Support Decarbonization Of Our Public Schools, Colleges, Universities, Hospitals And City Buildings Through Inflation Reduction Act Funds

WHEREAS, the AFT has declared that we are in the middle of a climate emergency; and

WHEREAS, unless we dramatically move away from using fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, we will succumb to the worst-case scenario of climate crisis, harming the future of our families, our students and our planet; and

WHEREAS, public school, college, university and hospital and city buildings are enormous energy consumers and contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions; and

WHEREAS, burning fossil fuels to heat and cool buildings is the source of 31 percent of all U.S. carbon emissions; and is the school and hospital administrator's highest cost after staffing; and

WHEREAS, burning fossil fuels causes multiple long-term health issues, including asthma, cancer and contributes to heart disease; and

WHEREAS, the federal Inflation Reduction Act will reimburse public schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and cities up to 60 percent for the cost of clean energy projects, and can now receive "direct pay" payments once projects are completed instead of tax credits; and

WHEREAS, these savings will free up resources for the primary missions of schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and cities; and

WHEREAS, because the AFT is profoundly concerned with long-term equity, it is imperative that disadvantaged communities benefit from the transition to clean energy and not be left behind as the climate crisis intensifies; and

WHEREAS, the benefits of transitioning to limitless clean energy (whether solar, wind, geothermal) are manifold:

• Clean and healthy environments improve student learning, educational outcomes and staff retention.
• Cleaner air reduces asthma and sick days.
• Schools and universities powered by clean energy can double as climate-resilient emergency shelters as we face more extreme weather due to climate change.
• Transitioning public schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and city buildings will create jobs and job training opportunities for residents.
• Reducing carbon emissions saves enormous amounts of energy and money, ultimately projects to pay for themselves:

RESOLVED, that the AFT will encourage all locals to participate in local coalitions and efforts to advance implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act to transition their schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and city buildings to clean energy alternatives; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT and its locals will pressure the states to do more to enable every community to make the energy transition, especially by making no-interest loans available for up-front costs for decarbonization for public schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and city buildings; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT and its locals will prioritize low-income communities that are, in general, more vulnerable to the predicted ravages of climate change and more likely to experience the high asthma rates associated with burning fossil fuels; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT and its locals will urge and support efforts to ensure our young people engage in robust, meaningful, interdisciplinary climate-change and climate-justice curricula with the goal of preparing students to participate productively and responsibly in a rapidly changing world, and in emerging green, sustainable professions; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will advance this work through articles in American Educator and statewide communications, paving the way for AFT locals to join coalitions and organize for cities, towns, counties and states to support and facilitate the efforts to implement the IRA in our public schools, universities and hospitals.[1]