The 1st edition of Decarbonization and Climate Action awards (DACA) will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The core objectives of DACA Awards are to celebrate organizations that exemplify climate commitment through well-conceived visions and administered policies. It further recognizes entities that have managed to navigate the sustainability journey in a coherent manner and making meaningful, relevant, and genuine contributions both in terms of climate mitigation and adaptation.
The main objective of DACA Awards is to push the frontiers of genuine climate action and sustainability to new limits through a well-structured program that engages a wide group of audience and in the process brings to fore the serious issues that the world faces. It is also intended to encourage key actors from across a wide range of sectors to participate and showcase their skills and achievements in this space. DACA Awards is expected to serve as a reliable and trustworthy platform that stakeholders would be attracted to spread the right message on climate action and encourage more and more players to move out of their comfort zone and drive sustainability.
DACA Awards has been envisioned with climate action as its central premise and accordingly places its entire focus on various forms of adaptation and mitigation that shapes the resilience towards the vagaries of climate change. It takes cognizance of the existential threat to the only planet caused by anthropogenic emissions and firmly believes that it is the responsibility of human beings in entirety to find solutions and work towards them with full accountability.
DACA 2022- 'Decarbonization Champion In Power Sector' recognizes the leadership of power companies in the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable economy. It celebrates companies that are leading the way in strategizing, reporting and reducing carbon impacts, those that are publishing robust targets to manage performance, those that are aligning with global energy transition commitments, and those that are demonstrating true leadership in innovative ways.
Winners will demonstrate successful strategic planning for climate action that aligns with top performance and growth while embracing a radically new business and trading environment. Entries should convey reliable and robust system operations, early and consistent development of customer-centric and climate friendly technologies and protocols, creation and maintenance of diverse and comprehensive energy supply mix with healthy and manageable portfolios while at the same time ensuring that the power supply is resilient to risks in terms of grid stability, flexibility and the threat of cyber security.
Entries may include setting and achieving ambitious carbon targets, navigating financial and political complexities, and fortifying plans for continued threats of cyber and physical attacks on the power grid. Most importantly, the submissions should be a comprehensive articulation of the management’s commitment to sustainability, the measures taken to frame them in terms of policy framework, the intelligent & consistent driving process to implement them and dialogues with the stakeholder community.
Judges will also focus on evidence of industry-wide impact since January 2020, in addition to considering the three-year track record of an entrant.
Who can participate?
This award is open to different types of power producers (coal, gas, nuclear, oil, hydroelectric, solar, wind, other renewables, utilities, system operators, System Integrators, specialist suppliers, regional market entities and fully integrated power producers).
DACA 2022-'Emission Reduction Leader In Industrial Sector' recognizes the leadership of power companies in the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable economy and is designed to identify and award exceptional processes and their applications in the industry with regards to energy efficiency. It celebrates companies that are leading the way in strategizing, reporting and reducing carbon impacts, those that are publishing robust targets to manage performance, those that are aligning with global energy transition commitments, and those that are demonstrating true leadership in innovative ways. The overarching goal is to draw attention to the topic of energy efficiency and reiterate that effective energy usage in industries is an essential key to environmentally compatible economizing in the future. This facilitate sharing of information on best practices & technologies and motivate other companies to show their own commitment in the field of energy efficiency.
Winners will demonstrate successful strategic planning for climate action that aligns with top performance and growth while embracing a radically new business and trading environment. Entries should convey reliable and robust system operations, early and consistent development of customer-centric and climate friendly technologies and protocols, creation and maintenance of diverse and comprehensive energy efficiency measures / strategies while at the same time ensuring that the target industry is resilient to risks posed by those strategies i.e., alternate power supplies, new fuels, AI etc.
Entries may include setting and achieving ambitious carbon targets, navigating financial and Regulatory challenges and fortifying plans for continued stability and production. Most importantly, the submissions should be a comprehensive articulation of the management’s commitment to sustainability, the measures taken to frame them in terms of policy framework, the intelligent & consistent driving process to implement them and dialogues with the stakeholder community.
Judges will also focus on evidence of industry-wide impact since January 2020, in addition to considering the three-year track record of an entrant.
Who can participate?
This award is open to different types of Industries and manufacturers with energy efficient solutions in production processes, as well as entities utilizing or operating with energy efficient solutions. Target groups also include manufacturers of solutions for energy efficiency, users/operators of energy efficient solutions (i.e., in operational processes) and start-ups in the field of development and manufacturing of energy efficiency solutions. This is also applicable to major suppliers and integrators that carried out the transition plans in collaboration with the industries and have delivered the results in terms of demonstration of reduced consumption such as saving in water, electricity, fuel, chemicals and/or other resources.
