YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy), lauded The Race Towards 1000 Eco-Schools 2025 initiative in the recently concluded official Kick-Off event of the IMT-GT & BIMP-EAGA Green City Action Plan. Speaking in his keynote address, YB Minister reiterated that all Malaysians have a duty to build a sustainable future for the nation’s children and future generations, and how important schools are in realizing the objectives of Education for Sustainable Development in the Green City Action Plan.
Eco-Schools Malaysia Program has been endorsed as a key high-impact low-hanging project under the Green City Action Plan. As endorsed by the IMT GT leaders, Malaysia is envisaging achieving 1000 Eco-Schools by 2025, setting the target of 100 Eco-Schools for each of the 14 states.
“Eco-Schools Malaysia program has been endorsed as the high impact low hanging project under GCAP. Eco-Schools Malaysia programme will be critical to create an environmentally friendly community which is the most important element in achieving GCAP. As discussed during the GCAP Kickoff event, we will reach out to the development partners, international organisations, government agencies, foundations, GLCs and private sector for resource mobilisation and support our mission to achieve 1000 Eco-Schools by 2025,” said Ir. Ts. Dr. Mahadi Mohamad, Director of the IMT-GT Joint Business Council
Eco-Schools Malaysia is part of the Eco-Schools Global under the Foundation of Environmental Education, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Green Growth Asia Foundation, as the national operator of the programme in Malaysia, has the endorsement from the Ministry of Education of Malaysia to run the programme in primary and secondary schools. Since 2016, almost 250 schools in Melaka, Perak, and Kedah have undergone the 3-year programme successfully.
The programme is school-wide and student-led, with teachers as mentors in this project-based learning focused on managing climate change and environmental challenges. Eco-Schools Malaysia has the objective of educating the future leaders of Malaysia who are still in schools to become Green Ambassadors, actively championing a sustainable lifestyle.
Green Growth Asia Foundation (GGAF) has partnered with Malaysian Green Technology & Climate Change Corporation, IMT-GT Joint Business Council Malaysia and WWF-Malaysia to spearhead private sector funding of the Eco-Schools Programme. GGAF also has a strong bond with WWF-Malaysia, which brought this programme to Malaysia in 2011, and now serves as the foundation’s advisor and sits on the National Eco-Schools Committee.
“We must recognise that strong collaboration from all public and private sector agencies is critical to face the impacts of climate change on the environment, economically and socially. We are beginning to see the momentum with the private sector coming on board in a strong way to support The Race Towards 1000 Eco-Schools 2025 initiative,” said Ts. Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor, CEO of the Malaysian Green Technology & Climate Change Corporation.
“The Race Towards 1000 Eco-Schools 2025, which targets about 10% of Malaysian schools, is achievable. It is important we hit this critical mass to scale the momentum and involve the entire education community eventually.
Our younger generation needs to support initiatives such as Malaysian Green Cities, achieving Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050, and Malaysia’s ambition to maintain 50% forest cover. This would ensure that the nation is environmentally, economically, and socially future-proofed,” added Ms Sophia Lim, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of WWF-Malaysia.
At the Green City Action Plan Kick-Off Event, GGAF, MGTC, and WWF-Malaysia were awarded the “GCAP Flagship Project Champion for Eco-School Program”.
