The Thunder Bolt

Concordia International School Hanoi had the honor and privilege of presenting on a panel about building human resource capability at the EuroCham Green Economy Forum and Exhibition (GEFE) 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

Organized by EuroCham’s HR & Training Sector Committee, the panel also included representatives from Baker McKenzie, Business Finland, and Schneider Electric. The panel was moderated by a representative from the green consulting firm Raise & Partners.

The panel highlighted examples of “Environmental Sustainability” woven throughout our entire curriculum as one of Concordia’s Expected Student Learning Results (ESLRs) across all divisions. For example, Elementary School STEAM Lab students learn how to build from recycled materials, using minimal inputs, and generating minimal waste. Middle School students in the Upcycling After School Activity learn to create projects from recycled materials. High School Advanced Placement Environmental Science students study how human activity can affect the environment and climate.

The panel also addressed the need to teach engineering to women and girls for the green economy and ensure that they are equipped for the technical jobs that this economy will provide. As part of this preparation, Concordia noted that we have twice been awarded the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award by the US College Board.

With green-certified buildings through LEED and LOTUS – Vietnam Green Building Council, Concordia is an example of a business that has invested in energy-efficient design and has seen it pay off.

“We want to model sustainability for our students, and that is why we chose to invest in green design. While it took more investment upfront, it has saved us significant money in operating and electricity costs,” said Concordia’s Head of School, Dr. Doug Grove. “We hope that students will return to Vietnam after university and bring the sustainability and community service mindset they learned at Concordia to contribute to Vietnam’s growth.”
Businesses are beginning to see that going green is not just a choice, but a necessity, because customers want to choose products and services devoted to saving the environment for future generations. 

“We chose Concordia because of its commitment to sustainability,” said Jorg Wesemueller, whose family relocated to Hanoi from Germany this year. Mr. Wesemueller added, “The sustainability concept at Concordia serves as a beacon for other institutions to become more sustainable. That is really important."

Improving Through Partnerships

Being energy-efficient and environmentally responsible means constantly finding ways to improve, and Concordia has actively sought out partnerships with organizations that can help us take our sustainability efforts even further.

For the past two years, Concordia has received an Energy Efficiency award from the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT).

Concordia first began working with MOIT through its Small Enterprise Energy Efficiency Program in collaboration with the German aid organization GIZ. The program offered participants training in how to improve energy efficiency in their buildings. Though already a “green” building, Concordia still learned new energy-saving techniques from their training.

“By applying techniques learned from the SEEG program, we reduced our energy consumption by an additional 11 percent,” said Concordia’s Chief Engineer, Thuyen Le.

Concordia continues to partner with GIZ and was recently featured in GIZ’s Southeast Asia-wide film initiative, “Humans of the Green Transition,” in which both Mr. Wesemueller and Mr. Le were filmed.

“Energy efficiency is not just for businesses and schools like Concordia,” said Mr. Le. “These are good practices for households too, which everyone should apply to help make Vietnam a better, greener place.”

Read more about Concordia’s commitment to sustainability.