DACA 2022-'Sustainability Leader in Transportation Sector' recognizes the leadership in transportation sector achieved through strategizing, reporting and reducing carbon impacts. Included in this are those related to publishing robust targets to manage performance, those that are aligning with global energy transition commitments, and those that are demonstrating true leadership in innovative ways.
The main focus of this category is adoption of sustainable transport concepts and standards within the domain of businesses and cities and aims to shed light on the initiatives and trends adopted in developing the infrastructure to serve sustainable transport. The emphasis is on initiatives and practices that have helped in increasing the efficiency of using different types of transportation means in terms of decreasing the level and impact of air pollution, reduction in number of regular trips made by private vehicles, efficient fleet management, increase in the use of non-motorized mode of transport such as walking & cycling as well as strategies that aim to decrease the level and impact of pollution resulting from discarded fuels, lubricants, tires, batteries and other types of wastes of transport modes.
This award celebrates projects, schemes, products or strategies delivered or developed by transportation industry that can demonstrate a contribution to sustainable working practices, that have mitigated climate change through carbon reduction and that have created environmental benefits with either a global or local impact. In short it opens the platform for companies to demonstrate their alignment of economic, ecological and social aspects. This covers a wide range of approaches including implementing efficient fleet management, using energy from renewable resources and fitting fuel-efficient tires to eco-friendly fleets in a way that sustainable practices get ingrained into making the businesses profitable.
Who can participate?
This award is open to governments, authorities, companies, businesses and other relevant entities in the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable transportation and award exceptional strategies and collaborations with regards to transport. The entries may include sustainable product innovation & development, use of sustainability measures in project and transport planning and assessments, organizations that have created and implemented ambitious climate change strategies and targets above and beyond industry standards, Infrastructure projects that have delivered sustainable benefits above good industry practice and have had sustainability as a main focus.
The Shipping sector pose major challenges to reducing emissions, due to their reliance on oil-based fuels. Although progress is being made on a limited scale, they appear to remain largely reliant on fossil fuels due to the large energy needed in the sector as a whole that includes port, maritime and allied areas. In the light of this, environmental performance is an increasingly important benchmark for all companies in the shipping industry today. The International Maritime Operation IMO’s vision for the shipping industry is to eliminate, or reduce to the bare minimum, all adverse environmental impacts of this sector. In line with that objective, this Award recognizes the contribution made by an organization or company towards achieving the maritime industry’s goal of preventing harm to the natural environment.
DACA 2022- 'Sustainability Leader in Shipping Sector' recognizes the Group’s contributions towards the building of a greener and more environmentally sustainable maritime industry. That could include measures or technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize land, water and air pollution, protect underwater marine life and ecosystems or to enhance air quality. Particular weight will be given to companies that can demonstrate important initiatives that will accelerate shipping industry’s journey to carbon neutrality. This is an award for a company or institution that can clearly demonstrate how it has innovated to improve its environmental performance.
Nominees can submit examples of technical and operational initiatives which have already reduced underwater, or air pollution caused by maritime activity, either at sea or in port, or which will allow the maritime sector to do so in future. Innovation is vital to success in the shipping business and this award will recognize a project, product or process that is demonstrably new and innovative and which has contributed to the sustainability.
Who can participate?
This award is open to any organization that provided a significant achievement, breakthrough or contribution in any aspect of sustainability and climate action in shipping. This is also open to any company in the maritime industry that has led the way in environmentally responsible shipping, with a new product, project or initiative that has significantly improved the protection of the environment. It will also be open to those companies that have introduced more environmentally sustainable ways of working, or which have carried out specific projects to protect, or repair parts of the natural environment damaged by, or at risk from shipping activity.
It will also be open to those companies that have introduced more environmentally sustainable ways of working, or which have carried out specific projects to protect, or repair parts of the natural environment damaged by, or at risk from maritime activity.
Maritime industries that have shown leadership in supply chain sustainability and who have taken sustainability from a tick box activity to a true business principle are welcome to participate. Examples of sustainable initiatives that have seen a complementary benefit in KPIs across the business are welcome and all successful entries will have to show how they engaged in stakeholder collaboration to ensure their environmental ambitions were echoed by key supply chain partners.
