The GEMS Modern Academy has become the first school in the GEMS Education network to upgrade its fuel to Neutral Fuels B20 biofuel, supplied in conjunction with School Transport Services (STS) which manages the GEMS Modern Academy student transport services.
STS has the largest fleet of private school buses in the UAE and currently transports more than 80,000 students to and from schools using upwards of 10 million litres of fuel annually. At GEMS Modern Academy, STS operates 126 school buses.
Nargish Khambatta, Vice President, GEMS Education and Principal and CEO of GEMS Modern Academy, was instrumental in moving the school to adopt a biofuel option to serve one of its core values, global citizenship.
“We believe in making an active contribution to our community, not just on a local level but globally too,” Khambatta said. “One of the most important differences we can make is to contribute towards the sustainability of our planet in keeping with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Our student-led Sustainability Team is leaving no stone unturned in leading the way and demonstrating that the use of biofuel enables us to reduce our school bus carbon emissions. We’re privileged to have this solution in the UAE and look forward to sharing our learning from this initiative.”
STS started to review the benefits of biofuel in July 2019 in an effort to reduce its carbon emissions and contribute to mitigating climate change. With a dedicated Neutral Fuels biofuel tank installed at GEMS Modern Academy, queues and refuelling time for drivers will be reduced, increasing productivity and further decreasing carbon emissions.
Steve Burnell, MD of STS, said: “The introduction of biofuel for its fleet at GEMS Modern Academy will boost efforts to reduce the UAE’s carbon footprint. It’s very rewarding to work with GEMS Education whose core values we share. We’re known for our exceptional safety standards and strict compliance with Dubai’s RTA regulations, but that’s not enough as we enter this new decade. Reducing our carbon footprint is just as important as safety and compliance.”
Changing from fossil fuel to Neutral Fuels biofuel requires no modification to diesel engines and the change can be made from one refuelling to the next.
Embedded in the Neutral Fuels methodology is bespoke technology that includes an artificial intelligence engine, a cloud-based data portal, and handheld apps and IoT sensors reporting to the Neutral Fuels control room. Together, they provide improved operational and cost efficiencies.
Karl W Feilder, CEO of Neutral Fuels, said: “Greenhouse gas emissions would be dramatically reduced worldwide if all diesel engines switched to biofuel rather than the fossil fuels which have caused the climate change the world now faces. Fleet owners have the maximum effect on reducing CO2 in the environment. Biofuel, and especially net zero biofuel, is the quickest and easiest way to radically reduce carbon footprint.”
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