As part of its environmental education programmes, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced that since the launch of the e-Green platform in 2022, a total of 8,529 certificates have been issued. The platform currently attracts 3,900 active users and the combined total of course hours watched since its launch equates to two years and one month.
A digital educational platform, e-Green was the first free-to-use and collaborative e-learning tool exclusively dedicated to the environmental sector in the region and is available to everybody. The platform hosts a total of 65 modules and 12 courses and, in 2023, EAD launched a course specifically dedicated to climate change to reflect the UAE’s hosting of COP28 in Dubai.
Ahmed Baharoon, the Executive Director of Environment Information, Science Outreach Management Sector at EAD, said: “In just two years, we have seen remarkable engagement on our e-Green platform, with over 8,500 certificates issued to our user base. This proves that there is great interest among students to learn more about the environment – the key driver for creating and launching the platform. We know that youth are the main users of the platform and, by increasing their knowledge of the environment, they will be well prepared to be future leaders advocating for change and action when it comes to nature conservation.”
He added: “We are now gearing up to provide e-Green content in Arabic, helping us to reach a wider audience and ensure that we are preserving the UAE’s identity and language. We will also be releasing more courses to boost the range of courses housed on the platform, so students have a well-rounded experience and access to sufficient amounts of information.”
There are currently 10 courses available for schools. The first subject is the Sustainable Schools Initiative (SSI), an EAD-led programme which encourages schools to become more environmentally friendly. It was launched in 2009 and currently has 552 participating schools in Abu Dhabi. The SSI subject has 6 courses which include: Green Schools Audit, Environmental clubs, Outdoor Education, Towards a Sustainable World “Primary”, “Intermediate”, and “Advanced”. The comprehensive range of SSI courses will help encourage schools to become members of the initiative.
For the second subject – Biodiversity – there are three courses: Geography of Abu Dhabi, and Marine Vertebrates and Marine Invertebrates including 18 modules.