Leadership Commitment

Green Schools Alliance

It Starts With You.

The Leadership Commitment is a voluntary, non-binding statement that reflects your school’s intent to take thoughtful, practical steps toward improving environmental performance across your:

  • Buildings and Grounds

  • School Operations and Culture

  • Teaching and Learning

Schools are at the heart of every community. They help shape the next generation—young people who will contribute to society in countless ways.

By signing this commitment, your school or district joins a growing network of leaders focused on practical, real-world improvements in school sustainability. Whether your efforts are just beginning or well underway, your example can inspire others to make progress too.

Join the principals, heads of school, and superintendents from nearly 10,000 schools who are already working to strengthen their campuses and communities through sustainability efforts.

Schools that commit to sustainability create lasting benefits—not only for their students today, but for the broader community and generations to come.

 "When the New York City Department of Education adopted its ambitious sustainability agenda, we needed to make a strong public statement about the importance of climate stewardship. Making the Green Schools Alliance leadership commitment showed clearly that New York City schools were committed at the highest level to facing our environmental challenges."

— John T. Shea, Chief Executive Officer, New York City Department of Education Division of School Facilities.

Leadership Commitment

Green Schools Alliance envisions a world where every person is aware of and accountable for the impact they have in creating a healthy, sustainable and thriving future.

We recognize:

  • That human and planetary life are interdependent.

  • The Earth cannot sustain our current levels of consumption and environmental exploitation.

  • That schools play a significant role in impacting knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, and need to practice, model and inspire sustainable solutions.

We need to inspire everyone—including our youngest learners—to see that consistent, thoughtful actions can lead to meaningful change. As central pillars of their communities, schools have the potential to influence habits, improve community wellbeing, and equip students with the skills to think critically, solve problems, and contribute in innovative ways.

No single school or individual can address the complex challenges of the 21st century alone. By working together toward shared goals, we can lay the foundation for stronger communities and a better future for the next generation.

My school commits to setting goals, taking action and making progress towards school sustainability to secure a better future for all.

  • Our school or district will set goals, take action, and monitor and share progress as we take action across our Physical Place, Educational Programs and Organizational Culture.

    > Physical Place: Regenerating Systems, Reducing Impact
    Our school or district will promote healthy, efficient, and sustainable practices across our buildings and grounds. We recognize that the balance between what we consume and what nature can restore is essential—not just for our communities, but for the living systems that sustain all life on Earth. By using our school as a learning laboratory, we can model practical solutions: conserving resources, reducing emissions, and creating safe, supportive spaces for learning. In doing so, we contribute to the regeneration of ecosystems and the protection of biodiversity—an urgent and vital responsibility for every generation.

    > Educational Programs: Educate & Engage Our Community in Sustainability

    Our school or district will embed sustainability within educational programs and encourage active participation in real-world problem-solving. Recognizing education’s unique role in preparing students for the future, we will equip learners with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to approach environmental challenges with curiosity, creativity, and innovation. By connecting classroom learning with hands-on opportunities for action, our school will inspire thoughtful engagement and empower students to contribute to a more sustainable world.

    > Organizational Culture: Connect to Nature & Place

    Our school or district will foster a culture where sustainability is a shared responsibility supported by clear policies, planning, and governance. We will strengthen communication and collaboration across departments, ensuring that sustainability is embedded in day-to-day operations and long-term decision-making. Through professional learning, health and wellbeing initiatives, and opportunities to connect with nature and place, we will cultivate a school environment that empowers our community to contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable future.

  • In addition to Level I, our school or district will calculate its carbon footprint to establish a baseline for energy use and emissions. This baseline will help guide efforts to operate more efficiently and reduce our environmental impact over time.

    Scientific evidence shows that rising greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to increasingly extreme weather events and pushing the limits of the natural systems we all depend on—such as clean air, water cycles, and biodiversity. By setting clear targets, implementing practical strategies to reduce emissions, and tracking our progress, our school can strengthen its operational resilience, support a healthier environment, and involve the school community in evidence-based, solutions-focused learning.

  • In addition to Levels I & II, our school or district will develop and implement a comprehensive emissions reduction plan with the goal of cutting our carbon footprint by at least 50% within five years and reaching carbon neutrality within ten.

    Extensive scientific research shows that carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are a leading contributor to shifts in global weather patterns and environmental stress. Taking bold, data-informed action now is essential to reducing long-term risks and protecting the natural systems that support life. By setting clear targets, engaging our school community in meaningful learning, and tracking our progress over time, we will work toward a healthier, more resilient future for our school and beyond.

Submit the Sustainability Leadership Commitment:

  1. Download the Leadership Commitment.

  2. Obtain the signature of an authorized representative (principal, superintendent, or high-level administrator) from your school or district and choose the Level I, II, or III Commitment.

  3. Submit signed Leadership Commitment to admin@greenschoolsalliance.org

START Here

Signed the Leadership Commitment - What next?

Create a comprehensive Whole School Sustainability plan, benchmark your efforts, collaborate, and access resources with START: Sustainability Tracking and Roadmap Tool.

START: Sustainability Tracking and Roadmap Tool
enables your school to:

 

  • START's metrics provide a clear framework for progressing towards Whole School Sustainability, based on actionable steps across three progressive tiers.

  • START enables you to establish baselines, including your energy, waste, water and emissions, and to monitor and evaluate your progress monthly through exciting graphics.

    START provides a Cost, Difficulty and Impact rating for each sustainability rating, allowing you to choose actions that best align with your priorities and resources.

  • START helps you identify areas for improvement to create short and long-term Sustainability Action Plans, addressing the reduction of your school's emissions, resource consumption, and environmental impact.

  • Qualitative data analytics in START can help you improve building performance and reduce your operational costs.

    'How To' Guides and resources for each START metric can help you implement strategies to reduce waste, improve efficiency and save your school money.

  • START's resource library and collaboration spaces enable you to implement strategies to integrate sustainability holistically across your buildings, educational programs and school culture.

  • START enables you to effortlessly integrate sustainability learning and activities into the existing curriculum, providing opportunities for creativity and problem-solving as students engage with sustainable solutions.

  • START enables you to connect and share best practices with other schools, building networks, accelerating learning, and pulling down barriers to progress.

  • Founded on the Whole School Sustainability framework, START supports collaboration and encourages engagement of all stakeholders, uniting the school community around a common goal.