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SHARJAH / WAM
In conjunction with the UAE’s role as host for the COP28 climate conference, the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), has unveiled an ambitious plan to convert 25 percent of schools and nurseries in Sharjah into environmentally conscious educational institutions by the end of 2024.
This transformation will be achieved by launching the innovative “Green Schools and Nurseries” project, aligning seamlessly with the UAE’s 2023 sustainability strategy. The project aims to collaborate with subject-matter experts to deliver essential training and educational programmes for teachers and students.
This significant announcement underscores a concerted effort to instil sustainability principles within education, with the primary objective of fostering a culture deeply committed to sustainability. The project seeks to empower schools and nurseries to embrace sustainable environmental practices while orchestrating events designed to stimulate cognitive and behavioural shifts in relation to our environment. Importantly, the project perfectly aligns with the Green Education Partnership initiative recently launched by the Ministry of Education.
Muhadditha Al Hashimi, Chairperson of SPEA, expressed her happiness at the inauguration of the “Green Schools and Nurseries” project.
She emphasised the pivotal role educational institutions play in cultivating environmental awareness among students, equipping them to actively participate in shaping a more sustainable future.
She emphasised the resonance of this project with the call to action from HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council. “His call urges us to nurture an environmental ethos across generations and spearhead initiatives and programmes, including the recent Green Education Partnership initiative, as we gear up for the country’s hosting of COP28 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”
Ali Al Hosani, Director of SPEA, remarked, “Through the ‘Green Schools and Nurseries’ project, our vision is to elevate environmental consciousness within educational institutions, effectively addressing the mounting climate challenges and acknowledging their profound, far-reaching implications on the environment.”
The comprehensive initiatives within the “Green Schools and Nurseries” project encompass enhancements in energy and resource efficiency within educational establishments, the promotion of a recycling ethos, proper waste disposal practices, and the advocacy for adopting eco-friendly transportation alternatives.