Eco-Schools Malaysia nurtures sustainably aware students with the world’s largest environmental education programme
WITH the worsening environment and climate unpredictability, the urgency for holistic and concerted efforts from all sectors of the public is more critical than ever.
As industry leaders embrace the principles of environmental, social and governance (ESG) as part of their brand values, the advent of an integrated platform to connect and translate the high-level climate mitigation and adaptation policies into practice is pivotal in maximising the impact investment.
The Eco-Schools programme serves to fill in the gap between ESG principles and corporate social responsibility by engaging with the school communities, local governments, and community leaders.
It effectively inculcates students’ positive behaviours through action-based learnings and global best practices in education for sustainable development – thinking globally, acting locally.
What is the Eco-Schools programme?
Founded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) based in Denmark in 1992, Eco-Schools were recognised by UNESCO as the largest and most vibrant global sustainability programme.
The Eco-Schools programme is present in more than 95 countries, including Denmark, Germany, Greece and the United Kingdom, affecting the lives of 20 million students and one million teachers from 48,000 schools worldwide.
In facilitating the knowledge transfer, the Eco-Schools programme introduces a carefully structured seven-steps module, each central to the schools’ greening transition.
Inspired by the 17 UN SDGs, students are empowered to initiate their own sustainability projects as part of the project-based learning (PBL) elements, ranging from biodiversity and nature, climate change, water, energy and many more Eco-Schools themes.
Gravitated around students’ leadership and empowerment, the future change makers will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to communicate environmental concerns effectively with their friends and family, prompting individual climate actions and paving the groundwork for the realisation of net-zero communities’ goals by 2050.
The journey of Eco-Schools in Malaysia started in 2011 under the purview of WWF-Malaysia.
It gradually expanded to Melaka, Kedah, Perak and Pahang, with support from the respective state governments under the stewardship of the Green Growth Asia Foundation since 2015.
The latter succeeded as the Eco-Schools Malaysia national operator.
The programme is fully endorsed by the Ministry of Education and relevant federal and state agencies.
The ‘E’ in ESG principles
Focusing on environmental security, the Eco-Schools programme was designed to accelerate the fulfilment of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) set by the government to cut carbon intensity against GDP by 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, while preparing future talents for the emerging green economies opportunities.
Eco-Schools Malaysia’s royal patron, Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah said that “the Eco-Schools Programme is the ideal platform to foster exemplary values, raise awareness and recognition of current environmental issues through project-based learning”.
Therefore, the private sector, government-linked companies and multinational corporations are invited to share expertise and promote the environmental education intervention as part of their outreach programme in line with the environmental part of the ESG principles – minimising ecological footprint and protecting natural resources.
By investing in sustainable education and Eco-Schools programme specifically, companies can contribute to a greener future while reaping the benefits of a sustainable and resilient business environment.
The ESG principles embedded into the programme will assist in the creation of a Green Workforce and innovators, supporting the National Green Agenda.
It demonstrates their commitment and dedication to preserving the environment and promoting a sustainable future to address complex sustainability challenges, echoing the values of Malaysia Madani and Net Zero Carbon Nation status by 2050.
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