We use cookies to improve your online experiences. To learn more and choose your cookies options, please refer to our cookie policy.
At SISD, our mission is to provide the next generation with the knowledge, skills and awareness they will need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Today, a big part of that means understanding the importance of sustainability and the measures we can put in place to ensure we’re giving back to our world as much as possible.
Read on to find out more about the sustainability measures we put into place at SISD to inspire the environmental changemakers of the next generation.
Schools are often thought of just as places of academic learning, but they’reactually communitieswhich shape habits, values, and mindsets for life. When schools take sustainability seriously, they set a strong example for both students and their families. Sustainability in schools goes beyond recycling bins and solar panels, it centers around creating an environment where respect for the planet is embedded into daily routines.
Eco-friendly schools influence not only the students who attend them but also their wider communities and the people they will encounter in their lives and careers. By modeling responsible practices in energy, water, waste, and biodiversity, schools show young people that sustainable living is not only achievable but essential. The lessons learned on campus today become the foundation for how tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and changemakers act in the world.
At SISD, this responsibility is at the heart of our mission to deliver a truly holistic education. As one of the Middle East’s leading eco-friendly schools, we’ve created a campus where sustainability is taught, lived and embraced.
Our strategy at SISD aligns closely with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that sustainability is embedded in every aspect of school life, whether that’steaching and learning or operations and community engagement. This global framework helps our students understand that they are part of something bigger, and that seemingly small actions can contribute to change on a global level.
As members of the Eco-Schools Programme, our students see first-hand how schools around the world are tackling environmental challenges. The SDGs also shape our projects, discussions, and activities across subjects, making sustainability a central theme of our students’ education, regardless of the subject or discipline.
Our campus has been carefully designed to act as an inspiring model of environmental responsibility. Students here live our eco-friendly practices every day, they don’t just hear about them.
In a desert country such as ours, water is especially precious. SISD uses Smixin smart taps to drastically reduce water waste, while also encouraging students to think carefully about their consumption.These smart taps also offer the added benefit of enhanced hygiene at the expense of less water.
With multiple raised garden beds in our Learning Gardens, students grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables, giving them valuable hands-on experience in nurturing life – something many people wouldn’t experience until they leave school, if ever!Our green areas across campus also give children direct contact with nature through outdoor play and learning, which strengthens their connection and sense of responsibility for the environment.
We’ve set the ambitious goal of reducing landfill waste by 75%. Initiatives like filtered water dispensers, reusable cutlery, and on-site composting mean our students actively practice waste reduction. Recycling is a daily habit throughout the school, with the aim of making this an unconscious part of life for all our students after they leave our school.
Whilst sustainability typically makes most people think of waste reduction and recycling efforts, it also means using resources wisely and reducing environmental impact. SISD takes a forward-thinking approach to energy and consumption, teaching our students that responsible choices also make good economic sense.
We do this in a few ways:
Energy Efficiency: Our campus uses smart systems to monitor and reduce energy use, creating a healthier learning environment while lowering our carbon footprint.
Sustainable Procurement: Whether it’s school catering or supplies, we prioritize sustainable sourcing and encourage students to think about the lifecycle of the products they use.
Practical Lessons: By linking economic sustainability to real-life examples (such as how renewable energy or waste reduction can save money) we help students understand the broader impact of their decisions.
At SISD, sustainability is also about people. We believe schools should play a leading role in building inclusive, responsible communities that thrive together.
Our sustainability initiatives extend beyond the classroom, involving families, staff, and the wider Dubai community. From sustainability fairs to community recycling drives, parents and children alike play an active role.
Sustainability is about us as much as it is about our planet. Through balanced nutrition, active lifestyles, and a healthy environment, SISD ensures that wellbeing is a fundamental part of everyday life.
SISD students are leaders. Eco-committees, class projects, and student-led initiatives empower children to take ownership of sustainability efforts and see the direct results of their actions. This helps to instill invaluable leadership skills and an advantageous perspective compared with other school educations.
By embedding sustainability into education, operations, and community life, an education at SISD shows students that small, thoughtful actions can create big impacts. Parents can be confident that their children are growing up in an environment where environmental and social responsibility is not just encouraged but expected.
At SISD, we believe eco-friendly schools have the power to inspire global citizens who will take responsibility for tomorrow’s world. Sustainability is the foundation of how we teach, live, and grow together.
Interested in finding out more about a holistic, sustainable education at SISD? Contact us to learn more about SISD’s boarding programme and how we support the environmental changemakers of tomorrow.