Why sustainable schools?

"Education can bring about a fundamental shift in how we think, act, and discharge our responsibilities toward one another and the planet."

- Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO.

Education empowers learners of all ages with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to address the interconnected global challenges we are facing, including climate change, environmental degradation and loss of diversity, as well as their social impacts. As hubs of their communities, schools can increase community resilience, mitigate climate change, transform markets and policy, and prepare citizens to think and act in new and creative ways, so that present and future generations can thrive.

Schools hold the key to sustainable transformation in crucial ways:

  • Transforming attitudes, behaviors, and values through education and practice, making sustainability the norm and setting new standards across entire communities.

  • Developing the skills and knowledge people need to thrive in the new sustainable economy, from renewable energy and smart agriculture to green design.

  • Creating significant aggregated outcomes by directly reducing their environmental impact, and saving schools money for investment in students and staff.

  • Providing healthy, safe and equitable learning environments in which all students and staff can thrive.

Schools are where children spend most of their time outside the home.

By the time a student graduates from high school, they have spent 15,600 hours inside school buildings. During these crucial developmental years, schools must be a space for creative and solutions-focused thinking that will prepare them to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Benefits of Implementing
Whole-School Sustainability

 Students

  • POSITIVE STUDENT IMPACT

    A peer review study by Stanford University found a positive impact as a result of environmental education in 98% of the academic literature, with 90% reported increased skills.

    (NAEE and Stanford University, 2016)

  • IMPROVED STUDENT HEALTH

    Improved indoor air quality in schools decreases the the frequency and severity of asthma attacks and positively affects cognitive function outcomes, such as decision-making, attention, concentration, and memory.

    (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

  • ESSENTIAL SKILLS

    Green Learning enables students to develop essential new skills, knowledge and solutions-focused thinking necessary to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Stanford Researchers found that 83% of academic literature reported better environment-related behaviors as a result of environmental education.

    (NAEE and Stanford University, 2016)

  • IMPROVED ATTENDANCE, PERFORMANCE AND WELLBEING

    Green space has been positively associated with reductions in chronic absenteeism and improved academic performance , attention capacity, decreased stress levels, reduced mental fatigue and aggression, and improved coping with attention deficit disorder.

    (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

 Schools

  • ENERGY AND WATER SAVING

    Sustainable schools use 33% less energy and 32% less water than conventionally constructed schools.

    (Greening America’s Schools, 2006)

  • FINANCIAL SAVINGS

    Lower energy and water costs, improved teacher retention, and lowered health costs save green schools approximately four times the cost of going green.

    (Greening America's Schools, 2006)

  • STAFF RETENTION

    Green schools see approximately 74% improvement in the ability to attract and retain teachers.

    (Greening America's Schools, 2006)

  • SAFER FOR STAFF

    Sustainable schools that use green cleaning standards are safer for custodial staff and can save schools money. In the US along, custodial chemical injuries cost $25,000 a year in lost time and worker compensation.

    (The Public Health Institute)

  • REDUCE FOOD AND FINANCIAL WASTE

    Approximately $1.2 billion of school lunches (a quarter of the total provided) is wasted every year in the US alone. Sustainable schools can save money while reducing waste and related greenhouse gas emissions.

    (Cohen et al, 2013)

  • REDUCE ABSENTEEISM

    School environments impact occupant health and wellbeing, and green schools see up to 87% reduction in absenteeism.

    (Greening America's Schools, 2006)

  • COMMUNITY IMAGE

    Surveys on executive views on green schools compared with conventional schools found a 72% improved community image.

    (Greening America's Schools, 2006)

 Planet

  • MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE

    Schools are one of the largest public consumers of energy. The scientific evidence is unequivocal: urgent and significant efforts are needed to mitigate the impacts of climate change - and schools are positioned for catalytic impact.

    (IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, 2022)

  • DIRECT IMPACT

    Schools could meet 75% of their electricity needs and reduce the education sector’s carbon footprint by up to 28% by taking advantage of all viable space for solar panels.

    (Solar PV as a mitigation strategy for the US education sector, 2019)

  • INDIRECT IMPACT

    Climate Education connects students to climate solutions and has a consequential impact on their daily behaviors and decision-making, reducing their overall carbon footprint.

    (Cordero et al, 2020)

  • CULTIVATING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

    Sustainable schools offer more opportunities for outdoor and hands-on learning, which will inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we
will understand only what we are taught.”

Baba Dioum

"The viability of our societies depends on leaders from government, business and civil society uniting behind policies, actions and investments that will limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. We owe this to the entire human family...”

- António Guterres, UN Secretary-General