For Immediate Release: May 13, 2026
Contact: Lisa Thomas, 347-415-6431, lisa@alignny.org; Patrick Nevada, 646-866-9065, patrick@alignny.org
Following the Release of the Mayor’s Executive Budget,
19 Council Members Join 75 Climate & Labor Groups
Championing Budget Investments in Green, Healthy Schools
With climate cuts at the state and federal level, support grows for Green, Healthy Schools as a solution to the triple crisis of public health, student learning, and workplace safety
New York, NY – Today, in a letter released by the Climate Works for All coalition, 19 council members — including the Co-Chairs and Vice Co-Chairs of the Progressive Caucus and the Chairs of the Committees on Children & Youth, Labor, and Environmental Protection — announced their support of Green, Healthy Schools as a FY2027 budget priority. They join 75 climate, labor, environmental justice, and student groups calling on Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin to invest in critical improvements to NYC’s public schools to address a worsening triple crisis of public health, student learning, and workplace safety.
The letter arrives following the release of the Mayor’s Executive Budget, which contains $4 billion in capital funding for decarbonization projects including in schools, hospitals, and other City facilities. As Climate Works for All awaits more information on the details of these allocations, the coalition reiterates the need for school decarbonization, as public schools account for one third of the City’s pollution. The letter also arrives as Governor Hochul makes devastating cuts to New York’s landmark Climate Law during State budget negotiations, making the need for City action even more urgent.
The cost of inaction is exceedingly high, and will continue to rise as the City delays action. These council members see the direct impact of this inaction as over half of them represent districts defined as ‘disadvantaged communities’ by the state that are hurt worst during climate disasters. In September, ALIGN and Climate Works for All released a report detailing the environmental, health, and education costs of the city’s aging school infrastructure and the benefits of Green, Healthy Schools. Among 1,200 buildings, many are more than 75 years old and plagued with mold, asbestos, poor ventilation, and failing heating and cooling systems — conditions that lead to lower student test scores and increased disciplinary referrals and absences. Students and staff are exposed to these toxins every day, but so are the surrounding communities, due to the multipurpose uses of public school buildings—they serve as emergency shelters, warming and cooling centers during extreme weather, polling sites for elections, and spaces for adult literacy programs and community building. Aging infrastructure also means that NYC public schools are not energy efficient and thus costing the City — 400+ NYC public school buildings received a D rating in energy efficiency, the lowest possible rating.
Compounded with the effects of climate change, school pollution further heightens rates of child asthma and worsens air quality, particularly in environmental justice communities. Low-income Black and Brown neighborhoods are most affected by deteriorating school buildings — nearly 70% of the schools with the worst ventilation are in environmental justice neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens.
Green, Healthy Schools are a multipronged solution capable of creating nearly 322,000 green jobs, cutting Department of Education energy costs in half, and making schools fully electric and fossil-fuel free, delivering clean air and sustainable work and learning environments for New Yorkers.
The coalition will rally at the City Hall Steps on Wednesday, May 20 at 12pm to continue the call for Green, Healthy Schools in this year’s budget.
The following Council Members have signed on to support investments in this program:
- Christopher Marte, District 1
- Harvey Epstein, District 2
- Elsie Encarnacion, District 8
- Carmen De La Rosa, District 10
- Shirley Aldebol, District 13, Chair of Committee on Civil Service and Labor
- Althea Stevens, District 16, Chair of Committee on Children and Youth
- Justin Sanchez, District 17
- Shanel Thomas-Henry, District 21
- Tiffany L. Caban, District 22, Co-Chair of Progressive Caucus
- James F. Gennaro, District 24, Chair of Environmental Protection and Waterfronts
- Julie Won, District 26, Chair of Workforce Development
- Ty Hankerson, District 28
- Selvena Brooks-Powers, District 31
- Lincoln Restler, District 33
- Sandy Nurse, District 37, Co-Chair of Progressive Caucus
- Alexa Aviles, District 38, Vice Co-Chair of Progressive Caucus
- Shahana Hanif, District 39, Chair of Committee on Disabilities
- Rita Joseph, District 40, Chair of Higher Education Committee
- Kayla Santosuosso, District 47, Vice Co-Chair of Progressive Caucus
Background:
- Climate Works for All is calling for budget investments of $2.2 billion per year over five years in Green, Healthy Schools, starting in environmental justice communities:
- A network of solar systems on school rooftops can cover 80% of the City’s progress toward clean energy.
