The British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) is calling for school districts in the province to advocate for and adopt sustainable strategies in its Climate Action Working Group (CAWG) report.
The report pushes for school boards to align their actions with CleanBC’s “critical” goal of a 50 per cent emission reduction by 2030.
“Climate action is not just an environmental responsibility – it is a fundamental duty to safeguard the health, well-being and future of our students and staff,” said Carolyn Broady, president of BCSTA’s board of directors, in a Jan. 15 media release.
The release said school districts face front line challenges caused by climate change, and district and provincial leaders play an urgent role in working towards the 2030 target.
“The time to act is now, and the future of B.C. students depends on our commitment today,” wrote the BCSTA, a non-profit organization formed in 1905 to serve, support and connect boards of education across the province.
Recommended actions
The release highlighted four areas which B.C. school districts should focus on in the coming years, urging provincial leaders to collaborate with school boards to form appropriate climate response plans.
The organization's report, titled Sustainability as Part of Board of Education Governance, emphasizes the importance of understanding how the impacts of climate change differ from one region to another, and thus the response must be adapted to varying needs.
The report recommends developing a database to record climate impacts and responses as well as a framework to assess the impacts. It encourages advocating for predictable funding relevant to each region and accessible for both mitigation and emergency responses. It also said input from rights holders, partner groups and students should be valued, and school boards should look beyond surveys to interact with those impacted. It also noted Indigenous perspectives should be respected and involved in the process.
While the report praised the increased response to climate action among B.C. school districts, it said there is still room to grow. In 2022, two of B.C.'s 60 school boards had climate action plans, whereas today the number has risen to 23. Sustainable building upgrades and energy-efficient transportation strategies are among the improvements which it calls for.
During the BCSTA's 2024 annual general meeting, trustees passed two resolutions to push the climate action agenda. The resolutions call on the Ministry of Education and Child Care (ECC) and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to work together to provide appropriate funding so school districts can help meet the province's 2030 emission reductions target. The organization contacted the former ECC minister Rachna Singh and BC's Climate Action Secretariat about this in the fall of 2024, but did not received a response. However, the BCSTA did meet with ministry representatives in May 2024 to discuss the plans for addressing the impacts of climate change on student outcomes.
In B.C., topics around climate change are a required part of the kindergarten to Grade 10 curriculum, and students also have the opportunity to dig deeper in specialized science courses. Teachers have access to climate teaching resources including the Climate Ready BC: Preparing Together for Educators pamphlet which provides links to help teachers to get started.
The Ministry of Infrastructure responded to the Tribune's request for comment and said creating safe school environments in the face of climate change is a priority.
"To prepare for climate-related emergencies, school districts work closely with their local regional health authority ensure students, parents and staff are informed and prepared."
The ministry noted how all school districts have strict air quality standards to follow, and said thousands of classrooms across the province received ventilation upgrades in 2020, amounting to a contribution of $300 million by the ministry.
It also said funds are available for school districts to improve their facilities' climate resiliency and reduce emissions, and the government is ensuring the construction of new school buildings aligns with the province's CleanBC targets and enhanced energy requirements. This includes using non-combustable construction materials to protect schools from wildfires.
The Tribune has reached out to School District 27 for comments on the recommendation.
