American University of Sharjah (AUS) has been recognized as the first university in the Middle East to be a Verified Corporate Hero. The recognition came under the Heroes of the UAE program of the Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF). 

The award was received by AUS at an event held in Dubai recently and attended by Dr. Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, and Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD). 

AUS maintains a commitment to sustainability and involves its community in its constant effort to reduce energy and water consumption. During the 2010-2011 academic year, AUS reduced its electricity consumption by 12 percent and water consumption by 39 percent. These figures have increased as part of the university's Energy Reduction Program. 

Stephen Fenn, Director of Operations at AUS attributed the award to the foresight of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah and President of the AUS, as well as members of the Board of Trustees and the Chancellor, Dr. Peter Heath, for seeing the need for these initiatives.

"Our energy reduction program has been an exciting two years of hard work, with complexity ranging from technical design to change management. We hope that our efforts inspire others to see that it is a mutual benefit reaped by both the environment and the institution itself," Stephen added.

The Heroes of the UAE campaign was launched by EWS-WWF and the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi in 2009. The campaign focuses on reducing water and energy consumption across the country, targeting the support of the business community. Participating organizations, like AUS, pledged to develop a measurable strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 10 percent in a year, to document the results as a case study and to implement a long-term strategy to reduce the organization's carbon footprint.

Having met all of the terms pledged, AUS was recognized as a Verified Corporate Hero, which honors the university's achievement and continued efforts towards sustainability. AUS is the first university in the region committed to becoming a Corporate Hero and is also one of the first companies to have taken this step and be verified.