700 pupils take part in contactless recycling drive
DUBAI: More than 700 students across the UAE joined a contactless, 10-day eco drive to collect and recycle waste. The drive was launched by 17-year-old Dubai student Isha Reddy, who has also founded Go Akhdar, a plaform that encourages sustainable living through community initiatives.
The ongoing pandemic resulted in the recycling drive taking place remotely, but through effective collaboration and communication, a large number of individuals were motivated to take both action and responsibility for the environment.
A sustainability advocate since her early teens, Reddy has also published a book on sustainable development at the age of 15. Her sustainability startup Go Akhdar is a plaform for sharing green news and blogs, and creating community engagement initiatives, like the contactless recycling drive she organised in October 2020.
Go Akhdar also recently organised a virtual eco winter camp, focusing on creating awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals through hands-on activities. Besides environmental awareness, such initiatives also offer students the opportunity to volunteer and participate in community service.
Reddy said, “The UAE is making great strides in the area of sustainable development; be it through government initiatives, public-private partnerships, investments in clean technologies, or youth empowerment, the future of sustainability in the UAE looks extremely positive and exciting.”
Reddy recently atended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2021 (ADSW), which brought together world leaders, entrepreneurs, and academicians from around the world under one roof, to discuss and design strategic solutions to our world’s sustainability challenges.
Reddy said, “Atending ADSW 2021, particularly the Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S) forum, was extremely enriching. I had the opportunity to listen to visionary leaders in this field. It was inspiring to hear about UAE’S sustainability vision and goals, and why youth should be empowered and educated to bring about a positive change.
“I am excited to be a part of UAE’S sustainability journey. It is heartening to see the government supporting youth and empowering them to become global leaders.”
Reddy thinks it is becoming increasingly important for both individuals and businesses to be mindful of their resource consumption and disposal.
“Being environmentally conscious, reflecting on one’s carbon footprint, becoming a responsible consumer, and contributing towards a circular economy are some of the simple ways to build a new culture of sustainability in societies.”