A new era in education: how schools can lead the sustainability revolution

Schools have a vital role in building a sustainable future. As the global climate crisis intensifies, educators are taking the lead to empower students and drive meaningful change.

Can education be the driving force behind a sustainable future? With the planet’s climate crisis demanding urgent action, the role of education in shaping a sustainable future has never been more critical. At COP29, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) called for a radical transformation of education systems to ensure they are equipped to tackle environmental challenges. There is a need for education to be a catalyst for real change, empowering students to take meaningful action in their communities and beyond.

While sustainability often remains an afterthought in many curricula, International Schools Partnership (ISP), a global group of over 100 schools across 25 countries, has already begun to answer this, embedding sustainability into the very fabric of its schools. Using a Whole School Sustainability approach at scale embeds sustainable thinking at every level – engaging students, teachers, school leaders, parents and operational teams to work collaboratively towards reducing environmental impact and driving long-term social responsibility. International Schools Partnership (ISP), un grupo global de más de 100 colegios en 25 países, ya ha comenzado a responder a este reto, integrando la sostenibilidad en el núcleo de sus escuelas. A gran escala, su enfoque de Whole School Sustainability incorpora el pensamiento sostenible en todos los niveles: involucrando a estudiantes, docentes, directivos, padres y equipos operativos para trabajar en conjunto en la reducción del impacto ambiental y el impulso de la responsabilidad social a largo plazo.

A transformational approach in schools
This transformational approach is already yielding tangible results. A pilot programme in ten of the group’s Middle East schools saw students and teachers working together to assess sustainability practices, establish emissions reduction targets and implement effective solutions. Within a single academic term, this initiative led to a 10.2 per cent absolute reduction in emissions1 across the region compared to the previous year. Emissions intensity, measured as carbon dioxide equivalent per occupant, declined by 17.8 per cent2, marking a significant shift in how schools can operationally reduce their environmental footprint.

Notably, by engaging in activities such as these and seeing tangible results, 30 per cent3 more students now believe their actions could make a real difference in tackling climate change.

The schools that demonstrated the most success shared a common factor: a high level of enthusiasm and participation from students, teachers, operational teams and parents, reinforcing the idea that sustainability cannot be achieved in isolation but must be a collective effort.

The Middle East pilot programme is just the beginning. The school group is now scaling its model across its global network, transforming individual successes into a system-wide movement. The underlying principle is simple but powerful: sustainability cannot be an isolated action, confined to a single initiative or a single school. When scaled across more than 100 schools, even small interventions can drive a profound impact.

Across schools, students are taking the lead in sustainability projects, from energy audits in schools throughout the Middle East and Malaysia to creating and tending vegetable and ladybug gardens at Fontenebro International School in Madrid, Spain. In response to severe drought conditions, schools across Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Chile, including Colegio Pedro de Valdivia de Peñalolén, have adopted innovative water conservation strategies. These strategies include the installation of reverse pressure valves to regulate water flow with greater efficiency, significantly reducing unnecessary consumption.

Other initiatives include ocean-conservation projects at Star International School in Dubai, UAE5 and THRIFTEE - a student-led upcycling programme in Kuala Lumpur that transforms donated clothing into scrunchies, tote bags and more. THRIFTEE’s “Make Do and Mend” lessons are now fully embedded in the curriculum and have grown into an annual month-long Sustainability Month.

With 98 per cent of students involved in the school group’s sustainability education programmes already reporting that they have changed their behaviour to lower their carbon footprint, these undertakings illustrate a school network actively redefining its impact and leading the way in demonstrating how education can drive real-world action.

Sustainability as the future of education
Looking ahead, ISP has set ambitious goals to further embed sustainability across its schools and organisation. By 2027, every school in the group will assess its sustainability progress. The long-term goal remains clear: a sustained commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050. Net Zero en 2050.

However, its strategy goes beyond numerical targets; it represents a shift in culture and behaviour, aligning with UNICEF’s global call for educational transformation. Sustainability is no longer a peripheral topic; it’s the lens through which learning, leadership and community engagement must be viewed. The schools that will thrive in the future are those that equip students not only with academic knowledge, but also with the climate resilience, systems thinking and ethical responsibility necessary to navigate and influence an uncertain world.

For Andy Nicol, ISP’s Group Chief Operating Officer, the vision is about more than just policy; it’s about fostering a culture of sustainability. “We have an incredible opportunity to make a real difference, not just in education but in the world beyond it.”

As this grows, it demonstrates that schools are not just institutions of learning, but powerful agents of change. As Bharat Mansukhani, ISP’s Divisional CEO Middle East and Asia observes: “By weaving sustainability into the fabric of education, ISP is ensuring that today’s students are not just passive observers of global challenges, but active participants in building solutions.”

In an era defined by environmental urgency, education systems must evolve into engines of sustainability, places where students learn not only about the world, but also how to protect and transform. The future of education is not just green; it’s regenerative, inclusive and globally conscious, and it’s being shaped by the very students who will inherit the planet.