Back to School

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to watch our briefing on catalyzing climate action in K-12 schools. Public K-12 schools in the United States operate 480,000 fossil fuel-powered school buses, produce 530,000 tons of food waste, and are one of the largest public-sector energy consumers—all of which contribute to climate change. From electric buses to energy-efficient, resilient buildings, implementing climate solutions in schools can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also creating a healthier environment for students and teachers to learn and work in. At the same time, schools need to be made more resilient to worsening climate impacts such as wildfires and extreme heat, which can disrupt school operations and impact student learning.

During this briefing, panelists discussed the federal policy levers needed to scale up climate mitigation and adaptation actions in schools to build a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable education sector.

Highlights

KEY TAKEAWAYS

K-12 schools (that teach students in kindergarten through 12^th grade, and are often divided into primary/elementary, middle, and high schools) are among the largest consumers of energy in the public sector. They operate the largest mass transit fleet, with 480,000 school buses, and they serve seven billion meals annually. Schools need public policy support to meet their decarbonization goals.
The investment in clean school buses from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) will create an estimated 46,000 job-years.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program has set aside $2.5 billion for electric school buses, and an additional $2.5 billion for low-emission school buses (including, but not limited to, electric buses). Applications for the first round have already closed and demonstrated an overwhelming demand for funding.
American schools waste between 360,000 to 530,000 tons of food annually, costing the federal government $1.7 billion annually and emitting almost two million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste reduction is a win-win with tangible economic and environmental benefits.

Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)

We cannot discuss the climate crisis without discussing the food system.
American schools waste between 360,000 to 530,000 tons of food annually, costing the federal government $1.7 billion annually and emitting almost two million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Steps like the School Food Recovery Act (H.R.5459), which would create a grant program to help schools achieve food waste reduction goals, and the recent White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health are essential efforts to address food waste.
Food waste reduction is a win-win with tangible economic and environmental benefits.

Laura Schifter, Senior Fellow, Aspen Institute

This Is Planet Ed, an Aspen Institute initiative, aims to unlock the power of the education sector to advance climate action and environmental justice.
Schools are among the largest consumers of energy in the public sector. They operate the largest mass transit fleet, with 480,000 school buses, and they serve seven billion meals annually. Schools need public policy support to meet decarbonization goals.
There is an opportunity for climate action education. Children can engage with climate solutions firsthand, empowering them to become leaders in a sustainable future.
The K12 Climate Action program focuses on four primary areas for schools to take action:
- Mitigation, which focuses on what the education sector can do to reduce its environmental footprint.
- Adaptation, highlighting strategies to adapt and build resilience to future impacts of climate change.
- Educational opportunities, supporting teaching to help students understand climate change and solutions.
- Equity, which involves recognizing the disparate impacts of climate change and education inequalities on underserved communities, such as low-income communities and communities of color.
The K12 Climate Action Commission held a listening tour and learned that many schools are beginning to develop climate action plans.
In 2021, the Commission released the K12 Climate Action Plan, which includes recommendations on what local school districts, state governments, and the federal government can do to support schools.
One recommendation is that governments should support local school districts in developing climate action plans. These plans would provide a centralized place for school districts to develop actionable steps to decrease their environmental impact.

Sue Gander, Director, Electric School Bus Initiative, World Resources Institute (WRI)

The Electric School Bus Initiative is an equity-focused initiative that creates a pathway toward an entirely electric school bus fleet.
The transportation sector is the country’s leading source of greenhouse gas emissions. Ninety percent of school buses are diesel-powered. Such buses emit twice the amount of greenhouse gases as electric school buses (including emissions from the electric grid).
In addition to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, electric school buses improve air quality, positively impact health outcomes, create green jobs, and save schools between $4,000 and $11,000 annually per bus in fuel and operating costs.
The switch to electric buses advances environmental justice. Students with disabilities and students from low-income communities or communities of color are more likely to ride school buses for longer periods of time. Diesel buses contribute to ambient air pollution, and so they ultimately disproportionately impact underserved communities and individuals.
The process of creating an entirely electric school bus fleet is just beginning. The first electric buses began operating in 2014. Now, in California, for example, between 12,000 to 12,700 electric school buses have either been procured or are in operation.
Repowering is when an existing school bus diesel engine is replaced with a new electric drivetrain. This process is significantly faster and nearly half the price of creating newly manufactured vehicles. Repowered buses account for a large portion of the recent increase in electric school buses.
Manufacturers have been expanding existing plants and building new ones to meet this demand.
This increase in manufacturing has created new jobs. The investments in clean school buses from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) will create an estimated 46,000 job years.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean School Bus Program has set aside $2.5 billion for electric school buses, and an additional $2.5 billion for low-emission school buses (including, but not limited to, electric buses). Applications for the first round have already closed and demonstrated an overwhelming demand for funding, which tops out at $375,000 per bus with an additional $20,000 for infrastructure costs.
There are multiple programs and tax rebates in the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169) (IRA) to support electric school buses, including the Commercial Clean Vehicle Tax Credit, the Refueling Property Credit, and the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) also created an electric school bus infrastructure grant program, allowing public school districts (K12) to fund electric vehicle charging stations for their electric school buses.
State policy has complemented these federal opportunities over the last several years, beginning with New York, Connecticut, Maryland, and Maine. A key priority for state legislation is considering equity and environmental justice in deciding funding recipients.

