In an era when sustainability is reshaping every sector, education stands at the heart of this transformation — not only as a space for learning but as a laboratory for lasting change. The Global Centre for Education Excellence (GCEE), Singapore, under the leadership of Rathin Khandhadia, is redefining how schools embed sustainability into their very DNA. Through frameworks like the 5S Sustainability Framework and Green School Certification, GCEE is moving beyond awareness to institutional practice, ensuring that sustainability becomes a measurable and accountable part of school governance.
In this conversation with TheCSRUniverse, Khandhadia shares how initiatives such as the Eco Leader Certification and Mock Conference of the Parties (MCOP) are inspiring students to translate classroom learning into real-world action. Drawing from his cross-sectoral experience, he discusses how excellence and sustainability reinforce each other, the unique opportunities for India’s diverse education system, and GCEE’s vision of shaping schools that are not only academically outstanding but also environmentally responsible and socially conscious.
Q&A
Q. Under your leadership, GCEE has developed the 5S Sustainability Framework and the Green School Certification. Could you walk us through how these initiatives institutionalize sustainability across Global Schools Group campuses?
A. The 5S Sustainability Framework and Green School Certification were developed to move sustainability from awareness to institutional practice. Together, they provide a structured approach through which each campus can plan, measure, improve, and refine its initiatives. By emphasising the implementation and accountability mechanisms of the 5S Framework, and evidence-based evaluation through the GSC, the model ensures that sustainability is embedded within school governance and learning systems rather than existing as a stand-alone activity.
Q. The recent Eco Leader certification for GIIS Whitefield in Bangalore has drawn attention to how sustainability can be embedded in school operations and learning. What specific actions or innovations at Whitefield make it a model for other campuses?
A. What distinguishes GIIS Whitefield is its disciplined and participatory approach. The campus tracks energy and water data consistently, involves students in audits, and links operational findings to classroom learning. Students also take part in hands-on sustainability activities such as waste segregation drives, plantation efforts, and awareness campaigns that reinforce classroom concepts through practice. These are small but sustained actions that give meaning to the term “eco leadership.” The result is a culture where sustainability is routine, not symbolic. That consistency is what makes Whitefield a role model for other GSG campuses to replicate.
Q. You describe excellence and sustainability as “two sides of the same coin”. How do these two concepts reinforce each other in creating future-ready educational institutions?
A. Excellence and sustainability reinforce one another as twin drivers because both rely on process discipline, stakeholder commitment, and long-term vision. Schools that manage their resources responsibly tend to manage their systems better too. In that sense, environmental consciousness becomes an extension of organisational excellence, not a separate pursuit but part of the same continuum of improvement.
Q. A strong focus of your work is empowering students with real-world sustainability practices. What specific steps do you take to ensure that sustainability education goes beyond classroom learning to inspire behavioural change among students and their communities?
A. Our goal is to make every GSG student a Green Ambassador - someone who understands, practices, and advocates sustainability as part of daily life. To achieve this, sustainability concepts are woven into the curriculum rather than taught in isolation. We emphasise experiential learning, where students learn by doing: for instance, through activities aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals such as “Life on Land,” students engage in gardening, composting, and even small-scale hydroponics projects that connect theory with practice. These experiences extend beyond the classroom, as students apply what they learn to their homes and neighbourhoods, creating a ripple effect of awareness and collective responsibility. In this way, sustainability becomes both an academic pursuit and a lived value.
Q. Given your experience across sectors such as renewable energy, telecom, and manufacturing, how have these perspectives shaped your approach to introducing business excellence and sustainability principles in education?
A. My prior experience across diverse sectors has shaped how I view sustainability - as a system, not a slogan. The same principles apply in education: structure, measurement, and continual improvement. In most forward-looking industries today, Mother Earth is recognised as a key stakeholder, a silent partner whose well-being ultimately determines long-term viability. Bringing that perspective into education means reshaping how schools define success. We must view environmental integrity as central to institutional performance, not peripheral to it. When schools adopt that mindset, sustainability aligns naturally with governance, quality management, and the broader mission of shaping ethical, future-ready learners.
Q. In the Indian context, with its scale and diversity, what do you see as the biggest opportunity and challenge in embedding sustainability within schools? How can public and private institutions collaborate more effectively to nurture “green citizens” at scale?
A. India’s education landscape offers both scale and diversity, creating immense potential for collective impact. The key is to build frameworks that are adaptable and resource-light, allowing both public and private schools to participate meaningfully. Collaboration remains central, where policy provides the structure and schools provide the innovation. When government bodies, educators, and communities work in alignment, sustainability education can move beyond isolated practices toward a more unified and scalable model that strengthens environmental awareness across society.
Q. Looking ahead, how do you envision GCEE’s role evolving in helping shape global education systems that are not just academically excellent but also environmentally responsible and socially conscious?
A. Looking ahead, GCEE’s role is to help shape education systems that are academically rigorous, environmentally responsible, and socially conscious. Every Global Schools Group campus has pledged its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, reflecting a collective belief that education must serve both people and the planet. GCEE translates this commitment into structured systems that enable schools to implement, monitor, and continually improve their sustainability performance. Beyond developing frameworks, we have created assessment models that introduce accountability and evidence into how schools manage their environmental and social impact.
GSG is also among the first K–12 education institutions globally to publish a Sustainability Report in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, setting a new benchmark for transparency and alignment with international best practice. This step marks a shift from intention to measurement and demonstrates that sustainability can be integrated and evaluated with the same rigour as academic performance. Our approach positions sustainability not as an adjunct to excellence, but as one of its defining measures.
At the centre of this vision are our students, who remain both the beneficiaries and drivers of transformation. The Mock Conference of the Parties (MCOP), introduced last year, became the first student-led climate conference of its kind in Asia, giving young people a platform to deliberate global issues and propose tangible solutions. Initiatives like these ensure that our learners are not only informed about sustainability but empowered to act on it. As GCEE continues to evolve, our aim is to nurture a generation of students who combine intellect with empathy, and institutions that define success by their contribution to a more sustainable and equitable world.
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