The Mayors' Alliance for Green Schools, a coalition of mayors seeking
to strategically harness the leadership and creativity of mayors across
the country has been formed to promote the benefits of green schools in
their communities.
Developed in partnership with the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC), the Alliance will work to accelerate
implementation of programs supporting the 2007 U.S. Conference of
Mayors (USCM) resolution calling for green schools for all children
within a generation.
"As mayors, we know all too well that
schools are the heart of our communities, as they represent the promise
we make to our children and future generations, a promise of learning
and of opportunity," said Mayor Diaz, President of the US Conference of
Mayors. "With this alliance, we are coming together and reconfirming
our promise to the health and learning of our children, and ensuring
that future generations are mindful of the importance of protecting our
environment."
"I've seen the enormous impact mayors have when
they unite around a common goal," said Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle,
who launched the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in 2005, which
advances the goals of the Kyoto Protocol and now boasts nearly 900
mayor signatories. "This new coalition of mayors will shine the light
on the countless opportunities to make our schools greener, our
students and teachers healthier and our communities stronger."
"As
first responders to the needs of their communities, mayors are the
vanguard of sustainable development in our country," said Rick
Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC, "and USGBC wants
to do all we can to support them, especially in this critically
important initiative. "We have Green School Advocacy Committees in 80
local USGBC chapters throughout the country, and we are putting them at
the mayors' disposal to advance opportunities, programs and initiatives
that champion green school causes and help them publicly celebrate
their successes."
Together with Mayor Diaz and Mayor Nickels,
Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco, Cal; Mayor Will Wynn, Austin, Texas;
Mayor Sheila Dixon, Baltimore, Md., Mayor Frank Cownie, Des Moines,
Iowa; and Mayor George Heartwell, Grand Rapids, Mich.; have put forth a
call to mayors around the country to join this important effort to
support green schools for all children.
"This new Alliance
dovetails perfectly with Baltimore's new Sustainability agenda," said
Mayor Sheila Dixon. "It also will provide more ways to support our
ongoing efforts to promote the health and well-being of our students as
we improve the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of our
school facilities."
Mayors across the country are leading
efforts to deliver the benefits of green schools to their communities.
For example, EcoMedia is working with mayors in Miami and San Francisco
to leverage innovative public‐private partnerships that create new
opportunities for green school projects.
Other Alliance initiatives will work to:
- Develop
and create public‐private partnerships with a local business to allow
schools to plant a green roof, install a solar garden or start a
recycling program.
- Help school districts green their existing facilities through the Clinton Climate Initiative's K‐12 Retrofit Program.
- Encourage state legislatures to create policies and incentives for green school improvements.
- Engage in a national dialogue about green schools, green jobs and green infrastructure.