Being aware of your environment

Educating the young generation on the importance of preserving the environment is crucial if any positive changes are to be made in the field. A total of 77 schools in Abu Dhabi have signed a pledge to reduce the ecological footprint of each respective school. The Sustainable Schools Initiative (Al Madaris Al Mustadama), launched by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), would address students, parents, teachers and non-teaching staff.

"Our rationale for launching this project with schools is the fact that students are the future stakeholders and constitute nearly 25 per cent of the population. They need to be equipped with the right skills and a positive attitude to tackle today's environmental problems", said Dr Jaber Al Jaberi, director of EAD. The EAD has found a big gap between the level of environmental awareness and proactive behaviour. Engaging youngsters at an early stage is an important starting point.