Pete Pearson, Senior Director of Food Loss and Waste, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Human impact on our planet is not up for debate. However, the cause for the loss of rainforests, grasslands, and the collapse of ocean and freshwater ecosystems is not always clearly understood or recognized.
Current methods of agriculture are a major contributor to climate and biodiversity loss issues. The production of fuel, food, and fiber is responsible for upwards of 70 percent of global biodiversity loss. Additionally, humans waste between 30 to 40 percent of all the food we produce while an estimated 800 million plus people globally are food insecure. It is imperative to address the inefficiencies in the food and agriculture systems.
In 2016, WWF established the Food Waste Warrior Program, which set out to support efforts to turn the cafeteria into a classroom. The ambition is to connect food system education and the climate impacts of food in K-12 programs. WWF has worked with dozens of organizations in over 30 states and Puerto Rico to implement the program.
Investing in food waste education has the potential to get students excited about the sciences. Encouraging students to lead and participate in hands-on learning activities may inspire future chefs, farmers, plant biologists, or soil scientists. These jobs will be critical to address both biodiversity loss and the climate crisis.
Republicans and Democrats have collaborated on food waste issues.
Food waste projects also present an opportunity to get students excited about policy. Students in Maryland organized a postcard writing campaign after being involved with WWF’s Food Waste Warrior Program. Within months, students sent over 5,000 postcards to state legislators and were successful in advancing new legislation (H.B.150) to tackle food waste in Maryland.

Joanna Pi-Sunyer, Sustainability Analyst, Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS)

Baltimore City Public Schools is a large, urban school district with almost 78,000 students. There is a growing population of English-language learners and a majority African American student population. One challenge to BCPS is overcoming the compounding effects of racism.
One example of racism affecting environmental policy in Baltimore is tree canopy coverage. The history of redlining and segregation in Baltimore has led to a situation in which there is less canopy coverage in non-majority white neighborhoods. People in these neighborhoods now experience hotter temperatures and worse air quality because there are fewer trees. These burdens are borne disproportionately by people of color and lower income people.
BCPS has a community eligibility lunch program that was passed in 2016. All students qualify for free lunch, which helps balance economic and racial disparities.
In 2020, BCPS opened two net-zero energy buildings. This means that over the course of a year, the energy used in each building is equal to or less than the renewable energy generated on site. These buildings have solar on the roofs and are very energy efficient inside.
BCPS has a program called the 21^st Century Schools Program, which is aimed at renovating existing schools and building new schools. This is particularly important in Baltimore because the city uses some of the oldest school buildings in the state of Maryland. BCPS has been able to raise nearly a billion dollars in bond funds and completely renovate or build 28 new schools. A large benefit of the program is that it presents the opportunity for BCPS to introduce green features. Schools are built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standards.
There is still work to be done. BCPS still has more than 100 buildings that are not net zero and have not been fully renovated.
One challenge BCPS is trying to solve is how to get students excited about the environment. In the past, BCPS has provided hands-on experiences in nature for its students, such as visits to a BCPS-owned farm or a field trip to the Chesapeake Bay. These trips are paired with activities focused on the environment.
Maryland has a watershed curriculum requirement in elementary, middle, and high school. BCPS partners with Towson University, the National Aquarium, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and other organizations to give students hands-on experiences.

Q&A

Now that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are in place, what are some of the next steps to ensure investments are delivered to school districts? What should Congressional staff be looking at in terms of implementation, and what should they be thinking of in terms of oversight?

Schifter

The laws are complicated, especially for people working on the ground. Schools and related programs would benefit from clear and explicit explanations of how to access grant programs and what opportunities are available to districts.
It is important to push school districts to think about robust planning and then to connect them with state and federal resources based on local needs and assets.
Congress can help invest in career and technical education in schools to support a transition to a green economy.

