Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and partners revamp sustainable schools initiative

Abu Dhabi: At an event held on the International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) revealed a new version of its environmental education programme, the Sustainable Schools Initiative (SSI), which will see it engage more youth locally, regionally and internationally. The announcement was made in the presence of officials from the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), which continues to support the roll-out of the initiative in schools across the Emirate, and BP - the long-term sole sponsor of this initiative for the past four years. The announcement marks EAD's commitment to manage initiatives which promote sustainable communities and which contribute to the nation's global commitment to minimise climate change and its impacts. The revamp of the SSI will further empower schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to assess and address their own environmental impact and have a broader international reach. The added elements will include an extended period of time to run the initiative in schools, a school mentorship exercise called Lead Schools, and an opportunity to engage youths from the school's eco clubs, at an Eco Club Summit to be held in the capital once a year. EAD introduced the SSI in 2009 in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and with sponsorship from BP. It aims to empower schools, teachers and their students to make positive environmental changes. To assist schools, EAD provides them with workshops and resource materials to assess their environmental impact and address it through a green school audit management system, support to establish Eco Clubs, provision of teacher training, and exposing students to experiential learning through interactive educational field trips. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of EAD, said, "Thanks to the support of our partners over the past four years, we've succeeded in educating our youth, inspired them to take action and observed a true change in their levels of awareness and positive behavioural change. We're proud that the SSI has made a tangible contribution towards creating a new generation of environmentally-responsible youth." Starting this academic year, each round of the programme will now run for two consecutive academic years. This change was introduced to provide schools additional time to not only asses and mitigate their school's environmental impact, but also to implement and measure the effects of long term solutions. EAD is also introducing a mentorship exercise called Lead Schools, where schools that have been previously awarded by EAD for their stellar efforts will be invited to become a Lead School'. EAD will develop and offer Master Training courses for these mentors to build their capacities and empower them so that they can coach the participating schools on how to become more sustainable. Lead Schools will support their adopted schools with their Green Audits, planning their Eco Club activities and their environmental field trips. The new SSI will also see EAD organise a two-day annual Eco Club Summit, which will bring environmental youth leaders from around the world together with Abu Dhabi's leading eco club members so that they can learn from each other and share experiences. Fozeya Ibrahim Mahmoud, Director of the Environmental Outreach Division, EAD added, "With the new and improved SSI, we are promoting inspiration, proactivity and independence amongst Abu Dhabi's school students. We are enabling them to be drivers of change, and empowering schools to manage their environmental resources independently. By connecting our youth with their international counterparts, we are promoting cross cultural knowledge exchange and insight into international best practice." BP, the sole sponsor of this initiative, demonstrated how public-private partnerships can create successful engagement opportunities within the community. Abdulkarim Al Mazmi, General Manager and Chief Representative for BP,UAE, said, "We're delighted to be involved in a programme that looks to extend its reach among youth from Abu Dhabi and beyond. BP has been proud to be the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi's partner in support of the Sustainable Schools Initiative. We are grateful to the Abu Dhabi Education Council for its support in embedding environmental education in the academic curriculum. We are immensely proud of all the Abu Dhabi schools - staff, students and parents for their participation in this successful programme and for creating long-term positive impacts to our environment." "The SSI was successfully implemented for the past four years across schools with the support of ADEC. Eng. Hamad Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of Private Schools at ADEC, said, "The Abu Dhabi Education Council's support of environmental initiatives such as the Sustainable Schools Initiative is in line with the vision of the Abu Dhabi government to promote and protect the environment as part of a greater commitment to fulfil this priority on the UAE's federal agenda." He added, "In our efforts to develop the educational system, we implemented high level safety and security criteria in all schools. To further develop our schools and better educate our students, we also implemented an environmental sustainability approach which has contributed to a tangible decrease in the ecological footprint for each school. "Since SSI was launched, participating schools had many noteworthy environmental achievements. According to the green audits conducted by the schools, they were able to reduce waste per capita as well as reduce water consumption. In addition, the number of students using shared transport among the schools who participated in the SSI also saw a substantial increase over the past 4 years. We are proud to continue supporting this initiative that continues to educate and inspire action among the children, teachers and students on both local and international levels," he concluded. – Emirates News Agency, WAM