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Reducing Scope 1 Emissions, The Power of the Student Voice, and more! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
May 2025In this edition:
Best Practices for Sustainable School: The Power of the Student Voice START Metric Spotlight: Reducing Scope 1 Emissions Bulletin Board: Upcoming Days, Opportunities and Events |
Students: Their Voice Matters, and it’s Powerful When students are at the heart of sustainability efforts, the impact runs deeper—shaping school culture and creating lasting change. Along the way, students grow as leaders, innovators, problem-solvers and change-makers. “Students have way more power than adults do in terms of getting change to happen on campuses. When I really want to have something get done, and the students care about it too, I will say, hey, you guys take the lead on this one, because it's very hard for leaders at campuses to say no to students, and it's much easier for them to say no to adults.” — Tori Fay, Sustainability Coordinator at Chadwick School (CA) (Read more here.) “When students present data to decision-makers, it has a certain weight. Even if the data is imperfect, the fact that it comes from students makes it hard to ignore.” — Frank Barros, Nightingale-Bamford School (NY) (Read more here.) |
💡 Ideas for Student Leadership
Communications and storytelling – Students can present in assemblies, write newsletter features, and highlight sustainability efforts or awareness days. Defining the school’s sustainability vision – Students can help articulate what a sustainable future looks like for their school by contributing ideas, priorities, and values that guide long-term goals. Collecting data – Students can conduct interviews, surveys and research to assess where your school is succeeding, and where it can improve. Crafting action plans – Students can develop step-by-step plans for improvement, set goals, and outline who needs to be involved. Drafting proposals – Students can write persuasive proposals for new projects or policy changes, building skills in research, writing, and advocacy. |
Spread the Word!Sc3: Student Conservation Community & Congress - Applications Close Soon!Sc3: Student Conservation Community & Congress is truly one of the most inspiring programs out there for high school students passionate about the environment, leadership, and real-world impact. Open to rising 9th–12th grade students across the U.S. and internationally, Sc3 takes place June 29 – July 5, 2025 at the National Conservation Training Center — the same campus where U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service professionals are trained. You’ll find everything you need to spread the word (flyer, poster, sample language, instagram posts, slide deck) right here. |
#34: Greenhouse Gas ReductionReducing Scope 1 Emissions - At the SourceScope 1 emissions are a substantial - and often the most controllable - part of a school’s carbon footprint. Reducing these emissions—by switching to electric systems, improving efficiency, or rethinking transportation—can significantly cut a school’s climate impact right at the source. ‘Scope 1 Emissions’ are direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by your school—usually (but not always) on-site. These emissions often come from equipment and systems you can see, hear, and touch, making them powerful teaching tools for students. Common sources of Scope 1 Emissions:
🔥 Adding heating oil, propane, or natural gas to run boilers and furnaces 🍳 Refilling gas canisters for cooking appliances in the cafeteria 🌱 Fueling landscaping tools like gas-powered mowers or leaf blowers 🔥 Using natural gas for heating in boilers or furnaces |
Tips for Reducing Your School’s Scope 1 Emissions⇒ Conduct an Audit: Assess sources of direct emissions sources so you can develop a roadmap for reduction opportunities. Did you know you can track Scope 1 Emissions in START Analytics! (image below) |
| ⇒ Optimize Heating and Cooling Systems: Implement smart controls, conduct regular maintenance, and optimize settings. (According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turning the thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours can save up to 10% per year on heating and cooling bills!) ⇒ Create an Equipment Replacement Plan Develop a strategy to replace aging, inefficient equipment with high-efficiency, electric alternatives. Greenwich Academy's systematic approach to equipment replacement has reduced their boiler emissions by 50% over five years. |
| ⇒ Student Action Success Story Middle school students at Melrose Leadership Academy (CA) advocated for the replacement of their gas boilers with electric heat pumps. Their efforts led to the installation of a clean-energy heat pump system, significantly reducing the school's carbon emissions! (Read more) |
| Congratulations to these schools for launching their Whole School Sustainability journeys through START! See a map of our START schools here.
St. Michaels University School, St. Andrew's School, Delaware USA The Potomac School, Virginia USA |
Educator Resources: Sign up for The Nature Conservancy’s monthly newsletter! Each newsletter includes a suite of nature-focused resources to support educators in bringing lessons on environmental science and climate action into their classrooms. GET FEATURED! We’re excited to share best practices and showcase the sustainability efforts of schools, whether it's successful sustainability strategies, your school’s overall progress, or achievements in specific sustainability metrics. Interested? Fill out this short form. DO YOU HAVE SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY QUESTIONS? Whether you're looking for tips on gaining buy-in from decision-makers or making progress in specific START metrics (like composting, emissions, student groups, and more), we’re here to help! Share your questions through this form, and we'll use them to shape upcoming newsletters, best-practices guides, and future webinar topics. |
| Green Schools Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, created by schools, for schools, with a mission is to connect and empower schools worldwide to lead the transition to a sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient future. Ways to get involved:
Get your school to sign the Sustainability & Climate Leadership Commitment to join schools and districts who have already
answered the call to action. Join the Community for resources, best practices & a peer-to-peer network of school sustainability champions. Use START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool to benchmark, plan, track and collaborate for Whole School Sustainability. |
| Your support enables us to continue our work in developing tools and programs that empower schools and students to make measurable change for a more sustainable, regenerative and climate-resilient future. |
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