Public reporting on university progress and performance related to SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Published Progress – SDG12 (17.3.12)
Introduction:
Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) is fully committed to promoting responsible consumption, sustainable production, and circular-economy practices, in alignment with SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production. Through the Sustainability & International Ranking Center (SIRC) and the Facilities and Environmental Services Department, the University has developed and implemented integrated programmes focused on waste reduction, resource efficiency, and sustainable procurement.
Between 2023 and 2025, AAU made measurable progress in:
- launching a Smart Recycling Programme and Waste-to-Energy Project to minimise waste generation and increase resource recovery;
- implementing a Sustainable Procurement framework that prioritises eco-friendly materials, ethical suppliers, and locally sourced products;
- integrating sustainability principles into curricula, operations, and awareness campaigns; and
- publishing all outcomes, policies, procedures, and environmental data through the AAU Sustainability Portal and Annual Sustainability and Executive Reports.
This governance-based and transparent reporting system ensures that AAU’s commitment to responsible consumption is evidence-based, verifiable, and publicly accessible, directly contributing to UN SDG 12 targets (12.2–12.8) and Jordan’s National Green Growth Plan (2021–2030).
Centers and Departments:
Activities:
Impact Evaluation & Development Plan
- Performance Evaluation
- Sustainable Resource ManagementAAU monitors material and energy consumption across all units, with particular focus on:
- total volumes of solid waste generated and recycled;
- hazardous-waste streams from laboratories and medical units;
- consumption of single-use plastics and disposable items.
These indicators are recorded, analysed, and summarised annually in the AAU Sustainability Report 2024–2025 and the Executive Sustainability Report (SDG 12 Section).
- Smart Recycling, Waste Segregation, and Circular PracticesThe University applies a multi-stream waste-management system supported by:
- clearly labelled collection points for recyclables, hazardous waste, and general waste;
- the Smart Recycling Programme and Waste-to-Energy initiatives;
- the Recycled Waste Management and Measurement Policy and the Waste Generation and Recycling Measurement Procedure, which define responsibilities and data-collection methods.
This system enables accurate tracking of waste flows, supports continuous improvement, and provides robust evidence for public reporting.
- Sustainable Procurement FrameworkAAU has adopted a set of interlinked policies and procedures that govern responsible sourcing, including:
- Ethical Sourcing of Food and Supplies Policy;
- Plastic and Disposable Item Minimisation Policy;
- Supplier Ethical Sourcing Assessment Procedure;
- Disposable Item Reduction on Campus Procedure.
These instruments ensure that procurement decisions prioritise local, recycled, and environmentally certified products, in alignment with ISO 20400 Sustainable Procurement guidelines and Jordan’s Waste Management Framework Law No.16 (2020).
- Awareness, Capacity Building, and Student EngagementRegular workshops, training sessions, and student-led campaigns promote sustainability literacy and responsible-consumption behaviours. The Deanship of Student Affairs and student clubs act as key partners in:
- organising awareness days and campaigns on waste reduction and plastic minimisation;
- engaging students as “sustainability ambassadors”;
- documenting participation and impact for inclusion in the Sustainability Report.
- Public Transparency and Verified Reporting
All SDG 12-related policies, procedures, and performance indicators are:
- compiled and verified by SIRC in coordination with the Facilities and Environmental Services Department and the Finance & Procurement Department;
- published through the AAU Sustainability Portal, the AAU Sustainability Report 2024–2025, and the Executive Sustainability Report (SDG 12 Section).
This guarantees full public accountability, external verifiability, and alignment with UN SDG 12 reporting expectations.
- Development Actions
Action 1: Zero-Waste Campus Initiative (2025–2028) Scale up waste reduction, recycling, and reuse across all university operations to move towards a zero-waste campus model.
Target: Achieve a 90 % overall recycling and recovery rate by 2028, with progress independently verified and reported annually in the AAU Sustainability Report.
Action 2: Sustainable Procurement Portal (2025–2028) Develop a digital Sustainable Procurement Portal to track and report eco-friendly purchasing across all units. The portal will also display an annual Sustainable Procurement Scorecard for each department.
