As one walks through the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, they are bound to notice the scraps of cardboard that adorn the walls from the Campus Center to the Residential Colleges, each with a bold promise of sustainability scribbled onto it. Ranging from “no single-use plastics” to “buying my boyfriend a reusable mug,” these pledges are part of the larger movement No Waste November, spearheaded by one of NYUAD’s oldest Student Interest Groups: Ecoherence.

No Waste November is a Roots & Shoots initiative which was introduced to NYUAD in fall 2016 and has become an integral part of the campus’ sustainability tradition. Tom Abi Samra, Class of 2021 and Co-President of Ecoherence, describes No Waste November as a means to draw attention to the wider picture of sustainability on campus by focusing on individual action and responsibility.

“We try to use different avenues and different strategies to raise awareness about waste, climate change [and] sustainability,” Abi Samra said.

The month-long initiative is marked by an array of diverse workshops — from making your own perfume to sustainable menstruation. Alongside generating conversation on campus, the goal of No Waste November, and more broadly Ecoherence, is to help people understand the impact of their consumption patterns on the environment through direct engagement.

“I think partially its [No Waste November’s] impact stems from the fact that we kind of try to cluster the events together and garner some momentum,” reflected Elza Meiksane, Class of 2022 and Co-President of Ecoherence.

While it may seem intuitive and somewhat appealing to think of Ecoherence’s sustainability agenda as a non-controversial cause, this is far from the truth. The SIG has consistently been subject to criticism — from Meatless Mondays to the issue of the printing cap, many have voiced their concerns over what they feel are aggressive measures.

"Ecoherence has goals that I have great regard for, but so far they've done very little by way of concrete action,” shared Shaurya Singh, Class of 2023. “Lying down on the floor or creating a movement centred on dietary restrictions may sound benign, but often such steps rest on the slippery slope of self-righteousness. What we need is an incentive structure to drive preferred behaviour instead of imposing on other people things like Meatless Mondays from our moral high horse."

“I got intimidated. People coming and shouting over my head. In what world is this productive and will not get me angry?” added Nicholas Patas, Class of 2021. Patas further expressed his disapproval toward the Die In and Meatless Mondays.

Image courtesy of Tom Abi Samra

“Making me feel bad about the meat I am eating while I am eating it, that is not productive, that is not constructive … it’s very radical,” he explained.

Raunak Shreshta, Class of 2020, Vice President of Ecoherence and Chair of Sustainability Committee, responded to these criticisms by highlighting the significance of sparking community engagement and conversations about sustainability through initiatives like the Die-In.

“The Die-In got a lot of attention, some of it was positive attention and some of it was negative attention. But, regardless it still starts a conversation,” expressed Shreshta. “Ecoherence thinks about these performances as ways to connect the community more and opening doors to these conversations.”

“It is something we are really trying to change. Because we are not here to police anyone and I know I would hate to be policed so I wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” Abi Samra added.

Part of the solution is to provide more platforms where students can voice their concerns and ideas on the subject. Meiksane views this bottom-up approach as valuable in fostering a culture of sustainability and allowing organic discourse on the matter.

In relation, Meiksane makes a compelling pitch for SustainabiliTEA, a new initiative which creates an informal space that actively invites dialogue on matters of sustainability at NYUAD.

“SustainabiliTEA is a more fun and approachable event. It invites criticism and invites other viewpoints,” Meiksane said.

While raising awareness on individual action is important in its own right, Abi Samra believes change at the institutional scale is necessary to create a tangible impact.

“Eventually, if we want to save the planet, it’s a top-down approach. Because, guess what? If the Abu Dhabi government bans plastic, there will be no more plastic on campus, or anywhere. Or if NYU bans plastic, there wouldn’t be plastic, end of story,” Abi Samra stressed. “There would be no negotiation there. And I think that’s the solution.”

Image courtesy of Vasarė Kripaitė

Sustainable awareness is also being reflected beyond just the student body, with clear efforts being made by the administration and other stakeholders at the university. With Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann and her office making ambitious pledges toward sustainability, alongside other departments on campus such as the Career Development Center and Student Life, it is clear that sustainability is an emerging priority for NYUAD.

Environmental SIGs are seen by many as a powerful tool in creating change. In that sense, Ecoherence can be perceived as a push towards greater community engagement, to achieve a greener campus. While efforts to make NYUAD a more eco-friendly campus cannot be dismissed, the community can work on pursuing sustainability more inclusively as a unified collective.