By Pu Chun Zhu, ISB Alumni Relations, and Nick Yates, ISB Communications
Published on May 23, 2024
On April 27, the Green Impact and Vision High School clubs held the first ISB Sustainability Summit. With a long-term plan managing the school’s impact on people and the planet, ISB is a pioneer of sustainability in international schools. Much of this work is led by students.
Green Impact and Vision invited Grade 8-12 students from other schools to participate and share their environmentally focused projects. Themed “Climate and Waste,” the Summit was a great opportunity to exchange ideas on how to address climate issues.
Two of our alumni in the sustainability industry returned to campus as guest speakers.
Hansen Bi, ISB Class of 2004, founded Elix Water to help accelerate the world’s transition to more environmentally friendly packaging for drinking water. The company is active in China and around the world. Hansen’s experience as an entrepreneur with a startup business meant he was able to have a practical exchange of knowledge with the students about real-world issues in sustainability.
He said, “Returning to my alma mater was an incredibly rewarding experience to discuss with the next generation of leaders sustainability efforts through showcasing my startup Elix Water. It was heartening to see the enthusiasm and commitment the students had for environmental, social and governance through engaging questions and a hands- on experience in molding our recycled cartons into other products. As alumni, we have the unique opportunity to inspire and guide them through providing real-world examples of alumniprecedents in a necessary shift in how we conduct business and live our lives. Go Dragons!”
Student delegates at the Sustainability Summit Also heard from Stanton Wong, ISB Class of 2007 and President of RESET, a company which provides tools and services to benchmark buildings’ green credentials. Stanton has worked in the sustainability field for over a decade. He has a software and product design background and describes himself as a futurist passionate about sustainability, the environment, technology, education, and health. His workshop on how sustainability for buildings helped students and participants build a vocabulary around sustainability and understand concepts pertaining to what it takes for a building to reach total carbon neutrality. Stanton also provided insights into the trends in sustainability, including China’s 3060 Ambition of reaching peak emissions in 2030 and then carbon neutrality in 2060.
He said, “It is incredible to see what ISB is doing with sustainability. With climate change and carbon conversations becoming more visible to the global community, bringing sustainability into our education and exposing students to it will be critical for the future.”
ISB’s Alumni Network continues to grow. Counting nearly 10,000 students, parents, and faculty as formal members, the organization provides the opportunity for alumni to connect with one another – and their successors.
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