Sustainability Still Matters - ACS International Schools

29/04/2021

Sustainability Still Matters

ACS Doha hosted its second annual Sustainability Week in early 2021, in line with our mission to empower our students towards building a sustainable future Students across all grades engaged in initiatives and workshops with our partners, Ryan’s Well Foundation, and Qatar Cool.

Conscious Consumption, a globally-recognised term, refers to an increased awareness of how consumption impacts society at large with the intent to preserve the environment. Students learned the value of only buying what a person needs, avoiding food waste, choosing quality over quantity, and considering second-hand or up-cycled products to reduce waste and more. Students also learned about resource management, a way to ensure that the world’s natural resources are not depleted and allocated sustainably so future generations have equal access.

During the Sustainability Week, educational workshops and activities were organised across the school. Renowned Canadian charity Ryan’s Well Foundation ran hygiene education and water awareness workshops on the importance of clean water for communities in the poorest regions of the world. The workshops for Grades 6 to 10 were held by Ryan Hreljac, Founder and CEO of the charity, who spoke on the issues surrounding water scarcity, the importance of accessing safe water, and the devastating consequences of living without access to clean drinking water. The workshops were aimed at motivating students to take action and effect positive change in the world.

Raising awareness on the environment and its natural resources, Sustainability Week aims to connect students with sustainability today to lead Qatar to a greener tomorrow

– Robert Cody, Head of School

Collaborating with the greater community, there was also an on-campus workshop on Sustainability on the topic of Conscious Consumption by Qatar Cool. Robert Cody, Head of School, commented: “A successful future lies in a strong foundation. With our extra-curricular initiatives, we hope to enrich our students beyond the classroom: building capabilities that will allow them to succeed in all spheres of life with the environment being a crucial aspect. The world we live in is characteristic of rapid consumption, with fast fashion and fast food, that we forget to slow down and recognise the high cost to our environment and its resources.

Building on last year’s inaugural activity, this year’s Sustainability Week seeks to raise environmental awareness, teach responsible consumption, and lead students to actionable solutions. We aim to foster a spirit of sustainability that will guide students towards realising the environmental pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Sustainability is a core founding pillar for our new campus. The purpose-built, state-of-the-art building has been constructed with sustainability in mind such as lighting, infrastructure and technology that is intentionally designed to be eco-friendly. Alongside our truly global education, we firmly believe we will equip our students with the creativity, tools, and critical thinking crucial for tackling complex issues of tomorrow on a macro scale such as climate change.”

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