By: Dara Sborea

Schools have many responsibilities. They are responsible for educating their students, for employing knowledgeable, caring and efficient staff, for conflict resolution, for socializing students, and for enhancing the community at large. One part of enhancing the community at large, and even the world, is by participating in programs that help the Earth to thrive.

Schools that utilize affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy model what can be done in the community. This helps the Earth, it is cost efficient for consumers and taxpayers, and it illustrates the sustainability of these types of resources.

So what are schools around the world doing about this? Before we get to that, what are forms of sustainable energy? Solar, wind power, hydropower, geothermal, bioenergy, and marine energy all fall under the category of sustainable energy because they are forms of energy that will never run out.

St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minnesota are excitedly making plans to explore more options for utilizing sustainable energy in their schools. Six schools in the district are already slated to receive solar panels, with plans to expand that number in the near future.

In France, this public school was made from renewable resources that were bio-sourced or from reuse.

Stockton, CA schools began using a new fleet of electric buses this year. Not only is this good for the environment, it is also saving taxpayers and the school district $600,000. Stockton schools are on a mission to have zero emissions transportation for the entire school district.

While there are many schools around the world who are helping to achieve the goal of affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, we still have a long way to go. According to the UN’s SDGs initiative, as of 2021, the world is only using 25.4% sustainable energy in the electricity sector, 9.2% in the heat sector, and 3.4% in the transport sector. We must all work to raise these numbers if we are to hit the UN’s goals by the target year of 2030.