Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) organised the 22nd cycle of the annual Students’ Workshops virtually from the 24th – 26th October 2022 with the involvement of more than 250 participants under the theme “The Quintessential Net Zero”.
Meeting the challenges of transitioning into a more sustainable economy and development and thus a more sustainable future will require youth empowerment through training and education. Educating and empowering the younger generations and instilling values of environmentalism and arming them with confidence, critical thinking skills and sound knowledge and the relevant tools ensures that they are ready to deal with not just existing sustainability issues but the ones they can face in the future as well.
Mrs. Habiba Al Mar’ashi co-founder and chairperson of EEG said in her opening speech “Having already recognised the transformative power of putting important ideas in the hands of today’s youth, the UAE is a leading example of how to encourage and support youth empowerment and involvement in its ongoing sustainability initiatives. EEG’s annual series of the Students Workshops are designed to harness the energy and reinforce environmental credentials to raise the bar for climate action. ”
She further added “It is their energy, imagination and drive that will ensure we remain on track to achieve sustainability in a holistic manner. In a fast evolving world, where the pace of innovation is faster than at any time in human history, no one is more suited, more willing and more able to stay ahead of the curve than our positive young people. EEG works relentlessly to build the youths capacity and equip the future generation with the right tools to continue implementing the UAE leadership’s directives with respect to sustainability and the environment. ”
Curated creatively by EEG’s in-house team, the focus of the series of the workshops was to offer students the opportunity to broaden their knowledge base and sharpen their environmental skills. Along with gaining insights through informative presentations, the workshop provided the students a new perspective on sustainable living. The objective of this programme was to guide students towards responsible, ethical environmental behaviours, to develop critical thinking and analytical skills, to resolve environmental problems and challenges and to be better citizens of tomorrow and embolden them to incorporate ecofriendly habits to build a sustainable future. Another key feature of this year’s workshops was that activities were designed to get the students to think, discuss, and set solutions to contribute towards UAE’s vision of NET ZERO.
EEG launched the series of the annual Students’ Workshops in 2001, targeting students from the primary, intermediate and secondary students across all schools and all curricular in the United Arab Emirates. In this the 22nd cycle, EEG engaged more than 250 participants, 53 teachers from 61 schools. Since the inception of this workshop, EEG has engaged more than 7,800 students and 1,500 teachers from 1,500+ schools.
Emirates Environmental Group has pledged to play a significant role in developing an army of Green heroes to lead environmental change and prosper in a sustainable society. EEG as an accredited NGO of the United Nations Environment Programme, and the United Nations Convention for Combatting Desertification, has conducted this important event targeting the following UN SDG’s:- #Goal 2: Zero Hunger #Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being #Goal 4: Quality Education #Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation #Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy #Goal 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure #Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities #Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production #Goal 13: Climate Action #Goal 14: Life Below Water #Goal 15: Life on Land #Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) is a professional working group established in 1991 in the United Arab Emirates. It is devoted to protecting the environment through the means of education, action programmes and community involvement. EEG is actively encouraged and supported by concerned local and federal government agencies. It is the first environmental NGO in the world to be ISO 14001 certified and the only organisation of its kind in the UAE with accredited status to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). EEG is a member of the UN Global Compact, the Global Urban Development (GUD) and the Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance (GISD). It is also a member of the One Planet Network under the programme of Sustainable Food System (SFS) and its Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Committee (MAC) and Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), full Member (voting) of World Packaging Organisation (WPO).
