Inspiring a culture of sustainability both locally and globally

​Sustainability at OSTIM Technical University: Contributing to a More Sustainable Future

OSTIM Technical University is committed to tackling the world's most complex and urgent issues by enhancing its sustainability performance across all aspects of its work—from pioneering research and education to daily sustainable operations.

 Sustainability Strategy: Fostering a Global and Local Culture of Sustainability 

The OSTIM Technical University Sustainability Strategy serves as a blueprint for advancing the institution's commitment to sustainability and contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This strategy outlines ambitious targets and focuses on creating positive impacts through:

• Enriching Lives through Research and Education: OSTIM Technical University aspires to be a catalyst for social and environmental transformation, embedding sustainability into every aspect of campus life. By integrating world-class research and education into daily practices, the university aims to foster meaningful change within and beyond its campus community.
• Enabling Resilient Spaces and a Responsible Carbon Footprint: Recognizing the university’s significant impact especially in Ankara, where its campuses are located, OSTIM Technical University embraces its moral and social responsibility to ensure its presence leaves a positive and sustainable legacy, minimizing its carbon footprint and fostering resilient spaces.
• Empowering Good Governance and Coordination: Insights from peer institutions highlight the necessity of robust institutional support for sustainability initiatives. OSTIM Technical University is committed to embedding sustainability across its research, education, and operations, ensuring an enduring and coordinated effort to drive impactful change
• Caring for the Environment and Embracing Diverse Knowledge Systems: At the core of this strategy lies a deep commitment to caring for Turkey’s natural and cultural heritage. The university's sustainability efforts will respect and incorporate diverse knowledge systems, including those of Turkey’s First Nations communities, fostering a holistic approach to building long-term sustainability.  

Our Targets 

OSTIM Technical University sets clear commitments and targets aligned with three strategic pillars, focusing on key areas to drive sustainable outcomes. These targets include:

• Achieving Net Zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030.
• Attaining zero waste to landfill by 2030.
• Embedding sustainability as a core focus in faculty research and academic initiatives.
• Promoting innovation and excellence in sustainability education.
• Reporting annually on progress to the university community and the broader public. 

Addressing Climate Action 

Climate change remains a critical global challenge, and OSTIM Technical University is dedicated to playing its part. The university launched its Climate Action Statement, reaffirming its commitment to urgent climate action and setting ambitious targets to drive systemic change across its core operations.

By pursuing these goals, OSTIM Technical University aims to enhance its sustainability efforts, driving positive change locally and globally alongside the world's leading universities. 

Climate action statement 

Guided by the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Nations (UN) Production Gap Report, OSTIM Technical University acknowledges the urgent need for immediate and comprehensive action to achieve, and ideally surpass, the targets set by the Paris Agreement. The scientific consensus is unequivocal: the global community must implement deep and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. Failure to act decisively risks prolonged and more intense bushfire seasons, heightened water stress, extreme weather events, and the collapse of critical ecosystems, including coral reefs. Concurrently, measures for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction are imperative to mitigate these risks.

Addressing climate change presents a multifaceted challenge that spans ecology, energy, agriculture, health, cultural heritage, law, politics, migration, inequality, urban planning, finance, insurance, and international security. OSTIM Technical University is actively engaging with these challenges through its research, teaching, infrastructure development, institutional policies, and both national and international collaborations.

The university is home to dedicated centers, institutes, and researchers committed to addressing real-world problems through innovative and sustainable solutions. In recognition of these efforts, OSTIM Technical University achieved notable rankings in the 2020 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which evaluate universities against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The university was ranked between:

• 301–400 for SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
• 601–800 for SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• 801–1000 for SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).
• 1001+ for SDG 5 (Gender Equality). and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

In addition, the university continues to offer interdisciplinary programs and courses aimed at equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to address sustainability and climate change challenges.

Given the gravity of the climate crisis and the magnitude of the associated challenges, OSTIM Technical University openly declares the need for more immediate and comprehensive action. Effective and sustained efforts require regular review and enhancement of actions by all sectors, including governments, corporations, civil society actors, and academic institutions.

To this end, OSTIM Technical University is committed to conducting annual reviews of its climate action targets and reporting on the implementation of its Sustainability Strategy, and regularly assessing its progress in addressing climate change to ensure alignment with the latest climate science.

Through these commitments, OSTIM Technical University reaffirms its dedication to fostering impactful, science-driven solutions to combat climate change and advance global sustainability.