Latest news with #ECOS
Zawya
24-04-2025
- Science
- Zawya
GEMS Education hosts youth environmental advocates from across the Emirates for ECOS 2025
Dubai, UAE: GEMS Education recently concluded the Environment Conference of Schools (ECOS) 2025, a one-day, entirely student-led conference that brought together 24 teams, youth environmental advocates, educators, and industry leaders from across the UAE. Hosted at GEMS Founders School – Dubai and themed 'Bridging Environmental Stewardship with Innovation and Opportunity', the conference highlighted the remarkable contributions of youth in driving sustainability and innovation. The ECOS event featured an inspiring keynote by Ghaya Al Ahbabi, UNICEF Youth Advocate and COP28 Ambassador, who emphasised the vital role of youth leadership in addressing environmental challenges, while sharing her own journey as a youth advocate in the UAE. The conference also welcomed Kailash Iyer, Head of Investment Fund at Oxfam International, who shed light on the indiscriminate effects of climate change on society, governance, and the global economy. GEMS student Aliza Siddiqui, lead organiser of ECOS 2025, reinforced this in her speech, stating that 'the most powerful ideas aren't locked in boardrooms – they're born in classrooms.' Organised with the support of SustainHERability Girl Up, ECOS 2025 showcased a variety of activities, including the SDG Action Zone, where various schools presented their sustainability initiatives in a dynamic exhibition, as well as the Hack the Heat Climate Competition, which encouraged students to develop innovative solutions to one of four climate challenges. Each initiative aligned with the United Nations International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, emphasising global efforts to combat climate change. Participants also had the opportunity to write their own 'commitment pledges' where they were tasked with writing their promises, hopes, or wishes for a more sustainable future. These student pledges are now on display in GEMS Founders School's main auditorium as a testament to student voice and innovation. The event concluded with a presentation of various awards, including Eco-Innovator of the Year, awarded to GEMS Cambridge International School – Dubai; Sustainable School Award, presented to Al Ain British Academy; and Renewable Future Award, presented to GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar. Winners of the Hack the Heat Climate Competition included Team Blue Horizon and Eco-Grow Systems from GEMS Modern Academy as well as TerraByte from GEMS Al Barsha National School. Winning solutions included creating soil microbial fuel cells, smart devices for coral reef restoration and smart water filters using hydroelectric energy, with awards presented by Barkha Bahirwani, Founder of Green Majlis. About GEMS Education Every day, GEMS Education has the privilege of educating more than 200,000 students from more than 176 countries through its owned and managed schools around the world. With nearly half a million alumni who in turn have influenced countless millions of lives, GEMS has been recognised as one of the most impactful companies in any sector globally. Founded in the UAE in 1959 and now the largest and most respected K-12 private education group in the world, it holds an unparalleled track record of providing diverse curricula and educational opportunities to families from all socio-economic backgrounds. What began as a single school in a private home in Dubai remains a family business to this day. Its inspiring Chairman and Founder, Sunny Varkey, and his sons, Dino Varkey, the Group Chief Executive Officer, and Jay Varkey, the Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, continue to provide vision, insight and strategic leadership across the organisation. Through its growing school network and philanthropic initiatives, GEMS is committed to fulfilling its vision of putting a quality education within the reach of every learner, everywhere. Each year, GEMS students graduate to join the world's leading universities. Over the past five years alone, they have been accepted into over 1,050 universities in 53 countries – including all eight Ivy League institutions in the United States and all 24 Russell Group universities in the United Kingdom. GEMS alumni have gone on to successful careers in all sectors around the world, including a large proportion reaching CEO and C-suite status.
Borneo Post
24-04-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sabah has to transition towards cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions
Arshad Mohamed Ismail KOTA KINABALU (Apr 24): Sabah needs to move towards cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions. Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad Group Chief Executive Officer Arshad Mohamed Ismail in his special address said that Sabah has initiated an ambitious yet necessary journey towards energy security and affordability as well as environmental sustainability after the launch of the Sabah Energy Roadmap and Master Plan 2040 (SE-RAMP 2040). 'Blessed with abundant natural resources, Sabah has long been a key contributor to Malaysia's economy. However, the State's energy faces significant challenges that threaten its long-term sustainability,' he said at the Sabah Renewable Energy Conference (SAREC 2025) held at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort on Thursday. Arshad elaborated that Sabah's electricity supply remains constrained, as reflected in the State's lower reserve margin compared to that of Peninsular Malaysia, underscoring the urgent need to expand generation capacity. 'The situation is further compounded by the State's heavy reliance on fossil fuels, with 86 percent of power generation currently dependent on natural gas – a resource that is finite in the long term. Despite having an estimated 101GW of renewable energy potential, particularly in hydro, solar and biomass, only 7.3 percent of Sabah's current energy mix is derived from renewable sources. This highlights the need for the State to transition towards cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions,' he said. 'This highlights the need for the State to move towards cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions,' he said. He also said that the launch of the Sabah Energy Roadmap and Master Plan 2040 (SE-RAMP 2040) marks a bold vision to achieve reliable, accessible, affordable and sustainable energy by 2040. 'With ambitious targets – 50 percent renewable installed capacity by 2035, universal rural electrification by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050 – achieving these goals demands substantial investment and robust public-private partnerships,' he reminded. Arshad also said that for Sabah to attract investors and drive the growth of its renewable energy sector, it must establish three key enablers. 