1:00 pm - February 15, 2026
**Dubai**: GEMS Education has announced a significant renewable energy deal with Positive Zero, launching solar panel installations across 23 schools. This initiative is set to produce 21.25 GWh of electricity annually, significantly reducing carbon emissions and supporting the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 strategy.
GEMS Education, a leading education provider in the UAE, has entered into a landmark renewable energy agreement with Positive Zero, marking the largest deal of its kind in the nation’s education sector. The initiative involves the comprehensive design, engineering, installation, and maintenance of solar panels across 23 GEMS schools situated in Dubai.
This ambitious project will deploy solar systems with a total capacity of approximately 12.7 MWp, generating an estimated 21.25 GWh of electricity annually. The amount of energy produced is sufficient to power around 2,000 homes for an entire year. In terms of environmental impact, this initiative is projected to reduce carbon emissions by 14,276 metric tonnes each year, a reduction that equates to removing about 3,300 cars from the roads. Over its lifespan, this decrease in emissions is similar to the effect of planting nearly six million trees.
Dino Varkey, CEO of GEMS Education, expressed the organisation’s dedication to sustainability, stating that the agreement dovetails with its ambition to adapt renewable energy on a large scale. Speaking to The Finance World, Varkey noted, “This initiative supports the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy while instilling environmental responsibility in students by turning climate education into real-world action.”
David Auriau, the CEO of Positive Zero, echoed this commitment, highlighting the significance of decarbonising operations within educational institutions and fostering climate literacy among students. He remarked on the initiative’s dual focus on sustainability and education, emphasising the broader implications for environmental awareness.
GEMS Education has integrated solar energy into its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy as part of its commitment to significantly reduce emissions across its schools and operational activities. Ovais Chhotani, CFO of GEMS, described the agreement as a “milestone in GEMS’ long-term sustainability journey,” underscoring the organisation’s persistent drive to lessen its environmental footprint.
The solar installations at the 23 participating schools are expected to be completed by early 2026. Additionally, GEMS Education is embedding climate literacy within its academic curriculum, aiming to have a UN-accredited Climate Change Teacher in every classroom. Beyond classroom education, GEMS promotes sustainability through corporate and community initiatives, encouraging student-led climate projects, energy conservation measures, and effective waste management practices.
This new agreement builds upon GEMS Education’s prior partnership with Positive Zero, including the solar project developed at the net-zero-energy GEMS Founders School located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. The collaboration illustrates a significant effort within the education sector to embrace renewable energy solutions while nurturing environmentally conscious future generations.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://solarquarter.com/2025/03/12/gems-education-and-positive-zero-ink-uaes-largest-school-based-solar-energy-deal/ – This article corroborates GEMS Education’s landmark renewable energy agreement with Positive Zero, highlighting the scale of the solar project across 23 schools in Dubai and its alignment with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy.
- https://www.indexbox.io/blog/gems-education-and-positive-zeros-landmark-renewable-energy-agreement/ – It supports the details of the agreement, including the capacity of the solar systems and the expected environmental impact, such as reducing carbon emissions equivalent to removing 3,300 cars from the roads annually.
- https://thebrewnews.com/thebrew-news/gems-education-pens-largest-solar-power-agreement-in-uae-education-sector/ – This news article explains the comprehensive solar system installations across GEMS schools and aligns with the statements from Dino Varkey and David Auriau regarding sustainability commitments and climate literacy.
- https://www.gemseducation.com/ – Although not directly provided, visiting GEMS Education’s website would offer information about their ongoing sustainability initiatives and ESG strategies, supporting their commitment to integrating solar energy and climate literacy.
- https://www.positivezero.com/ – Positive Zero’s website would detail their partnership with GEMS Education and their role in decarbonizing educational institutions by providing solar energy solutions.
- https://www.sirajpower.ae/ – As the distributed generation arm of Positive Zero, SirajPower’s website would provide insight into their collaboration with GEMS Education on solar projects, including the net-zero-energy GEMS Founders School in Abu Dhabi.
- https://thefinanceworld.com/gems-secures-uaes-largest-solar-energy-deal-in-education/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative does not explicitly mention any outdated information or historical references that would indicate it is old or recycled. The initiative’s completion is projected for early 2026, indicating current relevance.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
While direct quotes are provided from prominent figures, they could not be verified with earlier online sources. This may indicate they are original, but without further confirmation, the score is moderate.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from a lesser-known publication, The Finance World. While the information seems legitimate, the lack of widespread recognition impacts the reliability score.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims made about the solar energy deal and educational initiatives seem plausible, given the context of renewable energy adoption and sustainability efforts. However, specific details could not be verified without further evidence.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative appears to be recent and relevant, with plausible claims about a significant solar energy deal. However, due to limited verification of quotes and a lesser-known source, further confirmation is needed to increase confidence in its accuracy.
