Leading Westchester Schools in Mitigating their Carbon Footprint
We are running out of time to address the climate crisis. We need action now and schools, the center of those whose futures will most be impacted by the climate crisis, must be at the center of that action.
Schools can make meaningful emissions cuts.
WGC USA is working with a number of groups ranging from the UNFCCC, to the UK-based Lets Go Zero campaign and the New Buildings Institute to move forward with our mitigation efforts.
One of WGC USA’s advisors, One World, has been working with the secretariat of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) the group at the UN responsible for organizing the annual COP conferences as well as the Paris Climate Agreement since 2017.
In addition to organizing the COP conferences, the UNFCCC works with organizations to help them address climate change directly on their own. The UNFCCC Climate Neutral Now program encourages schools to take three important steps toward addressing climate change. The program asks schools to Measure, Reduce and Offset their carbon footprint.
The UNFCCC Climate Neutral Now program is an annual program that offers schools the opportunity to become Carbon Neutral today by offsetting their current carbon footprint. Schools that participate in the UNFCCC Climate Neutral Now program receive a certificate from the UNFCCC as well as have their school logo posted on the UNFCCC website.
1. Measuring your Carbon Footprint
The first step in terms of addressing any problem is to try and measure it. The first step then in addressing the problem of climate change is to MEASURE the greenhouse gas emissions being generated by schools in Westchester County something most schools have not yet done.
To facilitate the measuring of GHG emissions generated by schools the UNFCCC has developed a calculator that schools can use to measure their carbon footprint.
Our recommendation is that Westchester schools apply as soon as possible to enroll in the NYSERDA benchmarking program and use the UNFCCC calculator as a reference point.
2. Reducing your Carbon Footprint
In thinking about reducing your carbon footprint schools have short term considerations and longer term considerations. The UNFCCC Climate Neutral Now program is an annual program. Therefore their initial reduction suggestions are designed more for the short term.
Short Term Reduction: Defining Short Term GHG Reduction Targets
Setting a GHG reduction target involves:
• Step 1: Obtain commitment from management — via the WGC pledge
• Step 2: Develop your GHG inventory/carbon footprint (Measure)
• Step 3: Identify ways to reduce and calculate how much can be reduced
• Step 4: Choose the base year for tracking progress
• Step 5: Define the target year
• Step 6: Decide on the use of offsets or credits for unavoidable emissions
• Step 7: Implement
• Step 8: Track and report progress, adjust
Reduction: Simple Ways to Reduce
Our recommendation: Start your reduction plan by taking small, concrete actions that can lead to reductions in your footprint over the course of the next year. The UNFCCC recommends three areas to focus on resource efficiency, energy efficiency, and awareness.
Resource efficiency
· Reduce purchase of materials (paper etc.)
· Reduce food waste
· Sorting waste and recycling where possible
Energy efficiency
• Turning off lights & electronics when not in use
• Purchasing renewable energy
• Increasing energy efficiency through improved lighting, double glazing, electronics, and improved infrastructure (heating systems, double glazing, insulation)
• Public transport initiatives
Awareness + leadership + evaluation
• Increasing awareness - student and staff engagement
• Nomination of student eco leader to ensure lights & equipment turned off
• Internal audits
As part of the UNFCCC process schools are asked to produce and sign a Climate Reduction plan that will be updated annually. WGC USA asks Westchester schools to also consider a longer term pledge to become 50% Net Zero by 2030.
3. Long Term Reduction Plan: 50% Net Zero by 2030
While schools following the UNFCCC Climate Neutral Now program can become carbon neutral as described above, work in reducing our carbon footprint more substantively needs to take place with capital investment over time. Schools and organizations can measure, reduce and offset their carbon footprint to become carbon neutral but the planet over time needs us all to focus on becoming Net Zero on a sustainable basis without offsets. The world is not yet able to be climate neutral today but we must all be climate neutral by 2050.
Taking our lead from Let’s Go Zero Westchester Green County USA has added a long term commitment to our annual climate change reduction plan. That is from today, by signing the attached pledge Westchester schools will commit to make every effort to cut current emissions by 50% by 2030 in keeping with the most recent directive coming out of COP 26.
We would recommend that the best way to do this would be to first engage in NYSERDA’s three year benchmarking program followed NYSERDA’s followed by a more comprehensive P-12 Schools: Green and Clean Energy Solutions cost-sharing energy studies to reduce energy use, as well as achieve clean heating and cooling and net zero design. NYSERDA will fund up to $250,000 for this program for underserved communities and 75% of the costs for well off communities.
4. Offsetting or Compensating your Carbon Footprint
No one expects your school to be able to eliminate GHG emissions overnight. However, the UNFCCC has developed a mechanism called offsetting or compensation that enables resource-rich communities like many of those found in Westchester to invest in and support green projects in the emerging world.
More specifically, “offsetting is a climate action that enables individuals and organizations to compensate for the emissions they cannot avoid, by supporting worthy projects that reduce emissions somewhere else.
