Sustainability in UAE Schools: Challenges & Opportunities Post-COP28

Challenges and Strategic Solutions:

1.Lack of Climate Leadership and Strategic Vision

Many educational institutions take a passive stance on sustainability, often outsourcing reporting and related tasks. However, truly integrating sustainability requires active leadership commitment, a clear and shared roadmap, and dedicated personnel. Appointing roles such as Chief Sustainability Officers, sustainability managers, or Energy Managers can provide the necessary focus and expertise to develop measurable goals and action plans. These professionals are instrumental in driving initiatives, aligning the institution’s vision and mission with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), and embedding sustainability into organizational assessments and performance metrics.

2. Need for Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Successful sustainability initiatives will need engagement and collaboration across departments, which are often hindered by siloed structures. Establishing a holistic sustainability roadmap that fosters collaboration and commitment across all levels is essential. Setting measurable internal targets encourages accountability and aligns different departments around shared sustainability goals

3. Perceived Financial Constraints In the UAE, sustainability initiatives can mistakenly be viewed as costly additions rather than investments. The initial mindset of high implementation costs can overshadow the long-term operational savings that sustainability provides, such as reduced energy and water consumption and improved health in built environments. Education institutions need clear communication and case studies highlighting long-term financial benefits, reinforcing sustainability as both economically prudent and environmentally responsible.

4. Institutional Cultural Shift Towards Sustainability

Effective sustainability education is intrinsically linked to institutional operational sustainability. Creating a cultural identity centered around sustainability enables students to become empowered sustainability leaders and entrepreneurs. Schools should operate as living labs, integrating student involvement with expert mentorship from staff, parents, and external sustainability professionals. This hands-on approach not only enhances student learning but also solidifies the institution’s commitment to sustainability practices.

5. Limited Funding for Retrofit Projects

Retrofitting existing buildings poses financial and logistical challenges in the UAE. Although funding mechanisms are still emerging, solutions like Cooling-as-a-Service as practiced in Abu Dhabi offer promising avenues to finance energy efficiency improvements, such as Building Management Systems (BMS), upgrading equipment and air balancing. Also, new building codes for existing structures are on the horizon — crucial for improving outdated designs and optimizing Energy Use Intensity (E.U.I.) and Water Use Intensity (W.U.I.) across the region.

6. Compliance and Inspection Challenges

In 2023, the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) introduced a Sustainability Rating Index for Early Years, encouraging institutions to self-assess and report on their current sustainability practices. This initiative is a positive step toward sparking meaningful conversations around sustainability in early education. To support this effort, more informational webinars and guidance resources on an ongoing basis would help make the process more inclusive and accessible for education stakeholders.

However, some current sustainability efforts still face challenges, particularly when they intersect with regulatory inspection requirements. For example, schools aiming to incorporate outdoor elements like sandpits or natural desert gardens often encounter resistance due to health and safety concerns. To bridge this gap, clear and supportive guidelines on sustainable landscape management are needed. These would empower schools to confidently embrace outdoor learning environments without compromising compliance.

7. Insufficient Teacher Training and Capacity

Though teacher training modules have been made available in some cases, it often takes a lot more time for teachers to be comfortable delivering complex topics like recycling, carbon emissions, and climate science. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training sessions (approximately 30-40 hours) are necessary to build teacher competence. Moreover, schools should consider outsourcing specialized sustainability training to external experts who can provide focused workshops and curricular support, alleviating pressure on teaching staff.

8. Need for Specialized Sustainability Education

Expertise Sustainability topics are currently restricted primarily to geography and science classes, limiting interdisciplinary engagement. Significant gaps persist in key areas like effective pedagogical methods, planetary boundaries, climate justice, and indigenous ecological knowledge. Dedicated sustainability education experts can bridge this gap by developing extensive multidisciplinary curricula from early years through grade 12, cultivating long-term environmental stewardship as a fundamental life principle.

9. Enhancing Clarity in Climate Change Education

National and international educational boards must clearly define learning outcomes and effective teaching methodologies aligned with UNESCO's Green Curriculum guidelines. Schools need accessible, actionable programs like mangrove planting, beach clean-ups, recycling initiatives, and visits to conservation areas, reinforcing theoretical knowledge with practical community engagement.

In conclusion, addressing these challenges requires a systemic, multi-faceted approach involving dedicated sustainability leadership, cross-sector collaboration, strategic financial planning, regulatory clarity and support, robust teacher training, and comprehensive multidisciplinary curriculum development. As educational institutions in the UAE move forward with integrating sustainability, strategic, cohesive actions aligned with global sustainability standards will ensure meaningful, long-term success.

About the Author Priyanka is a seasoned sustainability professional with over a decade of experience driving sustainable education and integrating environmental strategies into businesses across the UAE and Canada. She specializes in advisory and strategy development, assisting businesses, schools, and organizations to align with global sustainability goals and best practices. For further details, please visit her website and LinkedIn page

Sources UNESCO-UNFCCC Webinar Series: https://unfccc.int/topics/action-for-climate-empowerment-children-and-youth/ace-hub/unesco-unfccc-webinar-series

Written by Priyanka Pandey, Sustainability Advisor and Climate Education Consulting Services