SAGHS praised for environmental initiative

President Anthony Carmona yesterday praised the St Augustine Girls’ High School (SAGHS) for their champions of sustainability, environmental conservation and climate change initiative.

Carmona, speaking at the launch of the Carbon Neutral Initiative at SAGHS, St Augustine, said as a country we were standing perilously close to the precipice of climate change.

He said young people were the change the world sought as they taught each other and the adult population to prepare for the environmental changes that were coming our way.

This was SAGHS’ ground breaking project of environmental conservation showing that they would not sit back while Mother Earth needed her help.

Carmona said climate change was real and as small island developing states (SIDS) we must lead the vanguard movement to arrest this.

“SAGHS is in the business of an educational sustainability that nurtures social and environment consciousness.

Your activity is steeped in one of the fundamental pillars of sustainable development that is the use, management and preservation of natural resources,” he said.

Carmona said in TT and the region SAGHS had become pioneers with Presentation College, San Fernando, in the fight against climate change as they partnered with the Carbon Zero Initiative of TT (CZITT).

He said they would be involved in improving energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling and waste management.

Carmona said they should carry the message that young people had the ability to effect change individually and collectively. His wife Reema Carmona later accompanied him and other dignitaries to plant trees at the north eastern end of the school’s compound.