Mission Statement –50% CARBON PLEDGE
CLimate Penpal is an initiative aimed at encouraging schools to commit to reducing their carbon footprint by 50% and integrating a sustainability education program for their students, with the goal of reaching Net Zero emissions. Participating schools and their students will establish PENPAL partnerships with counterparts worldwide to learn about how climate change affects their communities and to support each other in achieving their carbon reduction pledge. Through these partnerships, schools will share knowledge and strategies for taking local action to address this global challenge.
Student Action Statement
As part of the campaign, Student Penpals will pledge to reduce their personal carbon footprint directly related to their school engagement. This includes actions like optimizing their daily commute, making eco-friendly lunch choices, and adopting sustainable practices in other areas. CLimate Penpal will collaborate as a team, providing support and motivation to each other to maintain their commitment and achieve their carbon reduction goals. It not only promotes environmental consciousness but also fosters global collaboration and education among students.
School Youth Project
The Climate Penpal Schools Youth Project aims to equip school students with a foundation of knowledge and competent skills in the field of sustainability. Drawing on insights and guidance from the CP Global Ambassadors Advisory Board, which will comprise of stakeholders from academia, the private sector and government.
The Climate Penpal Sustainability Certification will provide high school students with accreditation that shows they have made a measurable contribution to the Net Zero journey and in doing so have acquired a basic knowledge on sustainability that will ensure that they could continue to have impact on NZ after they leave school.
Sustainability in Numbers
The Middle East Forum For Sustainability Leaders (MFSL)
Vijay Bains
Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance
Emirates NBD
Sometimes sustainability and ESG initiatives are viewed as the realm of the young. But sustainability has been around in some form or another for many years. What’s different now is that it’s increasingly present in the board room, in the C-suite, and at the chairman level.
Asma Rouabhia
MENA Regional Manager at UN Foundation & SDG 7 Youth Constituency
Regional Manager at Girl Up
From my perspective as a young professional and someone from the Arab region, what I’ve noticed is that there has recently been a strong emphasis on sustainability certifications within organizations.
Dr. Aqil Jamal
Chief Technologist Carbon Management R&D
Saudi Aramco
The world is rethinking how we produce and reuse energy in our daily lives. Saudi Arabia’s push towards expanding renewable energies and hydrogen production requires a different approach to training our youth and collaborating
Rayan Zahid
Chief Operating Officer
Microsoft Arabia
There is still room for improvement in providing young talent with the necessary tools to address climate and environmental challenges. It’s not just about training and educating them on the required skill sets, but also about promoting a change of mindset to approach sustainability from any perspective.
Sherif Tawfik
Chief Sustainability Commercial Officer - Central, Southeast Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Microsoft
Microsoft is excited to be the principal partner of the MEA Forum for Sustainability Leaders and support sustainability business leaders across the Middle East and Africa in navigating this critical transformation from monitoring to implementation to progress.
Sean Evers
Managing Partner
Gulf Intelligence
The MEA Forum for Sustainability Leaders will be a knowledge resource that delivers timely and relevant insights to public and private sector organizations that are in the process of designing and embedding sustainability strategies.