Our gift of Earth is disappearing before our eyes. Heatwaves are more common, air pollution is widespread, cities are flooding, food insecurity is rising, and humans, plants, and animals are dying. And it is only getting worse, especially for poor and marginalized communities feeling the brunt of its impacts. And yet, school districts do not seem worried. Although these organizations are designed to put students first, they aren’t doing their part in ensuring the liveable future kids need. One way we can enforce change is through climate resolutions or policies.
Photo of DPS Students for Climate Action with the Vice President and the Second Gentleman in Northfield High School’s Music Room on June 16th, 2023
Top row (L to R): Gabriel Nagel, Mariah Rosensweig, Madelyn Arnold, Douglas Emhoff, Farah Djama, Caden Fiala, Emmett Magyar, Kendall Ogin, Felicia Winfrey, LeeAnn Kittle
Bottom row (L to R): Oscar Park, Caden O'Kellylee, Ellie Donovan, Rory Chambers, Evan Fernández Rodríguez, Kamala Harris, Kate Todd, Amelia Fernández Rodríguez, Teagan Johnson
What is a Climate Resolution?
Like a New Year’s Resolution, it’s a firm decision to do something, but in a formal document including “Whereas” and “Resolved” clauses. You can view some examples here.
Although some school districts don't accept resolutions, students and stakeholders can make an end-statement policy, which is an aspirational statement of what needs the board intends to meet.
Denver Public Schools (DPS) is a school district in Denver, Colorado. It passed an end-statement policy followed by a 100+ page Climate Action Plan (CAP) to address climate change, sustainability, and environmental justice.
Three Benefits of Passing a Climate School Board Resolution or Policy:
Minimize the District's Carbon Footprint — DPS’s CAP aims to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% of the levels that existed in 2010 by 2050. Schools, like mini-towns, contribute a lot to climate change, meaning that a small action in the right direction can decrease the carbon footprint of vehicles, natural resources, waste, and land use. [¹] This can be systemically done through a resolution or end statement policy and can be edited in any way to handle the needs of that specific district. 23 states and the District of Columbia have already adopted specific greenhouse gas emissions targets. “A greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target is a state-level goal to reduce emissions by a specific amount by a pre-determined date.” [⁶] If districts followed their state’s GHG emission target, they would help their state while benefiting environmentally. Although school districts like DPS and Portland Public Schools can’t do nearly enough to solve this massive crisis, it is necessary for our generation and will inspire other districts to do the same. Everybody is responsible for taking care of our Earth, especially school districts.
Stop the Effects of Eco-anxiety — Eco-anxiety is the term used when people (specifically young people) feel extreme worry about the present and future state of the environment due to indifference and inaction to climate change. According to the American Psychology Association, climate change is causing grief, anxiety, and depression, especially among young people [²]. As DPS Board Member Dr. Carrie A. Olson said, “none of us want that for our children.” Fortunately, according to the Yale School of Public Health, “Large-scale activities can foster a powerful sense of hope, community connection and social support, which can all help to combat symptoms of anxiety and depression [...] And the results from these actions can be much more tangible, from policy changes to legislative victories” [³]. When students and school board members come together and take action, it is a great way to deal with climate anxiety.
School Districts save more Money in the process — When it comes to #ElectrifyingEverything, schools save more money in the long run. Vice President Kamala Harris said, "In most school districts, the second-largest yearly expense after salaries is the energy bill [according to the US Department of Energy]." [⁴] The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “around a quarter of energy used in U.S. schools is wasted. If all schools were renovated or constructed using basic energy efficiency principles, the total energy savings alone would therefore easily reach $20 billion over the next 10 years.” [⁵] Adapting to our changing climate with a resolution/policy will help districts save money when their renewable sources produce more energy than needed, meaning they can use it for other things. Some may say that school boards don’t have enough money to achieve ambitious climate goals or can’t cover the upfront cost; however, they can utilize funding from federal, state, city, and non-government partners. (Check out Rewiring Schools for more info about how to pay for a resolution/policy.) Even if the starting cost is high, climate solutions like 100% renewable energy will save the districts from future budget cuts.
**Check out DPS Students for Climate Action’s Toolkit at www.dpsclimateaction.org/toolkit
Some districts have policy governance, but an end-statement policy can be made. According to the Colorado Association of School Boards, “Policy Governance is a governance model that school boards may use to provide policy leadership.” [⁷] This means they do not accept resolutions since they run on policies. In February 2021, a group of students from across DPS worked together to make a climate resolution. They presented it to the board in May 2021. However, DPS switched to policy governance, so they couldn’t pass the resolution they spent two months on. As a result, the group made an end-statement policy with the help of the community and stakeholders. On April 21st, 2022, the policy passed. They recently won the President’s Environmental Youth Award and had the privilege of meeting Vice President Kamala Harris. They hope that students from other school districts get inspired by their work and replicate what they’ve done with their toolkit, outlining the process they underwent to pass their policy.
Resources to Pass a Climate Resolution or Policy
Rewiring Schools - Rewiring America has a website, video series, Handbook, and many helpful resources to help you #ElectrifyEverything in your school district through a resolution/policy. Their handbook elaborates on the logistics of running a climate resolution or policy campaign and how to pay for it.
Pass a climate board policy/resolution based on policies that are already in place in your state
Making the Grade: How does climate education rank in your state?
About the Author
Amelia Fernández Rodríguez is a junior at DSST: Conservatory Green High School in Denver, Colorado. She is the co-president of DPS Students for Climate Action. She is a liaison between DPS schools and the district’s sustainability team to align their Climate Action Plan to what’s happening in schools, providing the crucial student perspective.
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