The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduced through offsetting are measured in UN Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). The CERs are generated from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects. These projects, which are located in developing countries, earn 1 CER for each metric tonne of GHG emissions they reduce or avoid and are measured in CO2 equivalent (CO2-eq). The CERs can then be bought by people and organizations to offset their own unavoidable emissions or as a contribution to the global climate action.”
“Offsetting is like crowdfunding for climate action: buying CERs is a direct financial contribution to the projects that allows them to continue reducing emissions and benefit the communities around them.”
The Westchester Green County USA Dual Pledge
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SHORT TERM: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Climate Neutral Now Pledge
WGC USA supports schools at every step of this process, with minimal work (a few hours total) on the part of the school district. Proven track record of success at districts across Westchester.
Step #1: Measuring carbon footprint using the UNFCCC-created emissions calculator
Step #2: Reducing footprint (replace light bulbs with LEDs, reduce waste, etc.)
Step #3: Offsetting carbon footprint by investing in the UNFCCC certified global offset program. Money is invested in rigorously vetted green projects in emerging nations where capital to invest green from day one is not always available.
Step #4: Use this Process as a Teachable Moment. Involve students by asking them to choose an offset project via a school vote. Reveal results at a school-wide assembly. Give a brief lesson on the climate change challenge.
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LONG TERM: Let's Get 50% Net Zero by 2030 - Westchester Schools Working Together to be Zero Carbon
By committing to make every effort to go 50% net-zero by 2030 schools can send a powerful message to community stakeholders. To companies like Xylem, a 20 billion dollar water technology company that decided to prioritize the environment and sponsor Green County USA. To elected officials like State Senator Shelley Mayer, the Chair of the New York State Senate Education Committee, and County Executive George Latimer, both of whom spoke at our conference and decided to support WGC USA.
This campaign is about showing aspiration. We know that being 50% zero-carbon is currently beyond the reach of most schools, but by working together and with the government we believe it is achievable by 2030. To be part of the campaign, schools are expected to be taking action to reduce their carbon impact.
Significant grant funding exists to support schools’ transition to renewable energy and electric, zero-carbon alternatives. In some cases, WGC USA experts can assist schools in the grant application process.
Reduction Report Recap
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Name of school:
GHG Tons Emitted:
For 12 months Ending:
Proposed Reduction Plan: Please see UNFCCC Recommendations Link
Proposed Reduction Target Short-Term:
For 12 months Ending:
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Please note that there is no requirement to offset or compensate but it is recommended where possible. Many schools work with their environmental clubs and other community-based organizations to choose the project they intend to support and then raise monies to support that project. Here is a link to the list of UNFCCC-approved projects.
Please note in selecting your project that the cost per ton of offset varies by project with some being far more expensive than others.
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While offsetting with the UNFCCC helps in the short-term the long-term goal of Net Zero by 2050 will require finding ways to substantially reduce our GHG emissions. Indeed, the current COP goal for 2030 is to become 50% Net Zero by 2030. That means that if this year your school emits 1,000 tons of GHG emissions it will need to reduce its GHG output to 500 by 2030 without offsets.
Those kinds of substantive changes can only be achieved over time via longer-term capital investments. While here again schools are not required to put in place a formal reduction plan to achieve 50% Net Zero by 2050 we strongly urge you to work with your building operations personnel and administrators to begin the discussion. We believe that the WGC USA reduction plan is a terrific place to start that conversation.
This three-part plan can be completed in a one-hour meeting with your Building Operations people however we would urge you to use this exercise as an opportunity to educate your school community as to how it can take a leading role in the fight against climate change.
Understanding Carbon Neutral vs. Net Zero
If schools are able to compensate 100% of the emissions they generate, they would become carbon neutral today!
That is through the use of defined offset programs like the one developed by the UNFCCC schools and other organizations can achieve carbon neutrality. Organizations can .contribute to climate solutions with this mechanism but that does not mean we should not make every effort to reduce carbon emissions more substantially and become Net Zero by 2050 or 50% Net Zero by 2030.
By effecting the transfer of monies from wealthier communities to less well-off communities for the development of green projects schools are helping address climate change today. Indeed, you are helping achieve one of the two principal goals to come out of COP 26 which is to double funding to countries in need.
However, it is important to understand that carbon neutrality is not the end goal, Net Zero is the end goal.
Westchester’s Ambitious Climate Goal. Every School.
Every school working with UNFCCC to become Carbon Neutral Now by 2025
Every school to become 50% net-zero by 2030
Every school to become 100% net-zero by 2045
Imagine If every school in Westchester becomes carbon neutral and achieves 100% net-zero status.
What messages is Westchester sending to the world?
“The education sector has a substantial environmental footprint. Our nearly 100,000 public K-12 schools sit on 2 million acres of land and are one of the largest public energy consumers. With 480,000 school buses, our schools operate the largest mass transit fleet in the country. Schools serve over 7 billion meals each year, generating 530,000 tons of food waste.”
— K12 Climate Action Plan