The Aviation sector poses major challenges to reducing emissions, due to their reliance on oil-based fuels. Although progress is being made on a limited scale, they appear to remain largely reliant on fossil fuels due to the large energy needed.
DACA 2022 - Sustainability Pioneer in Aviation Sector Award aims to reward airlines, airports and allied entities that are not only successful but have also provided industry leadership in adjusting to a new environmental challenge. This is of specific relevance on the back of the covid pandemic that has caused significant industry upheavals bringing the resilience to spotlight.
This award recognizes the Group’s contributions towards the building of a greener and more environmentally sustainable aviation industry. That could include measures or technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize land, water and air pollution, or to enhance air quality. Particular weight will be given to companies that can demonstrate important initiatives that will accelerate aviation industry’s journey to carbon neutrality. This is an award for a company or institution that can clearly demonstrate how it has innovated to improve its environmental performance and develop strategies that offer new directions for others to take up.
Innovation is vital to success in the aviation business and this award will recognize a project, product or process that is demonstrably new and innovative, and which has contributed to the sustainability.
The judges will be looking for a clear plan and evidence that it is delivering on core objectives. Make sure you explain the targets you have set, and how far have you gone in achieving them and if possible, please show hard statistics demonstrating year-on-year comparisons. The judges are looking for companies and organizations that have introduced measures to reduce CO2 emissions, fuel consumption, carbon footprint, noise abatement etc. Each company must submit evidence for the size and nature of the organization where the work is carried out, its principal products / services. Please detail any specific sustainability initiative and what it has achieved to date, paying particular attention to the criteria.
Who can participate?
This award is open to any aviation entity or a company with a significant business presence in the region and its activities must have a direct impact on MENA related operations, services and the economy. The participant must have developed or implemented a new scheme, system or process in the last 12 months, which significantly improved sustainability and environmental performance in their respective sector.
It will also be open to those companies that have introduced more environmentally sustainable ways of working, or which have carried out specific projects to protect, or repair parts of the natural environment damaged by, or at risk from aviation activity.
Aviation operators that have shown leadership in supply chain sustainability and who have taken sustainability from a tick box activity to a true business principle are welcome to participate. Examples of sustainable initiatives that have seen a complementary benefit in KPIs across the business are welcome and all successful entries will have to show how they engaged in stakeholder collaboration to ensure their environmental ambitions were echoed by key supply chain partners.
Water is one of the most vital components of our planet and plays a crucial role in balancing economic growth and social developments. Water essentially serves as a DNA of livelihood for more than 70% of the population engaged in the agriculture sector. It also plays an important role in industries such as textile, leather, food processing, etc. that are directly dependent on water. Water, therefore, has a multitude of linkages with the country's economic health. Furthermore, through its role in food security, energy security, and health, water ensures the right to life for all citizens. The earth has an abundance of water, but unfortunately, only a small percentage (about 0.3 percent), is even usable by humans. This brings to focus the urgent need to preserve this precious and finite source as much as it is humanly possible by way of water management, water use efficiency, and water conservation.
Environmental improvement is at the very core of the water sector necessitating continued and ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental improvement over a period of time. Innovation too has never been higher on the water industry's agenda than it is now, and if it is to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, the sector needs to become adept at finding new approaches, technologies and ways of working.
DACA 2022 - 'Sustainability and Innovation Pioneer in Water Sector' rewards water projects that have shown stewardship involving technical, process or management innovation that was carried out in the year 2021.It evaluates commitment and excellence in all kinds of new ideas, approaches, processes, products, services, technologies, and other types of innovations in the water sector which besides promising to provide solutions to the issues at hand has the potential to address SDGs.
It further aims to recognize and encourage various stakeholders who are leading the regional movement for the Sustainable Development Goals in the most transformative, impactful and innovative way. It encourages various stakeholders who are leading the regional movement for the Sustainable Development Goals in the most transformative, impactful and innovative way.
The company, project, or initiative must be able to demonstrate a significant contribution to the water industry. Specific factors to highlight are: improved operations and energy efficiency, technological innovation and the implementation of sustainable financial models. The outcomes of the project or initiative must have been reported in 2021.
Who can participate?
The Award is open to companies of ALL sizes. The initiative, project and/or campaign should either be ongoing or have been completed during 2021 in and around the following areas
Applications which demonstrate active promotion of diversity and collaboration are particularly welcomed. This is also applicable to major suppliers and integrators that carried out the transition plans in collaboration with the water industries.
