oman.

The competition theme is zero-neutrality in line with the goals of Oman Vision 2040 and the carbon neutrality goals of 2050. It targets environmental clubs to develop initiatives within one of the following six sub-themes: waste reduction and recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, carbon offsetting, sustainable agriculture, and environmental awareness and policy making.

Dr Maryam al Nabhani, Director General of Private Universities and Colleges, stated that the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI) always seek community partnerships to achieve the Ministry’s goals. It also aims to transform university campuses into green, smart and sustainable campuses in implementation of Oman Vision 2040 and in an effort to contribute to achieving net-zero.

“These competitions are an added value for higher education institutions as they encourage contributions to raising awareness of environmental challenges, overcoming them, and promoting sustainable development,” she said.

The Green Campus Competition aims to create student groups within higher education institutions, enabling students, faculty, administrative staff, employees, and the local community to become leaders in the field of environmental conservation. It seeks to encourage colleges and universities to develop implementable plans in the areas of sustainability on campus. These environmental clubs will also play a pivotal role in promoting environmental awareness and implementing sustainable practices within universities and colleges by organising activities that focus on sustainability.

HH Sayyidah Wissam bint Jaifer al Said, Assistant General Manager of Marketing, Corporate Communications, Events, and Sustainability at National Finance, said: "At National Finance, we firmly believe in the transformative potential of youth in safeguarding our planet for future generations. The Green Campus Initiative fosters a deep awareness of the pressing environmental challenges we face , while inspiring young individuals to embrace their environmental responsibilities with enthusiasm. Through our sponsorship of this initiative, we reaffirm our commitment to ESG principles and support the transition toward a more sustainable and resilient economy. This initiative reflects our commitment to creating a meaningful positive impact on both society and the environment.”

The Green Campus 2024 competition will run for six months, starting this month, and is divided into four main stages: In the first stage, environmental clubs are formed and registered in the competition by submitting a sustainability assessment, which includes an assessment of their environmental impact and proposed action plans. In the second stage, teams with qualified action plans are selected. In the third stage, the teams will implement their action plans. The fourth stage includes qualifying fifteen teams to the final stage, where they must prepare a visual presentation of the team’s achievements and present it at the awards ceremony to be held in Muscat, where they will compete for the prestigious “Green Campus” award.

The initiative aims to reduce the carbon footprint of academic institutions, promote a culture of sustainability among students, and develop leadership and innovation skills. In addition to enhancing cooperation and knowledge exchange between universities and colleges, ensuring that sustainability values are embedded outside the campus to include the local community.

Jawaher al Ghafri, Education Coordinator at the Environment Society of Oman, said: The Green Campus Competition extends outside the campus through sustainable practices adopted by the campus to spread awareness and community participation in them as awareness through sustainability projects to increase the culture of sustainability for the society to benefit and learn from it.

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