English Abstract
Abstract:
This dissertation presents a new environmentally performance index for higher education institutions, named the University of Bahrain Environmental Sustainability Higher Education Institutions Ranking System (UoBESHEIRS). The Environmental Sustainability Higher Education Institutions Ranking Systems (ESHEIRSs) aim to evaluate the advancement of universities towards environmental sustainability. This work critically examines the existing ESHEIRSs, highlighting their limitations in evaluating universities based on predetermined targets and indicators in accordance with the Berlin Principles. However, these ranking systems adopt a uniform approach that does not account for the climate-related factors specific to the country in which a university is located. As such, they rely on a universal methodology that may not be suitable for all universities. UoBESHEIRS is a dynamic system, leveraging artificial intelligence and
machine learning techniques to propose different weights for each indicator annually, based on the universities' data from the preceding year. In addition to commonly included targets such as climate change impact, energy consumption, waste management, water consumption, transportation, and education on environmental sustainability, UoBESHEIRS introduces biodiversity as a distinct target. This work investigates the influence of climate elements on universities' performance, discovering a significant
correlation between the average annual temperature and university performance.
