Op-Ed: In Mamdani’s New York, the city would work smarter to address climate change with HVAC upgrades, green school yards, solar panels and more in the city’s public schools.
On June 24, New Yorkers faced scorching 99-degree heat to cast their primary election votes, while many schools doubling as voting sites scrambled to keep students and teachers cool.
Currently, nearly one in five city classrooms lack access to air conditioning, according to Chalkbeat. Those sweltering classrooms create miserable conditions for students and teachers, and harm their ability to succeed. A Harvard University study on the exam performance of 4.5 million NYC students found that those taking a test on a 90-degree day scored 4.5% lower than those taking it on a 72-degree day. That test score drop has real consequences: it translates to a 10.9% lower chance of passing an exam, and a 2.5% lower likelihood of on time graduation.
Extreme heat is becoming more common; 2023 and 2024 consecutively broke the records for the hottest year, and days above 90 degrees could increase six times by 2080, according to a report from city Comptroller Brad Lander.
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral nominee, wants the city to address this — and his plan shows how we can improve New Yorkers’ quality of life while tackling climate change. His Green Schools for A Healthier NYC platform proposes retrofitting 500 public schools with energy-efficient HVAC systems and rooftop solar, and equipping 50 schools to act as resilience centers during extreme weather disasters. A Mamdani administration would build 500 green schoolyards in place of asphalt, which studies show can lead to gains in reading and math test scores. The plan would also expand Open Streets to make the streets in front of schools more pedestrian friendly during drop-off and pickup, improving safety and reducing air pollution.
These improvements would create at least 15,000 good union jobs, and they’d also go a long way to addressing the city’s climate pollution. Public schools account for 32% of energy used by city buildings, most of which is supplied by planet-warming fossil fuels. Mamdani’s proposal to add rooftop solar to 500 public schools would reduce emissions and the city’s energy bills. Full decarbonization of NYC schools would be equivalent to taking more than 160,000 cars off the road each year and save the city $275 million per year in energy costs. Mamdani’s plans would be a big step toward eventually realizing that goal.
Above all, Mamdani’s plan proposes making these upgrades at the schools that need them most. NYC’s history of redlining and other racist practices mean that many New Yorkers experience environmental racism, living in neighborhoods with poorly maintained infrastructure, out-of-date facilities and limited green space. Under-resourced areas are more likely to experience harmful levels of air pollution — which also affect students’ quality of learning — so upgrading ventilation will improve public health. Trees and plants added to green schoolyards can also provide measurable benefits to air quality, absorb water to prevent floods and mitigate extreme heat, so the whole neighborhood can benefit. Schools with the greatest need for upgrades will be prioritized so that city resources can be shared more equitably.
Mamdani knows that when the city takes on climate change, New Yorkers need to feel it in their everyday lives. His vision is one where kids have reliable air conditioning in the classrooms where they learn, people have shade that cools their neighborhoods on dangerously hot days, and everyone knows there’s a place to stay safe if disaster strikes.
Living in Mamdani’s New York would mean living in a city that works smarter, and always looks out for the people who build it. As we continue to face crises of extreme weather, pollution and affordability, Mamdani’s Green Schools plan is a life-saving model for how the city can step up to help New Yorkers thrive.
Tatum McConnell is an organizer and co-chair of the NYC-DSA Ecosocialist Working Group, and was a field captain for the Zohran for NYC primary campaign.