The climate crisis poses an immediate threat to the rights of children and young people. Failure to address anthropogenic climate change is an act of profound intergenerational injustice. Our children and young people will inherit the worst impacts of global warming for the longest period of time, and they are key to turning the extinction and climate crises around. It is the students and young people of today, and their right to the future that must be central to all decision-making and policy creation.

The Greens NSW recognise that our changing climate must be front and centre when planning for the future of education in NSW.

The major parties take millions in donations from coal and gas corporations. That is why our schools and TAFE campuses are still being fuelled by dirty energy contributing to climate pollution, and why our schools don’t have modern, climate ready classrooms and curriculums.

The NSW Greens will deliver greener schools, place students at the heart of sustainability, support school communities to adapt to future challenges, and take action to promote the views of students and young people through deliberative democracy.

THE GREENS NSW WILL:

  • Expand school solar programs and transition to 100% renewable energy
  • Demand sustainable urban design for all new schools
  • Ensure climate change and sustainability underpin the curriculum
  • Ensure all students have the right to protest

100% Renewable Schools

Most of our public schools and TAFE colleges are being powered by fossil fuels, and are not supported to transition to zero waste, run on renewables, or use recycling technologies.

The Greens NSW will expand current solar programs to install solar at every public school, and ensure that schools can reinvest their savings in further sustainability projects.

We will develop a Power Purchase Agreement (PPAs) to power every school with 100% renewable energy.

We will remove energy intensive demountables from schools and require that all new schools are designed to maximise natural heating, cooling, and water efficiency.

THE GREENS NSW WILL:
  • Expand current solar programs to install solar at every public school
  • Ensure schools are able reinvest their savings back into ( see above)
  • Power our schools with 100% renewable energy
  • Require all retrofits and new schools to include energy efficiency upgrades and environmentally sustainable infrastructure (more below)
  • Remove all demountables from schools

Prepare students for the future

Decades of inaction on climate has left children and young people with an uncertain future. If we are to tackle climate change and adapt to the impacts that are already unavoidable, students need to be educated for a changing future.

Our public education system must embed sustainability and environmental awareness across the curriculum, and empower students and young people to understand and tackle the challenges that lay ahead.

Sustainability is one of the 3 cross-curriculum priorities in The Australian National curriculum, but does not mention climate change at all. We need to explore all Subject areas through the lens of climate and the ecological crises so that students and young people can be the change agents of the future.

The Greens will ensure that climate change and sustainability underpin the school curriculum.

Sustainable Urban Design for Schools

Sustainable urban development is the way forward for schools to mitigate climate change and modernise facilities. Students deserve the best education and this requires high quality, sustainable classrooms.

The Greens will support sustainable capital works, retrofitting and refurbishments to reduce urban heating, remove energy intensive demountables, maximise natural heating, cooling, and water efficiency.

The Greens are committed to making all school and TAFE campuses sustainable and climate change ready and providing students with modern classrooms.

THE GREENS NSW WILL:
  • Install solar at every school
  • Make our schools zero waste by encouraging recycling, composting and onsite treatment for renewable energy.
  • Introduce measures to reduce urban heat impacts on schools, including: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing vegetation and green spaces, providing shade structures and water misting, reflective building materials, and incorporating sustainable and water-sensitive design practices
  • Improve public transport to encourage safe use of public transport, bicycles and walking for students commuting to and from school, TAFE or University
  • Require all retrofits and new schools to include energy efficiency upgrades and environmentally sustainable infrastructure which is climate change ready and carbon positive
  • Make recycled water accessible to schools and TAFE campuses for gardens and sports fields by removing red tape and making recycled water infrastructure mandatory for all new schools and retrofits
  • Ensure sustainable climate control technologies are installed where classrooms are exposed to temperature extremes. All unflued gas heaters should be removed and replaced immediately with high efficiency, low emissions technologies
  • Remove energy intensive demountable classrooms

 

Ensure all students have the right to protest

Students are leading the global uprising against the destruction of our planet and demanding that we address the climate catastrophe in the here and now.

The criminalisation of peaceful protestors is escalating and it needs to end. Protest is a vital part of a mature and responsible democracy and the Government needs to act to protect this fundamental right.

Without non-violent direct action the Rocks would have been demolished, equal rights under law would not exist for women, First nations people would be worse off, minimum pay and conditions would have never become a reality and large chunks of the natural environment in our State would have been destroyed.

The Greens will ensure that the right to protest is enshrined in law so that students are not imprisoned or unjustly punished for exercising a fundamental democratic right.