2026 PRME Students Sustainability Award

This committee helps the institute drive sustainability initiatives as per SP Jains sustainability strategy. Students' sustainability ideas and projects can be routed through the sustainability committee. Members are also proactive and propose new ideas around the projects to the Deputy Director of sustainability and meet regularly to discuss students’ awareness, interest and learnings around the topic. They also initiate and drive surveys with their batch to make sure they are getting the necessary learning about this critical topic.

Members are selected based on their performance and interest. Special care is taken to ensure that every specialization or division is well represented in the committee.

The Sustainability Committee of SP Jain School of Global Management has built a high-impact, student-led platform that transforms sustainability from a classroom concept into measurable action. Through our 2025 flagship initiatives — the UAE Sustainability Championship (Dubai), ReBootcamp: Tackling E-Waste Together (Dubai), and Rise Up Girls and Boys (India) — we created an integrated model of environmental stewardship, inclusive education, responsible leadership, and cross-sector collaboration.

Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate how students can lead meaningful institutional and community change while advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Our work directly contributed to multiple SDGs:

• SDG 4: Quality Education

We advanced SDG 4 through experiential learning, peer-led workshops, and sustainability competitions designed to build future-ready skills. Across our initiatives, we delivered learning experiences in sustainability, communication, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship, and AI literacy. We directly engaged 70+ school students in India through workshops and 100+ university students in the UAE through competitions and sustainability events.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

We supported SDG 5 by creating inclusive mixed-gender learning environments and confidence-building opportunities. Girls and boys participated equally in workshops focused on leadership, communication, and self-expression. In one financial literacy session, students discussed the importance of women being equally involved in household financial decision-making.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

We supported students from disadvantaged backgrounds by delivering workshops at NM Joshi High School, Mumbai, designed to build highly relevant future skills and soft skills such as:

• AI literacy

• Self-confidence

• Communication skills

• Adaptability

• Emotional intelligence

By providing free access to these learning opportunities, we helped improve access to future-ready education for students who may have limited exposure to such training.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

We supported SDG 12 through ReBootcamp in Dubai, where students learned about e-waste, repair culture, reuse systems, and responsible consumption. Participants explored practical ways to extend product life cycles and reduce electronic waste.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

We advanced SDG 13 through the UAE Sustainability Championship, which was successfully delivered as a fully Net Zero event. A total of 2.77 tonnes CO₂e were measured and fully offset through certified Gold Standard carbon credits. Students were also introduced to carbon accounting, emissions tracking, and climate responsibility.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

We advanced SDG 17 through collaboration with Rotary networks, schools, faculty, judges, sustainability experts, and partner institutions. These partnerships strengthened learning quality and expanded our impact.

Alignment with the Seven PRME Principles

• Purpose: We cultivate responsible leaders who understand that business success must create environmental and social value.

• Values: Ethics, inclusion, accountability, and sustainability are embedded in our initiatives.

• Method: We prioritize experiential learning where students lead real projects.

• Research: Students explored practical sustainability solutions relevant to the UAE, India, and global contexts.

• Partnership: Each initiative was built through collaboration across institutions and sectors.

• Dialogue: We created spaces where students, faculty, experts, and communities exchanged ideas.

• Practice: Students executed real projects including a Net Zero competition, community workshops, and circular economy learning initiatives.

Creativity is central to our success. We recognized that sustainability cannot be advanced through awareness alone — it must be experienced, practiced, and made meaningful.

1. UAE Sustainability Championship (Dubai, UAE)

• Rather than conducting a traditional seminar, we created a national-level championship where students from 12 colleges across the UAE solved sustainability challenges linked to the SDGs.

• Students pitched innovative solutions to expert judges, turning sustainability into entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation.

• The competition was also delivered as a Net Zero event, combining creative content with responsible execution.

2. Rise Up Girls and Boys (India)

• Instead of one-way charity models, university students became facilitators for school students at NM Joshi High School, Mumbai.

• Workshops focused on:

  • Public speaking

  • Emotional intelligence

  • Financial literacy

  • Artificial intelligence

  • Confidence-building

• Sessions were delivered using Marathi, Hindi, and English, making learning more accessible and engaging. This was empowerment-led education.

3. ReBootcamp (Dubai, UAE)

• Students often hear about e-waste but rarely understand solutions. We addressed this through a hands-on workshop where students learned from practitioners about:

  • E-waste categories

  • Repair options

  • Component recovery

  • Responsible disposal systems

  • Circular economy models

• This made sustainability practical and relatable.

Our Creative Philosophy

Across all initiatives, we designed around five principles:

• Meaningful engagement

• Joyful participation

• Student ownership

• Real-world relevance

• Scalable impact

The Sustainability Committee has created measurable impact by transforming the university ecosystem into a platform for leadership, experiential learning, and community engagement.

Our three flagship initiatives across the UAE and India demonstrate how universities can create positive change within and beyond campus boundaries.

KPI Snapshot

Impact on the University Ecosystem

UAE Sustainability Championship

• Created a visible student-led sustainability platform

• Strengthened leadership, teamwork, pitching, and communication skills

• Increased collaboration between students, faculty, judges, and professionals

• Demonstrated responsible event execution through a Net Zero model

ReBootcamp

• Increased awareness of circular economy principles

• Encouraged responsible consumption behaviour

• Connected students with sustainability practitioners

• Sparked conversations around campus e-waste collection systems

Wider Campus Impact

Our initiatives increased sustainability awareness among students, faculty, and staff, encouraging stronger participation in campus sustainability culture.

Impact on Local and Regional Communities

Dubai, UAE

• Students from multiple colleges collaborated on regional sustainability challenges

• 102+ attendees engaged in sustainability dialogue

• Cross-institution learning ecosystem created

Mumbai, India

• 70+ students at NM Joshi High School benefited directly

• Improved confidence, communication, and curiosity

• Exposure to AI literacy and future-ready skills

• University student volunteers developed empathy and leadership

Lasting Legacy

Our greatest impact is cultural transformation. Students increasingly see themselves not only as learners, but as leaders capable of improving institutions, communities, and environmental systems.

Global cooperation is embedded in our identity as a multi-city, multicultural institution. SP Jain School of Global Management brings together students from diverse nationalities and academic backgrounds.

Cross-Border Partnerships

• Rise Up Girls and Boys partnered with Rotary Club Global Impact District 1990 and Rotary Club of Bombay

• UAE Sustainability Championship united students from multiple institutions and nationalities

• ReBootcamp connected students with sustainability practitioners in the UAE

Shared Learning Across Cultures

Students worked in multicultural teams, exchanged perspectives, and learned how sustainability priorities differ across regions while remaining interconnected.

Replicable Models

Our initiatives are transferable:

• Net Zero student competitions globally

• School empowerment workshops in underserved communities

• Circular economy workshops for universities worldwide

From Local Action to Global Relevance

Our committee demonstrates that global cooperation often begins with students willing to collaborate across cultures and sectors to solve common challenges.

UAE Sustainability Championship, Rise Up Girls and Boys at NM Joshi High School, ReBootcamp: Tackling E-Waste Together with Recall and WAT

Mansi Kshatriya, mansi.ms25lgf006@spjain.org