Dubai, UAE; September 29, 2014: Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, has launched the ‘Green Tips for Schools’ campaign to mark Green Apple Day of Service.
Observed annually on last week of September every year, Green Apple Day of Service is a global movement that aims to put all children in schools that have clean and healthy air to breathe, where energy and resources are conserved and where the students can be inspired to dream of a brighter future.

As part of Green Apple Day of Service, service projects are undertaken by parents, students, teachers and organisations globally to transform schools into healthy, safe and green learning environments.

EmiratesGBC is observing it by distributing ‘Green Tips’ to various educational institutions highlighting simple steps they can follow to promote energy and water use efficiency and conserve the environment.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “It is important that we instil the importance of environmental conservation and rational use of resources in our young generation at the early age. Schools play a central role in further strengthening awareness. Our campaign has been designed to encourage students and schools to adopt several easy steps that will lead to a positive impact on the environment.”
EmiratesGBC has distributed the ‘Green Tips for Schools’ to over 25 educational institutions across the UAE. The key highlights include:

• Aspire to be paperless: One should print papers only when there is an absolute necessity.
• Serve local food in the school cafeteria: Food produced and served locally reduces the carbon footprint which comes from transportation. Sourcing locally also encourages local employment and contributes back to the local economy.
• Avoid plastic bottles and paper cups: Encourage students and staff to bring their own bottles for water and carry mugs for coffee/tea. This reduces unnecessary waste going to landfill.
• Switch off the lights: Turn off the lights when the day light/natural light is sufficient. Assign a class monitor for each class who will keep a check on turning off all the lights/monitors after everyone leaves the room and the lecture is over.
• Use water efficiently: Water consumption rate per person in the UAE is 550 to 850 liters/day, which is considered one of the world’s highest. Installing water efficient fixtures (taps, water closets, urinals) can save potable water used for sewage conveyance by nearly 50 per cent (According to LEED Innovative Wastewater Technologies).

• Maintain the room temperature: Keep the class room temperature at a moderate setting while you are in the room. 24 degrees is considered an ideal temperature during summer months.

The tips by EmiratesGBC also include recommendations to improve air quality, the need to recycle ink cartridges, measuring the classroom’s carbon footprint and incorporating sustainability in the curriculum, among others.

For more details or to obtain a copy of the ‘Green Tips for Schools,’ contact: Ms Aanal Patwari at events@emiratesgbc.org or visit https://emiratesgbc.org/tips/green-tips-for-school/ .

EmiratesGBC has developed a suite of activities, inclusive of networking events, technical workshops, focus days and facilitated training based around specific issues related to the built-environment that meet the needs of its members, of the UAE community, and the wider Middle East.

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Note to Editors

About Emirates Green Building Council:

The Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) was founded in June 2006, and became the 8th full member of the World Green Building Council in September 2006. EmiratesGBC is an organization that promotes and educates on green issues in the built environment and is the official body for the UAE endorsed by the World Green Building Council. EmiratesGBC currently has around 260 members in the UAE which represents 1000s of individuals interested and involved in Green Building in the UAE and the region. In addition, EmiratesGBC members receive discounts on a number of programmes such as those related to conferences, seminars, training and green building events.

For further information, please contact:

Kelly Home / Mohammed Al Tawil

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

+9714 4507600

kelly.home@bm.com / mohammed.altawil@bm.com