Teach young children about sustainability, expert stresses

"Our collective ability to overcome challenges has never been greater," says Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises and founder of the Pearl Initiative.

It is important to teach children from a young age about the benefits of sustainability, so that they are more aware about how they can contribute towards the betterment of society when they are older, experts at a forum on sustainability said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the second regional forum hosted by Pearl Initiative and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), Amir A. Dossal, chairman of Global Partnerships Forum, noted that academia has a large role to play in how individuals perceive sustainability.
"Teach children about sustainability right away from grade one, because better health, better education, a clean environment, and safe drinking water are there from the minute the child is born. The sooner you teach them, the sooner young children will have a better understanding about the concept, and the challenges that remain. This is where parents and teachers will be invaluable. They have that critical role to play in promoting a culture of sustainability," he said.
Dossal also noted that sustainability does not apply to one region alone. "We have to think about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a global goal. I like to remind people that they should think of it as my SDGs, since they impact our everyday lives. SDGs are meant to improve the quality of everyone's lives. Governments have a role to play in creating an enabling environment, not just for businesses, but also for the SDGs to flourish."
He added: "Businesses, corporates, governments, civil society, and academia must all come together to create a system-based approach where people can come together and learn about how they can contribute as an individual or as an organisation to the betterment of society. The good news is that people are starting to notice and ask how SDGs are impacting and improving their lives. If businesses use SDGs as part of their core model, then magic will happen I can assure you."
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, the regional forum drew attention to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a key component of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Themed 'Sustainability in Action: Business and the Sustainable Development Goals', the forum convened more than 700 delegates to debate and discuss actionable targets across the five pillars of prosperity, people, peace, planet, and partnerships.
Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises and founder of the Pearl Initiative, in his address, remarked that life expectancy and literacy have grown significantly despite the increase in world population, while the percentage of those living in absolute poverty has reduced. He went on to explain that the world is sitting on the cusp of a fourth industrial revolution that has the potential to exponentially advance human endeavor and transform the social, economic and political landscape for the better.
"Growing humanitarian crises is festering because of a vacuum in global governance - and this will reverberate for generations to come. Climate change, and the consequences for our water, energy and food security nexus, looms more visible by the day. Governance challenges of the technology revolution, including cybercrime and the digital disruption of jobs and skills, is something we are only just starting to comprehend. Our collective ability to overcome challenges has never been greater. Contrary to popular opinion, the international community has demonstrated an ability to coordinate and cooperate on rather urgent global actions," he said.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com