For Immediate Release: June 30, 2026
Contact: Lisa Thomas, 347-415-6431, lisa@alignny.org
Mayor Mamdani Breaks Promise to Fund Green, Healthy Schools;
Disadvantaged Children Will Suffer Most
New York, NY – In response to the release of New York City’s final FY2027 budget, the Climate Works for All coalition issued the following statement:
“We’re disappointed to see no new money and no steps taken toward Mayor Mamdani’s green schools promise in today’s final budget. Children’s health cannot be a year two, three, or four priority while NYC public schools are making kids sick, increasing student asthma rates, and polluting our communities today. We need schools that work for New Yorkers, not hurt them. Upgrading our schools to be green and healthy will lower energy costs, create good union jobs, and crucially, provide safe, healthy learning environments for our youngest New Yorkers to thrive,” said Jenille Scott, ALIGN Climate Director.
Background:
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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:
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A network of solar systems on school rooftops can cover 80% of the City’s progress toward clean energy.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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These upgrades would help New York City and New York State enhance air quality; create good,green union jobs; and foster resilient communities.
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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.
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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.
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By upgrading school buildings and retrofitting them with energy-efficient technologies, schools can provide students with meaningful, real-world learning opportunities, allowing them to observe and engage with the technologies driving the clean energy transition. This supports the new climate change instructional requirement, approved by the Board of Regents in March 2026.
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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.
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.
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