At the second National Environment Conference held at the Empire Hotel and Country Club on August 19, ISB was presented with the "BEST Award" (Businesses for Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow) for "its outstanding contribution to sustainable Development", according to a press release.Mr David Taylor, ISB Executive Principal, was presented with the award by the conference partners, TOTAL, HSBC, ALCOA and ASIAINCFORUM at the Empire Theatre. Mr Taylor mentioned that he was delighted to receive this recognition on behalf of all the students, staff and parents of ISB, as it had been their commitment to the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Repair programmes for the last four years that had enabled the school to move to a more sustainable operation.
Most of the environmental initiatives are driven by the ISB Eco Group, which is supported by primary and secondary student eco councils, the PTA, the "ISB Green Families" group and many parents, staff and students.
During this period the school has reduced its paper, power and water consumption and recycled 67 tonnes of materials. Funds raised through the recycling programme go directly to the Million Trees Project which funded over 52,000 trees and planted over 33,000 across Borneo and beyond. Mr Taylor mentioned that "it is not just the achievement that is important but the involvement of the school community, bringing about a greater awareness of the issues and disseminating the essential message to all that we must live in more sustainable ways if we are to prevent further degradation to the Planet and subsequently the quality of life".
The National Environment Conference and the presentation of awards for sustainability represents a growing consciousness of environmental issues and the need for action.
Further information about ISB eco initiatives can be found on the school's website: www.isb.edu.bn.
