Sabban Property Investments and Emirates Environmental Group hold workshop to promote 'green education'

The workshop focused on 'green education' and 'education for sustainable development', which aimed at addressing a wide range of academic institutions in the Emirates.

The event concentrated on updating teachers on the emergence of new environment-related academic courses, and gave support on how they can encourage and prepare students to pursue 'green-collar jobs'.

Green-collar jobs are those that improve conservation and sustainability through policy, design and technology and are expected to flourish in the region.

Consequently, young people joining the workforce need to be informed and encouraged to make the most of opportunities and join in the pursuit for a greener world and economy.

"We are proud to have the support of SPI in our dedicated efforts to raise awareness on the importance of education for sustainable development,"

said Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson, Emirates Environmental Group.

"Teachers representing academic institutions from all over the UAE attended our workshops and we are confident that we have given them practical knowledge and skills to effectively communicate opportunities in the field of sustainable development and the growth of green jobs."

In addition to partnering with high profile environmental groups, SPI has also undertaken its own environmental initiatives, the most important of which involved global projects that rendered its QR 1.2 billion Sabban Towers as the first carbon neutral development in the Middle East.

The three-phase carbon neutralisation project has taken SPI across three continents, resulting in the reduction of their carbon footprint by almost 15 per cent and a conclusive offsetting of the remaining emissions of approximately 79,500 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), which the project was calculated to emit during its construction.

"SPI are proud to have sponsored the EEG's teachers' workshop for the last four years. The field of sustainable development and environmentalism is continually developing and we believe that there is no better way to create a new generation of responsible adults than to help equip their teachers with the knowledge and resources to teach these topics.

This, in addition to our global carbon neutral projects, has proven to be a great learning and rewarding experience, and is in line with our aims to set an example to the corporate community, as we believe that responsible corporate practice means integrating environmental issues into everyday business activities, which is essential in halting damage to our natural resources," concluded Nicola Clarke, Environmental Advisor, Sabban Property Investments.

SPI is part of the United Nations Global Compact, a framework for businesses that are committed to responsible corporate practice. In addition to EEG, the developer has also nurtured partnerships with various environmentally-focused groups in the region, including the Emirates Green Building Council, Emirates Wildlife Society and World Wildlife Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF).