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Students and community groups press Durham Public Schools for a climate action plan and Green New Deal-style resolutions
Summary
Dozens of students and advocates told the Durham Public Schools board on Feb. 6 they have drafts of a climate action roadmap and urged the district to adopt a comprehensive plan to meet the district’s clean-energy targets and address emissions, curriculum and disaster planning.
A coalition of Durham Public Schools students, teachers and climate advocates urged the school board on Feb. 6 to adopt a districtwide climate action plan and a set of Green New Deal-style resolutions they say are ready for board consideration.
Students from Durham School of the Arts, Riverside and Northern High School, along with staff and community partners, told the board they have drafted resolutions and supporting materials and asked district leaders to act on the 2021 clean-energy resolution by producing an implementation roadmap.
Rachel Owens, a science teacher and member of the district’s Energy Advisory Council, introduced student speakers and said the group has provided “drafts of a plan ready to go.” "We appreciate good intentions, but what we need is action, a climate action plan," she said. Students who followed described a range of proposed actions: district targets for renewable energy, an emissions inventory (including scope 1, 2 and 3), a climate disaster plan that uses schools as community response hubs, climate literacy across curricula, workforce pathways into green jobs and changes to school construction projects to prioritize clean energy.
Among requests presented: stop construction on major projects until clean-energy measures are incorporated (a student speaker said the new Durham School of the Arts facility lacks provisions toward the district’s stated 80% renewable goal), a districtwide carbon inventory within one year of passage of a resolution, and a plan to reach districtwide carbon neutrality by 2040 without purchasing offsets.
Speakers included student leaders from Sunrise Movement chapters at district schools and representatives from Duke University’s climate coalition who offered research and technical support. Duke’s coalition and other partners said federal, state and private funding could help pay for renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects. "The commitment is already in place with the 2021 clean energy resolution," a Duke student speaker said. "Energy managers have been hired and they have technical expertise to do this kind of work. The financials are compelling."
Students also urged climate literacy in all grade levels and requested a superintendent-level accountability link: include climate mitigation and adaptation in the superintendent’s annual evaluation, and incorporate the goals into the next strategic plan cycle.
Board members did not vote on the student proposals during the work session. School staff acknowledged receipt of the materials and indicated they would work with students and community partners on next steps toward a formal proposal.
