Abu Dhabi school achieves historic LEED platinum certification, setting sustainability benchmark

Abu Dhabi: Some school buildings are judged on their classrooms. This one has also been judged on its energy bills, its water use and the air its students breathe.

Emirates National Schools (ENS) has received LEED Platinum certification for its Mohamed bin Zayed City Campus, the highest rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system.

It is the first school campus in the Middle East to reach that level.

Globally, the campus ranks seventh among schools offering the same grade levels.

Behind the rating

LEED is administered by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), and the certification looks at how a building performs rather than how it looks.

In this case, it recognises the campus’s results in energy and water efficiency, resource management, indoor environmental quality and the reduction of environmental impact.

The Platinum rating is not the first LEED certification in the ENS family. Its campuses in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah have each achieved LEED Gold, which means the organisation now has certified campuses in four emirates in addition to the Platinum-rated one.

In the director-general’s words

For Lachlan Ewen MacKinnon, Director-General of ENS, the certification fits into a larger picture.

“The LEED Platinum certification achieved by the Mohamed bin Zayed City Campus reflects our vision to develop educational institutions grounded in global standards and invest in the future of generations. The LEED Gold certifications achieved by several of our campuses also demonstrate that this commitment extends across our educational system.” he said.

He also linked the building to the experience of the students who use it.

“Sustainability is directly connected to our vision of preparing future leaders. The educational environment is an integral part of the student experience, and we are committed to ensuring that our schools reflect the values of responsibility, sustainability and the conscious use of resources.”

ENS says it will continue to develop its infrastructure in line with global sustainability standards, with a view to supporting the quality of education and responding to the needs of future generations.