Sustainability Committee

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Ideas & Resources

A Sustainability Committee is a vital component of any school’s environmental efforts. This START metric focuses on creating a dedicated group of individuals responsible for guiding the school’s sustainability initiatives and advancing campus projects. The committee serves as a collaborative space for students, staff, parents, and community members to share ideas, set goals, and drive progress toward creating a more sustainable school environment.

Sustainability committees provide accountability, coordination, and vision. By leveraging the diverse perspectives and expertise of their members, these committees ensure that sustainability becomes a core priority, embedded across all aspects of school operations and culture.

Strategies for Establishing and Supporting a Sustainability Committee

NOTE: This is not a prescriptive list; it just offers ideas to inspire action and can be tailored to fit the unique needs of each school.

Define the Committee’s Purpose
- Outline the committee’s mission, scope, and key objectives, such as improving waste management, reducing energy use, or enhancing environmental education.
- Align the committee’s goals with the school’s overall vision and sustainability plan.
Recruit Diverse Members
- Include representatives from different groups, such as students, teachers, administrators, facilities staff, and parents.
- Seek input from community partners, such as local environmental organizations or sustainability experts.
Create a Structure for Leadership
- Designate roles such as chairperson, secretary, and project leads to organize efforts effectively.
- Rotate leadership roles periodically to encourage participation and fresh perspectives.
Hold Regular Meetings
- Schedule consistent meetings to review progress, discuss ideas, and plan initiatives.
- Use these meetings as a platform for brainstorming, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Develop a Sustainability Action Plan
- Task the committee with creating a plan that outlines specific goals, projects, timelines, and metrics.
- Ensure the plan is actionable, measurable, and aligned with the school’s resources and priorities.
Encourage Student Leadership
- Empower students to take active roles in the committee, such as leading projects or presenting ideas.
- Use the committee as an opportunity for students to develop leadership, teamwork, and advocacy skills.
Set Clear Goals and Priorities
- Identify short-term and long-term sustainability goals, such as reducing waste by 20% in one year or installing solar panels within five years.
- Use these goals to focus the committee’s efforts and measure progress.

Engage the Entire School Community
- Organize events, workshops, or campaigns to raise awareness and involve the broader school community in sustainability efforts.
- Use newsletters, social media, or school assemblies to share updates and celebrate successes.
Collaborate with External Partners
- Work with local governments, environmental organizations, or businesses to access expertise, funding, and resources.
- Use partnerships to enhance the impact and reach of committee initiatives.
Track and Report Progress
- Monitor the outcomes of the committee’s projects and initiatives using clear metrics - e.g. START.
- Share progress reports with the school community to build transparency and support.
Provide Training and Resources
- Offer professional development opportunities for committee members to learn about sustainability best practices.
- Provide access to tools, data, and guides to support the committee’s work.
Incorporate Sustainability into School Culture
- Work with the committee to embed sustainability into daily operations, such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, or sustainable procurement.
- Use the committee’s initiatives to reinforce the importance of sustainability across all school activities.
Create Subcommittees for Specific Projects
- Divide the committee into smaller groups to focus on areas like energy, waste, transportation, or biodiversity.
- Assign specific projects or initiatives to each subcommittee for more targeted efforts.
Recognize Contributions
- Celebrate the achievements of the committee and its members through awards, certificates, or public recognition.
- Highlight success stories in school communications to inspire others to get involved.
Evaluate and Evolve
- Regularly review the committee’s effectiveness and adjust its structure, focus, or processes as needed.
- Use feedback from the school community to ensure the committee remains relevant and impactful.

‘How To’ Guides

Educator Advocacy Toolkit

From the Aspen Institute & ThisIsPlanetEd, a fantastic toolkit that includes: Strategies for Successful Advocacy; Key Questions To Help Your Team Get Started; Talking Points & Messaging Guidance; Addressing Pushback & Inaccurate Information.
Enviro. Ed & Sustainability in California Public Schools

The results of research (Paul Chapman and Inverness Associates) provide a detailed portrait of the successes and challenges experienced by California public schools as they incorporate environmental education and sustainability practices, and provide recommendations for how to strengthen this vital area in our schools.

Schools hold the key to a healthy, sustainable and regenerative future.

They are role-models and incubators that that nurture, educate and prepare each generation for adult life.

Schools have a unique opportunity and profound responsibility to become part the transition to a sustainable, regenerative future in which people and planet can thrive.

But how do we get there?

START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool was created by schools, for schools, to help them develop comprehensive programs for step-by-step progress towards sustainability, regenerative practice, and student empowerment.

START provides a Roadmap for School Sustainability:

It breaks down school sustainability into clear actions (‘metrics’), such as Minimizing Waste, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and supporting Sustainable Transportation options.

However, research shows it’s not enough for a school to simply reduce its environmental impact.

Students and staff also need to learn about sustainability, and practice it in day-to-day activities, because this impacts their attitudes and behaviors when they leave school. That’s why START includes metrics like Sustainability Events for Students, Sustainability Course Content, and Sustainable Purchasing Practices.

How sustainable is our school now?

Schools use START to measure how sustainable they are now. A school’s START team investigates how their school currently operates to find their ‘sustainability baseline’ for each metric. For example, is our school a beginner, intermediate or advanced in sustainable water use? START enables schools to benchmark, track and visualize their current sustainability levels, as well as hard data around their waste, water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Where should we go next, and do we collaborate for success?

What do we need to do to ‘level up’ in each metric? Once schools have their baselines, START helps them to set goals and plan for progress. START provides a central hub for school members to collaborate, document, and plan their school’s sustainability journey.

START is a subscription-based Whole School Sustainability dashboard.

It requires at least one adult school member to create a school’s START account, but it will need a team (students, teachers and staff) to grow a Whole School Sustainability program.

Interested schools can sign up for a demo or apply to set up an account.

Learn more about START here, and consider sharing the brochure with your school.

Let’s create a better future, one school at a time.

Contact us at guides@greenschoolsalliance.org if you have a free resource to contribute or recommend that can help schools take action around this specific sustainability metric.