Today, we live on a planet whose resources are greatly depleted and whose intricate and delicate life sustaining systems are at severe risk of breaching dangerous levels that threaten to make life for future generations more and more difficult, if humanity is unable to reverse the trend. We are faced with unprecedented environmental challenges such as air & water pollution, climate change, global warming, depleted natural resources, loss of biodiversity, ocean acidification, ozone layer depletion, and much more. Any and all of these challenges are a threat not just to the planet, but to our way of life on it. As a leading educational institution, the Bahrain Bayan School is fully aware of these challenges and recognizes that it is every individual's and institution's responsibility to actively participate in combating these challenges and make a conscious move towards sustainability. This Sustainability Charter is a statement of the school’s commitment towards sustainable development and outlines the school’s vision, goals and objectives in this regard.
To be recognised as a leader in creating and promoting a culture of sustainability within the school, in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the GCC region and beyond.
1. Ensure that sustainable practices guide its operations of the school’s premises
1.1. Incorporate sustainability plan and activities into the school’s strategic plan
1.2. Holistic strategy encompassing electricity, water and waste.
1.3. Reducing energy usage & opting for renewable sources of energy to reduce carbon footprint
1.4. Reducing the water consumption and reusing water wherever possible
1.5. Better waste segregation and management within facility
1.6. Maintain Green Building Standards in all operation and construction activities
1.7. Adopt an environmentally friendly purchasing policy
2. Integrate sustainability courses as a part of its core curriculum
2.1. Create courses that offer specialist education on topics such as environment, renewable energy, water, waste management, etc.
2.2. Create an impact on the staff and the students to think about the surrounding environment
2.3. Enable its students to become champions who contribute towards sustainable development
3. Create an outreach program to the wider community
3.1. Reach out and educate the wider community (via student’s and teacher’s family and friends network) on the needs and benefits of sustainable living and development
3.2. Promote sustainability at school fairs and events
The high level vision, goals and objectives of this Charter are set and will be sponsored and governed by the School's Executive Committee (EC). The EC consists of selected members from the Board of Directors, including the Head of the EC (Chair of the Board), heads of the Education Committee, the Finance Committee and Facilities & Projects Committee.
The EC will be responsible for the governance of the school's sustainability initiatives
• It will review and approve the annual action plans
• It will facilitate the annual action plans by providing the necessary support and resources
• It will review the progress and outcomes of annual action plans
The EC will nominate a set of staff, teachers and students that will constitute the school’s Green Team. This team will be responsible for converting the goals and objectives of the charter into annual action plans that will be submitted for review and approval to the EC. The team will then execute these plans and report their outcomes to the EC.