'First, regulatory clarity is crucial – investors seek a stable and predictable policy environment. In this regard, the devolution of electricity and energy regulatory powers from the federal government to the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECOS) marks a significant step forward. This enables Sabah to take greater ownership of its energy resources and craft regulations that are better tailored to its specific needs and development goals.' 'Second, infrastructure readiness plays a crucial role. The expansion of transmission lines, particularly the 275kV Southern Link, will improve grid stability and enable higher renewable energy penetration. 'Lastly, innovative financial instruments such as green sukuk, ESG-linked loans, and blended finance models can offer alternative funding mechanisms. Sabah's vast solar, hydro and bioenergy resources make it an ideal destination for renewable energy investments. By aligning investment opportunities with national sustainability goals, Sabah can firmly establish itself as a leader in the green economy,' he said.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Uproar over end of bargain deals for car industry staff
ECOS requires owners to sell a car back after six months or 6000 miles The government's plan to end what it has called 'contrived car ownership schemes' has rattled the UK's automotive industry, which forecasts devastating consequences for itself and its workers if this becomes law. The Employee Car Ownership Scheme (ECOS), which the government intends to end from 6 April 2026, differs from traditional salary sacrifice schemes in that the car is owned by the employee, not the employer. Operated mainly by car makers and their dealers, ECOS enables an employee to buy a brand new car at a hugely discounted price. Monthly repayment bills are very low, with little or no interest charged. Under the terms of the arrangement, the employee is required to sell the car back, typically after six months or 6000 miles. It's then replaced by another. Because the car is owned by the employee and so not deemed a company asset, the employee is not required to pay benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax or national insurance contributions. As such, the government believes this arrangement is neither legitimate nor fair, despite ECOS users being subject to heavy limitations. In her Autumn Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined measures to 'level the playing field' because 'this arrangement means those benefiting don't pay company car tax which other employees pay'. Speaking to Autocar, manufacturers said they had been given few details on the proposed changes and were still considering the government's plans. A spokesperson for Stellantis said the group was 'speaking directly to the UK government on the impacts and to understand further details and timings'. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the chancellor's announcement had come as a 'complete surprise' after decades of the industry operating ECOS unchallenged. The SMMT questioned Treasury estimates that taxing ECOS cars as employee benefits would raise £275 million in the 2026-27 tax year and a further £590m over the following three years, because it believes this income would come at the expense of VAT and VED (road tax) on new cars no longer being sold. Urging the government to reconsider its plans, SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said: 'These schemes are an integral part of the remuneration packages that attract people into the industry and allow employees affordable access to the products they make. They are an important part of the new car market and provide a key source of nearly new vehicles to the used market. 'Removing these schemes would challenge manufacturers' business models, restrict their ability to retain and recruit staff and constrain efforts to decarbonise road transport. 'These [ECOS cars] are new models, reflecting the latest technologies and, as such, are increasingly electric, so to cut off this new and used vehicle supply at exactly the time the industry must drive up EV adoption would be a perverse step. 'Not only would this undermine industry and government net-zero ambitions, it would also be counterproductive to economic growth, actually decreasing government revenues from lost VAT and VED, and hurt working people and their families financially. 'We would urge government to think again about this proposal and support the industry and its workforce at this critical time.' The SMMT claims that each year, ECOS generates around 150,000 cars for the 'nearly new' market and are a valuable mix of popular vehicles and those, such as EVs, that customers would be wary of buying new. However, used car valuation experts have disputed the magnitude of the impact that ending ECOS would have on used market supply. A spokesperson for Cap HPI said: 'It won't have an impact on nearly new volumes. The numbers involved are tiny compared to daily rental. The [ECOS] vehicles are often on very strict mileage and there are strict rules on how long they can be kept.' Meanwhile, Ed Steele, MD of leading automotive recruitment specialist Steele-Dixon, has predicted that employee recruitment won't be so badly affected by the banning of ECOS. 'Banning the schemes will hamper recruitment, but then if everyone is suffering, I suspect the impact will not be so great,' he said. 'At the moment, the prospect is a worry but not yet a problem, and I'm sure the accountants and lawyers will come up with a solution. 'If they don't, a ban might be a good thing, since 99% of the people I deal with haven't a clue what it costs to pay for your own car. They should know what it's like for those people who do.' The prospect of a new car every six months on terms significantly better than anyone outside the car industry can enjoy sounds great, doesn't it? Not according to one manufacturer employee in receipt of the benefit. The employee, who asked not to be identified, has a 1.0-litre hatchback on his firm's ECOS that costs him just £85 per month. He pays no benefit-in-kind tax or national insurance contributions on it and it's replaced every six months. However, he says there are strict limits as to which model he can order and with which options, and even then, his order can be overruled by the factory and a different specification from the one he requested supplied. He must pay an excess mileage charge if he does more than 6000 miles in the car and any damage it suffers must be repaired by a manufacturer-approved garage whose prices, he says, tend to be higher than elsewhere. If he puts the car through a car wash, any swirl marks must be polished out at a cost of £80, and a chipped windscreen must be replaced, not repaired. 'The scheme is great in the sense that the car is cheap, and unless I damage the car, I don't have to budget for new tyres or servicing,' the employee said. 'The downsides are that it's quite inflexible and the higher refurbishment and repair costs put many employees with families off the scheme, because of the damage their kids might do to the car's interior. ]]>