Target: Portal operational by 2026; all major supplier categories monitored; summary data and supplier profiles publicly accessible via the Sustainability Portal.
Action 3: Circular Economy Research Fund (2025–2028) Support faculty and student research on circular-economy models, sustainable materials, waste minimisation, and life-cycle assessment.
Target: Fund at least 5 applied research projects per year, with all results published in open-access format and linked to SDG 12 indicators on the Sustainability Portal.
Action 4: Green Office Certification Programme (2025–2028) Introduce a Green Office Certification scheme that assesses departments on energy use, paper and plastic consumption, waste segregation, and sustainable procurement.
Target: 100 % of academic and administrative units certified as “Green Offices” by 2027; certification criteria and results published online.
Action 5: Awareness and Student Engagement Programme (2025–2028) Expand student engagement through campaigns, competitions, and ambassador programmes focused on responsible consumption and production.
Target: At least 1,500 student participants annually; activities, outcomes, and behaviour-change indicators documented and publicly reported.
- Benchmarking & Best Practice
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AAU benchmarks its SDG 12 framework against global leaders such as the University of Cambridge (UK), the University of Melbourne (Australia), and KAUST (Saudi Arabia), recognised for transparent circular-economy reporting and integrated sustainable-procurement systems.
Adopted Practices include:
- applying a life-cycle approach to resource management and procurement;
- digital tracking of waste flows, recycling rates, and consumption patterns;
- open publication of sustainability metrics, policies, and performance data;
- linking operational performance with education, research, and community engagement.
Localization to Jordan’s Context AAU aligns its responsible-consumption and production practices with:
- Jordan’s Green Economy Strategy;
- Waste Management Framework Law No.16 (2020);
- national climate and green-growth policies.
This ensures that global best practices are translated into context-appropriate measures that support national environmental and economic priorities.
Future Goal (by 2028)
Establish the AAU Circular Economy and Sustainable Procurement Observatory, publishing annual analytics and benchmarking data on resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable procurement. The Observatory will serve as an evidence hub for AAU and partner institutions working to advance SDG 12 and SDG 17.
Institutional Integration Summary
At Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU), the implementation and monitoring of SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production are governed through an integrated institutional framework that connects policy formulation, operational execution, and public reporting.
The Sustainability & International Ranking Center (SIRC) functions as the central coordinating body responsible for collecting, validating, and publishing all data related to resource consumption, waste management, and sustainable procurement. Operational implementation is carried out by the Facilities and Environmental Services Department, the Finance and Procurement Department, and the Deanship of Student Affairs, each responsible for executing specific sustainability actions aligned with SDG 12 targets.
A comprehensive suite of policies, including the Ethical Sourcing of Food and Supplies Policy, Hazardous Waste Management Policy, Recycled Waste Management and Measurement Policy, Plastic and Disposable Item Minimisation Policy, and Supplier Ethical Sourcing Assessment Procedure, provides the strategic framework and compliance standards for responsible resource management. These are complemented by operational procedures such as the Hazardous Waste Disposal Management Procedure, Waste Generation and Recycling Measurement Procedure, Plastic Reduction in Consumables Procedure, and Disposable Item Reduction on Campus Procedure, which translate policy commitments into daily practice and measurable indicators.
Each department submits monthly and quarterly progress data to SIRC, which verifies consistency and alignment with international frameworks such as ISO 14001 Environmental Management (principles), ISO 20400 Sustainable Procurement, and UN SDG 12 indicators (12.2–12.8). Following verification, all records are reviewed by the University Presidency and then publicly released through the AAU Sustainability Portal, the Annual Sustainability Report, and Executive Summaries to ensure transparency and accountability.
This governance workflow guarantees that AAU’s sustainability practices are evidence-based, externally verifiable, and publicly accessible, embedding the principles of responsible consumption and production across academic, operational, and community dimensions. By integrating ethical sourcing, waste minimisation, circular-economy thinking, and transparent reporting, AAU has institutionalised a culture of environmental stewardship and responsible governance, directly advancing SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
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