The judges will want to know how your initiative, product, technology or management approach made a difference, so please outline the challenge at the outset, before explaining how the project has improved the situation.
A circular economy is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. A circular economy can be considered an economic model that encourages continuous reuse of materials to minimize waste, as well as driving demand for natural resource consumption. Circular systems employ re-use, sharing, repair, refurbishment, re-manufacturing, and recycling to create a closed-loop system to minimize resource inputs and reduce waste, pollution, and carbon emissions. Circularity focuses on resource cycles and the most obvious outcome is that products in a circular economy no longer follow any traditional model of supply chain. The impact is a shift towards distributed manufacturing and localization, both in manufacturing and localized sourcing.
Research has shown that, for most companies, the supply chain is responsible for the bulk of their environmental impact. Gaining visibility and executing projects to reduce these impacts is a challenge for every business, with the size and complexity of modern-day supply chains making progress difficult. By their very nature, supply chains often involve energy-intensive production and transportation as goods are made and moved around the globe. Therefore, organizations can often make the biggest difference by making changes to their supply chain rather than other business operations.
DACA 2022 'Circular Economy and Sustainable Supply Chain Champion Award’ rewards teams that are addressing environmental and social issues in the supply chain. This category recognizes teams that are adopting innovative methods to identify sustainability issues in their supply chain and are working collaboratively with their suppliers to effect change. This category recognizes an organization that has gone above and beyond to help create this economy, making significant changes to how they run their business to do so. This award challenges businesses to rethink their operations and value chains and to bring about a more sustainable future through innovations and strategies by virtue of which materials and information are continuously reused, recycled, and retained.
The sustainable supply chain award will be given to an organization where the principles of sustainability have been fully embedded in a transparent and sustainable supply chain, particularly those that demonstrate creative thinking and leadership. The winning entry will be an exemplar of sustainability, providing evidence that effective management of the supply chain and environment and economic aspects have achieved a significant improvement in the sustainability of the end product or service. The judges will be looking for quantifiable improvements to the sustainable supply chain, demonstrably effective forms of partnership and collaboration where appropriate, information sharing and transparency, innovative processes, and the delivery of benefits in terms of process improvements in time, cost and operation. Consideration also extends to forward looking entities that go ‘beyond end of useful life’ planning and demonstrate circular economy considerations. The judges will look for entrants who demonstrate a responsible, long term and collaborative approach to adding value in a responsible way and achieving a range of benefits for themselves and others. Participants will consider all aspects of not only waste reduction and recycling but will take a holistic approach to ‘The 5 R’s’ where relevant – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle – and will include supply chain integration and collaborative working.
Who can participate?
This award is open to all organizations taking a ‘circular economy and Supply chain approach” to overall organizational, site or project specific resources during 2021 or ongoing.
It is open to any organizations that are working independently or with partners and collaborators to improve their sustainable supply chain processes / circularity approaches and deliver an environmentally improved product or service. Key elements will include efficient and innovative utilization of local and ideally replenishable resources and consideration and reduction of the transportation footprint of the products or services. This award goes beyond the simple purchase of recycled products and instead looks at the complete process of production and sourcing as far and wide as possible.
The judges will want to know how your initiative or management approach made a difference, so please outline the challenge at the outset, before explaining how the project has improved the situation. The Judges will be looking at how challenges are addressed, how the supply chain is involved and how emerging technologies are utilized. Emphasis on waste reduction technologies, process innovation, repurposing and material reductions are key. Entrants will demonstrate how they defined the challenge, identified solutions and engaged key stakeholders.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C) sends a clear message when it mentions that “We need behavioural change, not climate change”. Humans are creatures of habit and that is what makes addressing climate change additionally challenging. It is widely felt that behavioural change is largely neglected in analyses of climate change mitigation for meeting international targets, despite the necessity. Despite the fact that there are several promising technologies and innovations out in the climate field, none of them can be
DACA 2022 - 'Trendsetter in Behavioral Change in Climate Action' recognizes entities that push the boundaries in an effort to change identified undesirable behaviours or habits that have detrimental environmental consequences. This could be taking several forms of interventions for instance: – related to single-use plastic consumption; unsustainable travel patterns; energy consumptions, wasteful food consumption patterns or any other habits that are considered to have an environmental cost. Initiatives will be rewarded for addressing reductions in carbon emissions, water wastage, food waste, air pollution, fossil fuel use and/or general resource use, as well addressing wider concerns around waste generally.
Who can participate?
