JOHOR BARU: UDA Holdings Bhd (UDA) and the Johor Education Department have signed a note of understanding (NoU) to collaborate in promoting environmental sustainability.
The collaboration will see UDA and the Johor Education Department implementing environmental activities aligned with the state government's education module — the Sustainability Education Action Plan (Pelan Tindakan Pendidikan Kelestarian Johor) — at schools statewide.
It is aimed at raising awareness and instilling accountability among schools, students and also local communities towards environmental conservation and protecting and preserving natural resources.
The signing ceremony involving UDA Land South Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Muhammad Ismail Dasuki and Johor Education Department director Mohd Hanafi Samad was held at Wisma SBBU in Bandar Baru Uda here yesterday.
It was witnessed by State Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin and UDA president and chief executive officer, Datuk Mohd Salem Kailany.
UDA is one of the country's leading developers and asset management companies under the purview of the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry.
UDA Land South Sdn Bhd and Angsana Johor Baru Mall, both subsidiaries of UDA, will undertake the implementation of the environmental conservation and preservation strategies.
Salem said both parties are committed to further empower sustainability knowledge among school students in Johor, besides supporting the Johor Sustainability Education Action Plan and the Johor Sustainable Development Plan 2030.
He added efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of schools will be carried out through the implementation of sustainability education programmes, which included creating awareness, providing support and organising motivational programmes.
"It will also see the community's involvement in reducing the carbon footprint," he said.
The collaboration is in line with the five globally recognised Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, namely good health and wellbeing, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action.
The efforts are aligned with UDA's new branding entitled L.I.F.E, which represents legacy, integrated, finesse and enrich.
It further cements UDA's commitment in its environmental conservation and preservation efforts, while they continue to create awareness on a healthy and balanced ecosystem.
UDA also allocated a RM5,000 grant to four schools under its "UDA Sustainability Schools" efforts to fund environmental sustainability activities.
The selected schools are SK Kompleks UDA, SK Bandar UDA 2, SMK Bandar UDA Utama and SMK Bandar Baru UDA.
Students were tasked with collecting used cooking oil and clothes for recycling, besides planting trees and growing gardens within their schools.
Other activities include the Johor Sustainability Education Award Day 2024, training workshops, social welfare initiatives and capacity development workshops for teachers via experiential learning modules.
UDA's "Experiential Learning — Guru Champion" programme will see school teachers participating in four series of workshops on environmental sustainability management.
The social welfare initiatives will collect donations for the asnaf in Ramadan.