One Brooklyn
May 2, 2016
BROOKLYN, NY, April 29, 2016: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams released a report calling for the sustainability coordinators at each public school in New York City to receive some form of compensation and preparation time from the New York City Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of Sustainability, allowing them to increase awareness of sustainability in schools and expand recycling and energy conservation programs. “Supporting Sustainability in Schools: A Greener Path Forward” explains that even as sustainability coordinators have already achieved considerable success, for example by diverting trash into recycling, collecting more than 7,600 tons of organic waste, and recycling 53,000 books, 199 schools had not yet in the 2014-2015 school year appointed a sustainability coordinator as mandated by law and 322 schools did not file the required sustainability plan that same year. According to the report, these figures, combined the lack of compensation and designated preparation time for sustainability coordinators, demonstrate that schools have enormous potential to expand sustainability initiatives if the necessary resources are provided. The report advises that the DOE’s Office of Sustainability should consider compensating sustainability coordinators or hiring full-time, paid coordinators for each school or district, allow for sustainability coordinators to have preparation time, and convening regular meetings where sustainability coordinators have an opportunity to exchange ideas and share best practices.
“Where we dedicate resources demonstrates our priorities,” said Borough President Adams. “We spend money on academics and athletics in our public schools because we want to support the intellectual, social, and physical development of students. The same principle applies to sustainability, which offers students an opportunity to participate personally in protecting the natural environment and creating a green earth. We have many very talented sustainability coordinators developing innovative programs at our schools. But we cannot expect them to implement these programs in the three-minute break between classes. Our sustainability coordinators need the resources and preparation time to expand on their many already successful initiatives.”
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