Taylor's Education Group Leads Regional Push for Climate-Resilient, Sustainability-Driven Education

• Taylor’s Education Group is embedding sustainability across campuses in Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.
• A centralised dashboard tracks carbon emissions, guiding climate actions and student-led innovation.
• Initiatives like green classrooms, net-zero energy systems, and eco-friendly transport promote low-carbon living.

Taylor’s Education Group (TEG), a leading private education provider in Southeast Asia, has reinforced its commitment to sustainability and climate action through a bold, cross-border Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. Announced during the Taylor’s ESG Festival themed 'Embedding Impact: From Action to Culture', held at the Taylor’s Lakeside Campus, the initiative integrates ESG principles across TEG’s operations, education, and campus life in Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

This move is timely, as the world grapples with growing climate threats that increasingly disrupt education itself. According to UNESCO’s 2024 report, Education and Climate Change: Learning to Act for People and Planet, education remains largely absent from national climate strategies, despite its critical role in preparing future professionals and advancing sustainable development. The same report also highlights how climate disasters have led to school closures in 75% of major incidents in low- and middle-income countries over the past two decades. In Malaysia, recent years have seen schools shut down due to floods, haze, and extreme heat emphasising the need for climate-resilient education systems.

TEG’s ESG strategy spans three higher education institutions and six international schools, and is built on three key pillars: delivering measurable impact, creating sustainable learning environments, and embedding ESG into daily operations. According to Dato Loy Teik Ngan, Chairman of Taylor’s Education Group, “Sustainability is a core responsibility of a future-ready institution. By embedding ESG into our campuses and operations, we are preparing our communities to face climate-related risks, while contributing to the global net-zero movement. This is about shifting mindsets and cultivating a culture of sustainability”.

A major highlight of the strategy is the rollout of a centralised impact measurement dashboard to track carbon emissions and other sustainability metrics across TEG institutions. The system empowers each campus to take ownership of its sustainability journey using data-driven insights. It enhances transparency, supports reporting aligned with global climate standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and transforms campuses into living labs for student research and innovation.

Equally impactful is TEG’s initiative to transform its campuses into living examples of sustainability. The Green Classroom Initiative promotes low-carbon spaces using recycled furnishings, energy-efficient lighting, natural ventilation, and a strict no single-use plastic policy. Students also benefit from immersive programs such as Nexus International School’s Forest Walk, which reinforces environmental education through hands-on learning.

The Group’s Sustainable Transport Plan aims to electrify shuttle fleets by 2030, expand EV charging facilities, and promote carpooling and smart scheduling to reduce carbon footprints. All transport data is tracked through the impact dashboard to ensure accountability and continual improvement.

Further strengthening climate action, TEG is piloting Net-Zero Energy Campuses. The British University Vietnam has achieved EDGE certification, a global green building standard, while Taylor’s University is employing Thermal Energy Storage systems to manage energy use more efficiently. Solar panel installations and smart technology integration are also helping campuses operate in more resource-conscious ways.

Beyond infrastructure, TEG’s third pillar focuses on embedding sustainability into every operational process. The Green Procurement Policy mandates responsible sourcing, with preference given to products and vendors that meet ethical, social, and environmental standards. Whether it’s the materials used in classrooms or services acquired for operations, sustainability is now a key factor in procurement decisions.

Throughout these efforts, Taylor’s is not only transforming physical spaces but also nurturing a new generation of sustainability-minded leaders. “Sustainability isn’t just a target it’s a mindset, a behaviour, and a culture we live every day”, Dato Loy emphasized. “Our goal is to build campuses that inspire our students to carry these values into every aspect of their future”.

The Taylor’s ESG Festival served as a dynamic platform for community engagement and dialogue. Over 230 participants including educators, students, corporate sustainability experts, and social entrepreneurs gathered to share ideas and celebrate sustainable action. A panel discussion titled “Shaping a Regenerative Future through Mindsets, Metrics and Movements”, moderated by Karl Engkvist, President of Taylor’s Education Pte Ltd and Co-Chair of ESG at Taylor’s Education Group, featured leading ESG voices such as Ng Tsu Mae from CIMB Bank, Chook Yi Jean from Pos Malaysia, and Benjamin Soh from ESGpedia.

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The festival also featured an Impact Bazaar and workshops spotlighting student-led initiatives and community-driven social enterprises. These activities showcased how climate action can be both impactful and locally relevant, inspiring tangible outcomes at the grassroots level.

Taylor’s Education Group’s cross-border ESG strategy is positioning it as a regional leader in sustainability-focused education. By aligning with global frameworks and embracing a holistic, data-driven approach, TEG is creating a blueprint for how educational institutions can lead the transition toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. As Dato Loy concluded, “Climate action starts with education and at Taylor’s, we’re making sure it’s not just part of the syllabus, but a way of life”.