This award is open to innovative programmes, interventions or ongoing activities that have successfully resulted in environmental behaviour change of its target audience(s). This award is open to any organizations that have successfully demonstrated that they delivered the desired behavioural change in their target group.
While there are several ways to drive changes, the judges will specifically be looking at quantifiable aspects that provides the evidence for its accomplishment. The judges would be looking for evidence of verifiable reductions in the undesirable behaviours targeted/increase in desired behaviours targeted; whether they be measured in carbon emissions reductions, energy reductions through demand response, reduction in water consumption, water saved, food waste reductions and/or waste generation reductions or through changed attitudes and stated new behaviours. These can be achieved through a variety of approaches to achieving behavioural change; the degree of innovation in delivering the initiative; the use of awareness raising through traditional and social media to promote efforts amongst the target audience; integrating these new desirable behaviours and helping to ‘normalize’ them.
The time frame for this environmental behaviour change award is for activities undertaken in the year 2021 or ongoing.
Climate change is creating existential crisis going by the events unfolding in from of us. While addressing the challenge of climate change is indeed a priority for businesses, how they respond, how they innovate and how they create positive impact is becoming more of an art than science. Ultimately, it is innovation and impact that determine whether we succeed in meeting our ‘net zero carbon’
Given the humongous space sustainability offers, the opportunities for innovation and impact are extensive. It could be across the plethora of sectors such as power, transport, industries, agriculture, buildings, etc. or into specific sub sectors. It could be technologically driven such as development of an app or a specific initiative ion the field of water, waste, transport, logistics, that might help customers save energy/resources or transition away from fossil fuels in a new and creative way; it could be regenerative and climate positive in its design. It could encourage behavior change for the benefit of our climate and our well-being.
This award recognizes an organization making significant steps to bridge the gap between the current unsustainable scenario and a potentially optimistic sustainable future. Innovation is central to this and accordingly this award for this attribute in fields of engineering, science and technology that demonstrate a significant contribution to sustainability and making a positive impact on current environmental issues and challenges. Specific focus is on the climate action that encapsulates THE BEST of innovative, creative and sustainable contributions to the physical and social environment.
This award will be presented to an organization demonstrating INNOVATION in climate action and actively leading and DELIVERING IMPACT and scale with climate action. Climate change is generating a myriad of new risks and opportunities. New products, services and business models are needed which help us move quickly to a ‘net zero carbon’ economy. This award takes cognizance of the extreme levels of innovation within organizations that help them to move beyond “simple emission reductions” to NET ZERO IMPACT and beyond to becoming even “CLIMATE POSITIVE”.
This award celebrates organizations that are consciously, deliberately and consistently improving people’s lives through its day-to-day business practices and making sure that people involved in or affected by their activities are better off than they would be otherwise.
Who can participate?
This award is open to organizations and businesses that have shown leadership in Innovations that have resulted in genuine, quantifiable and verifiable impacts across the stakeholder community. This award is open to any organizations that have successfully demonstrated that they delivered the desired IMPACT in their target group.
Any organization that has actively ingrained INNOVATION through its products or services including technology systems or manufacturing techniques, in-house wellbeing policies, supply chains, procurement, location, investment or through business models and has succeeded in bringing about a POSITIVE IMPACT on employees, local communities and the wider population.
Any organization that has strategized a clear innovative plan to influence their staff, suppliers and customers and have in the process achieved broader and deeper impact on emissions reduction. They are preparing for the effects of climate change. They inspire others to follow.
Organizations that have taken a rigorous and holistic view of the climate change and in the process encapsulated innovation into their products and process for IMPACTS. Such an approach should show a distinct benefit to the environment and to the sustainability of the company and its customer.
Participating companies must have achieved good level of Environmental impact in several of the following aspects namely: Energy use reduction, Water use reduction, Raw material use reduction, Waste disposal reduction/recycling, Toxics use reduction, Sustainable material sourcing, Renewable energy use, Product recyclability/reusability and Responsible or more efficient land use. On the Business front, the impacts can be reflected in Cost savings, Increased revenue, Access to new markets/customers, Increased customer satisfaction or engagement or Improved employee retention.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is one of the defining trends for the investment industry in recent years, providing investors with the opportunity to mobilize support for greener industries and reduce exposure to unsustainable business practices. This award is open to any investor with a presence in MENA region that is proactively taking steps to enhance their portfolio in terms of ESG products and credentials. The judges are looking for investors who can demonstrate how over the past 12 months they have successfully enacted ESG policies and evolved their investment strategy to support the climate movement and tackle environmental and climate risks. The leading entries will provide a clear explanation of the company's ESG strategy and activities, evidence of how effective the strategy has proven to be in the light of their core activities, and an insight into how the investor has helped to drive greener business practices and improved climate risk management across its portfolio.