- Improved heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) to filter and replace air in classrooms, cafeterias, recreation spaces, and hallways will ensure that students, teachers, and school workers breathe clean air in safe temperatures all day.
- Depending on a school building’s condition, it may require repairs to windows, doors, and roofs as well as new insulation in order to maximize energy efficiency from other green upgrades.
- Replacing oil and gas boilers in school basements and making schools all-electric and fossil fuel-free will mean our halls of education aren’t further polluting our city and contributing to our climate crisis.
- These upgrades would help New York City and New York State enhance air quality; create good,green union jobs; and foster resilient communities.
- Green school upgrades create good, green union jobs. Retrofits and solar projects can create more than 321,944 jobs or 64,388 jobs each year, while project Labor Agreements and union workforce development will ensure that these jobs provide long-term, equitable pathways for local residents — especially women, immigrants, and frontline workers. Green, Healthy Schools would also improve working conditions for teachers and school workers, delivering safer, healthier job environments.
- The Department of Education spends $275 million on energy costs every year. Green, Healthy Schools can cut energy usage in half, saving approximately $137 million annually. Plus, solar installation on schools would cut energy costs to near zero in the aggregate — a savings of about $250 million.
- Fixing and upgrading our school infrastructure is one of the most urgent and impactful things NYC can do to improve public health and meet the City’s legal mandates for emissions reduction. By law, NYC must reduce emissions 40% by 2030 and 100% by 2050 to comply with Local Law 97, while Local Law 99 mandates solar power installation on public buildings. Green, Healthy Schools will help the City achieve both.
As previously announced, the following organizations and labor unions support the Climate Works for All FY2027 budget letter:
- 350 Brooklyn
- 350NYC
- ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York
- Alliance for Quality Education
- Association for Energy Affordability
- Bangladeshi-Americans for Political Progress
- Beyond Plastics Queens
- Born Carbon
- Bike Bus NYC
- Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY
- Chapter 3 New York State American Academy of Pediatrics
- Citizen Action of New York
- City Parks Foundation
- Climate Defenders
- Climate Families NYC
- Climate Psychology Alliance – North America
- Climate and Resilience Education Taskforce (CRETF), a project of National Wildlife Federation
- Climate Reality Project NYC
- Climate Works for All coalition (23+ organizations)
- Community Education Council District 9
- Community Voices Heard
- CWA Local 1180
- District Council 9 Painters and Allied Trades
- District Council 37, AFSCME
- Earthjustice
- El Puente de Williamsburg
- Fridays For Future NYC
- Food & Water Watch
- Fox EduConsulting
- Gaia Scholastic
- Greenfaith
- Green City Force
- Green Map System
- Here on Earth
- Indivisible Harlem
- Jewish Climate Action Network
- Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ)
- Jobs to Move America
- Kidical Mass NYC
- Kinetic Communities Consulting
- Local Union No. 3, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- Long Island Progressive Coalition
- Lower East Side Ecology Center
- Make Justice Normal
- Mothers Out Front
- National Wildlife Federation
- New Settlement Parent Action Committee
- New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
- New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)
- New York Communities for Change
- New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI)
- New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV)
- New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG)
- New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)
- New Yorkers United for Child Care
- NY Renews Coalition, 400+ Member organizations
- NYC Democratic Socialists of America
- NYC Youth Agenda
- PowerSwitch Action
- PSC-CUNY, AFT #2334
- Queens Climate Project
- Rider’s Alliance
- Rocking the Boat
- Sane Energy Project
- Seeding Sovereignty
- Solar One
- StreetWorks
- Sunrise NYC
- The People’s Plan & People’s Budget Campaign
- The Point CDC
- The Veggie Nuggets
- Third Act NYC
- TREEage
- Urbecon LLC
- WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Climate Works for All is a citywide coalition of labor, community, faith, environmental justice, and climate organizations, coordinated by ALIGN, that have come together to fight climate change and inequality in NYC by demanding a Just Transition for workers and environmental justice communities. Our campaigns move us towards an equitable economy, a resilient, livable and healthy climate, and must prioritize justice for low income Black and Brown communities across New York City.
###