Proposed Bill to Place Green Roofs on Public Schools Would Create 29,000 Jobs and Generate Millions in Benefits, Analysis Finds
Students on P.S. 41’s green roof in New York City
Photo: Vicki Sando
An analysis of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez’s proposed Public School Green Rooftop Program Bill (H.R. 1863) found that the legislation would support 29,000 job-years of employment, illustrating the potential of green roofs as part of a green recovery. The bill proposes $500 million over four years to plan, build, and maintain green roofs on American public schools, providing greenery in underserved communities, advancing environmental justice, and providing countless benefits for communities across the nation, generating a net benefit of $183 million (in 2021 dollars) at a combined rate of return of 7.3%. The analysis was conducted by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) and the Green Infrastructure Foundation (GIF) and was released today in the form of a report.
Green roofs can help mitigate against and adapt to climate change, while providing educational, social, economic, and environmental benefits across a wide range of communities. These benefits include providing educational and physical activity opportunities for students, managing stormwater runoff, reducing energy consumption, improving air quality, reducing the urban heat island effect, extending roof lifespans, providing space to grow fresh food, reducing GHG emissions, sequestering carbon, providing habitat, and creating meaningful, living-wage green jobs. “It’s this multiplicity of benefits that makes green roofs such an outstanding tool to deploy for combating climate change”, said Peter Lowitt, co-author of the report and a member of the GRHC and GIF boards.
P.S. 6 Eric Dutt Eco Center. 2014 GRHC Award of Excellence Winning Project: MKM Landscape Architecture P.C.
GRHC and GIF’s analysis was conducted to paint a more complete picture of the costs and benefits of green roofs on public schools, and to help guide elected officials and other decision makers. The results are based on several steps of data aggregation using average values, reflecting large-scale implementation rather than being project-specific – ideal for analyzing the impacts of the Public School Green Rooftop Program (H.R. 1863) legislation.
“These roofs allow students to directly engage with sustainable practices and see for themselves the impact that environmentally conscious initiatives can have on their hometowns and neighborhoods. By exposing them to these ideas early on in their education, we forge a path to a cleaner, healthier community”, said Congresswoman Velázquez.
Benefits from the Proposed Legislation
154 million gallons of stormwater retained annually
537 tons of carbon sequestered annually
10.7 million kWh of electricity consumption reduced annually
$378 million in benefits to school districts over 50 years
$264 million in community benefits over 50 years
$183 million (2021 dollars) in net benefit over a 50-year period
A rate of return of 7.3%
28,964 job-years created (5,570 direct and 23,394 indirect and induced job-years)
The analysis found that the investments proposed as part of the Public School Green Rooftop Program legislation will lead to the building of 14 million square feet of green roof, which would retain an estimated 154 million gallons of stormwater, sequester 537 tons of carbon, and save 10.7 million kWh of electricity every year. Over a 50-year period, the $300 million capital investment in green roof installation would have a positive return of $183 million (in 2021 dollars), and combined rate of return of 7.3% (rate of return and net benefit include benefits accruing to the community as well as to school boards).
As we move towards an economic recovery from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is an opportunity to invest in sustainable technologies that can provide benefits to taxpayers and the community, and also create meaningful, living-wage green jobs. In addition to providing safe and secure outdoor classroom space for children, the investments proposed would support 5,570 direct job-years (a job-year is one person employed full-time for one year) in green roof installation and maintenance, and an additional 23,394 indirect and induced job-years – almost 29,000 job-years in total.
Workforce development programs in the communities these schools are in could help identify, train, and support the installation and maintenance workforce for green roofs. Educational programming on green roofs for students could include career exploration and STEM skills training to create the next generation of green roof workforce, while providing an important connection to the natural world for students and staff.
“Besides the wide range of educational opportunities our green roof has offered, it has been vital in providing emotional support and access to nature for both teachers and students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, our green roof has created a thriving wildlife habitat while passively reduced the school’s energy consumption by 27.8%, which is critical for tackling our climate emergency,” said Vicki Sando, STEM Teacher and Green Roof Founder of P.S. 41 in New York City.
More Information
The bill has been referred to the House Education and Labor Committee and is awaiting a hearing. Learn more about the bill here.
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities works to develop and protect the market by increasing the awareness of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of green roofs, green walls, and other forms of living architecture through education, advocacy, professional development, and celebrations of excellence.
The Green Infrastructure Foundation is a charitable, 501(c)(3) organization that partners with communities to shape healthy, resilient, and sustainable communities using living green infrastructure.
From the Living Architecture Monitor