DACA 2022 'Torch bearer of Sustainable and Climate Friendly Investment' recognizes for their stewardship in all areas of ESG investing across the region. It recognizes outstanding Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices within investment space. The judges are looking for submissions that can illustrate how the ESG practices of firms and companies have progressed over time, in addition to examples of best practice. The Award also serves as an opportunity for Investment firms and their portfolio companies to be recognized for the strong efforts made to progress on their ESG journey.
Who can participate?
This award is open to financial institutions and vendors.
DACA 2022 “Sustainable & Climate Friendly Investor “recognizes for their stewardship in all areas of ESG investing across the region. They are designed exclusively for banks, investment managers, ratings agencies, and allied service providers.
DACA 2022 'Leader in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)' recognizes outstanding companies that have demonstrated the best in sustainability and climate-related reporting and in the process made a positive impact in the areas of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG). It aims to bring ESG and its reporting awareness across different sectors in an effort to construct a better ecosystem in MENA.
This category of award has been established in response to the recent societal focus on ESG initiatives which turns the spotlight on the fact that a successful business is defined beyond the sole commercial success. The Award aims to serve as a significant benchmark of the current sustainable development standards and best practices in by emphasizing the value of outstanding ESG performance and ESG reporting of companies, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Sustainability reporting aka non-financial reporting has been increasingly internalized in the operation of various organizations which motivates companies to continuously practice ESG-related deeds including a value packed ESG Report. IN line with that this award creates a fair platform for all participating companies to actively demonstrate their role and participation in the global climate action.
Who can participate?
This Award is open to all companies of all sizes be it SMEs, private corporations, businesses, NGO or Govt entities. They can be both listed and unlisted entities from all industry sectors. Any organization that has a commitment to fight climate change and which has already demonstrated its climate Impacts through ESG reporting can participate.
Universities play a transformative role in climate change research and education. Universities have also begun taking a responsibility to be national and global leaders in tackling our carbon footprint fighting to stop dangerous climate change. When college campuses engage in the green movement, they not only reduce energy waste and increase utility bill savings, but they also invest in the future by encouraging their students to become leaders and activists with a genuine interest and concern for the world. As upholders of knowledge, progress, and innovation, it’s not surprising that colleges are often at the forefront of the battle against climate change, striving to implement energy efficiency, clean energy, and sustainability curricula and programs.
Universities, in their own right, contribute significant greenhouse gas emissions by virtue of resources consumption. In broad terms university climate action is often aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and implemented through multi-year sustainability plans, which are roadmaps to guide targets and action, coupled with annual reporting as a transparency and accountability mechanism. In the process several global alliances and partnerships have emerged to drive ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in universities, including the UN-affiliated Race to Zero campaign for universities and colleges and the International Universities Climate Alliance. Universities and Campuses not only have the capacity to encourage their students to engage in sustainable habits and behaviors, they are also in the unique position to teach and demonstrate to other colleges how to implement innovative strategies to also make their campuses more environmentally friendly. Such is the nature of their Impacts.
DACA 2022 'Champion of Universities and Campuses Climate Action' recognizes campuses and universities for their stewardship in bringing a transformation in climate action across not only the campuses but the wider stakeholder community. It focuses on the steps that institutions are taking and planning to take to reach their targets. The judges are looking for innovative ideas and approaches those institutions have adopted in their journey.
It will recognize projects or campus-wide initiatives that represent holistic approaches to campus sustainability planning and management. Campus plans and/or management systems should consider best practices in large-scale deployment of sustainability technologies, practices and master planning. They should also demonstrate successful integration of sustainability into the culture, community and/or operations of a campus. Example projects may include, but are not limited to, strategic plans, climate action plans, integrating international standards, etc.
The winning project will demonstrate how sustainable campus planning and management can be used to positively impact the campus community, its research activities, the educational mission of the institution, and increase community engagement on or off campus. It further recognizes outstanding projects or campaigns contributing to the sustainable campus that instill a culture of sustainability into the university’s mission, the educational experience, the residential life, or the local community.
Applications will be evaluated as per the table below and on a broad basis would address Overall impact, Innovation, Replicability, Breadth of impact, Stakeholder Involvement, Clarity and coherence and justice.