Gander

WRI provides technical assistance and information to increase accessibility, especially around electric school buses.

Pearson

Congress could increase funding for initiatives like food waste education and awareness programs.
The School Food Recovery Act that Representative Pingree introduced is a great start. It creates incentives for educators to run food waste programs and sustain them year over year.

Pi-Sunyer

School districts have a lot of different issues to which they must pay attention. Having partners that focus on climate policy who can help interpret and provide up-to-date and relevant information is essential.
For example, WRI is helping the Baltimore school district navigate the EPA application for electric school buses.
Advising teachers on how to implement environmental education is equally essential.

Q: What does equitable implementation of climate action in schools look like?

Gander

WRI is partnering with community groups and prioritizing technical assistance to underserved communities. It would be impactful for policymakers to do the same.
WRI has a project promoting workforce opportunities, which partners directly with manufacturers, community colleges, and community groups to provide training.

Schifter

It is important not to get stuck in a deficit model when talking about equity and to recognize that communities also bring many assets to the conversation.
Congress should be including community engagement in grants, and it should ensure that community engagement is representative of under-voiced community members.

Pearson

Programming such as food share tables and donating surplus food to the community can help advance equity. Policy and laws can get in the way. For example, many schools may think it is not legal to donate food from the school.

Pi-Sunyer

Cities and school districts must look at the socioeconomic differences in their schools and adapt policy to the needs of each school and the demographics it serves.

Q: How can the action plans and programs you have discussed be implemented at the collegiate level?

Schifter

In fall 2022, This Is Planet Ed expanded from K-12 to include an early years action plan, an initiative on children’s media, and an initiative in higher education.

Gander

WRI hopes that solutions being implemented at the K-12 level can be used as a model for higher education and other institutions.

Pearson

Some food providers that support K-12 and higher education are embracing food waste as an issue.

Pi-Sunyer

There is a large network of universities that have climate action goals.
In Baltimore, local universities are working towards climate action goals. This work inspires schools to begin their own actions and find ways to work with universities.
University students are also the next generation of teachers. Climate action at university produces climate-action-minded teachers.

Q: Do you see an opportunity to use climate-minded actions and programs to create pipelines into internships and jobs?

Pi-Sunyer

We work a lot with our college and career readiness office.
The automotive pathway in Baltimore’s work-based learning program is one way the schools are starting to have conversations about training students on how to maintain electric vehicles.
Baltimore schools also use gardens, urban farms, and a youth work summer employment program through the mayor's office to inspire students to get involved in climate action and turn their involvement into careers.
In the YouthWorks Summer Jobs Program, students can get paid for summer jobs, incentivizing students to participate in helping develop a green economy.

Pearson

We have looked at trying to pair up high school students as mentors for elementary school kids. We can use stipends or credits to incentivize high school students to participate in this program.

Q: What would you say to a school district considering electric school buses that feels it does not have the funding or infrastructure to effectively run the routes it wants?

Gander

Funding is one part of the conversation, and there are programs that exist to address that. Districts can access funding through the EPA Clean School Bus Program and the Department of Transportation’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
School districts should first talk to their utilities.
WRI also has a power planner guide for school districts to use.

Pi-Sunyer

The main barrier to using electric buses in Baltimore is the upfront cost. However, once there is either a commitment from the district to spend that money or an EPA allocation, it is a good investment.
Another problem is EPA funding does not cover pre-bus expenses such as upgrading electrical equipment and installing a new meter. This work requires technical knowledge and funding for installation and maintenance.
Baltimore schools are also researching how to upgrade staff parking lots to accommodate personal electric vehicles.

Q: How have students themselves been involved in climate action in schools?

Schifter

It is more common to hear about students pushing for activism in their schools rather than the other way around.
Some students in Salt Lake City, Utah, are pushing their school to transition to clean energy. Students in Miami, Florida, have done work on electric buses and composting. A Boise, Idaho, student won a seat on the school board running on a clean energy platform right when he turned 18.

Gander

This is an opportunity to have kids see that this is their future. WRI has a high school student advisory council to get kids more involved in this work.

Pi-Sunyer

Baltimore schools offer a small grant to teachers to lead Green Teams that are designed to help foster student activism and excitement around climate issues.
The school district’s Office of Sustainability also began offering a paid internship, which helps develop student skills in this area.

Q: How can people learn more about state action plans or curriculum resources?

Schifter

The Aspen Institute has a state policy landscape report from 2020.
New Jersey is a good state to look towards. It was the first state in the country to implement cross-curricular climate change standards.

Gander