Opinion: A more sustainable NY starts with empowering education

At a time of political upheaval, it was disturbing yet perhaps unsurprising that the recent Los Angeles wildfires got swept up in a wave of racial politics. Conservatives who somehow contorted themselves into a position that diversity initiatives only contributed to significant destruction and displacement also conveniently ignored the unequal impact of the fires on Black and brown communities. 

This of course was only the latest example of climate change-driven destruction that has left deep scars in historically marginalized communities. Go back to Superstorm Sandy more than a decade ago to see how impacts were compounded for residents of public housing, for example. Or consider the simple fact that extreme heat leads to more deaths in low-income and Black neighborhoods across New York City than in others.

Addressing climate change is critical for all communities across the state and nation. That requires not just concrete actions to clean up the air we breathe, reduce carbon emissions and build more resilient infrastructure, but also to deliver proper education on how to make real change.

Clearly, as the latest example in Los Angeles proves, we need to educate on how climate is interwoven with racial and economic justice. But we also need to ensure we’re providing educational opportunities for all people to learn about how our ecosystems are changing, how to address the very real consequences of that, and how to access opportunities in the new green economy.

A World Bank study released last year found that education is an underutilized instrument for climate action globally, hindering long-term efforts to improve climate mitigation and adaptation. In another study, researchers estimated that if meaningful climate education were provided to even just 16% of middle and high school students in wealthier countries by 2050, student-driven emissions reductions would be greater than those delivered by afforestation, expanding offshore wind or growing the number of electric vehicles. Today, according to the researchers, less than 1% of those students are receiving the kind of education that would drive significant change.

The economic potential of climate education also cannot be ignored. At home, New York’s green energy economy is continuing to grow. State data show widespread opportunities for career advancement and higher pay on average for both entry- and mid-level jobs compared to work outside the clean energy industry. NYSERDA estimates that by 2030, nearly 500,000 New Yorkers will hold clean energy and climate jobs statewide.

We have work to do to put these ideas together. Simply put, marginalized communities bearing disproportionate impacts of climate change need access to the kind of education that can lead to grassroots change and can unlock family-sustaining career pathways.

To be sure, there already are some existing New York programs targeted at delivering these opportunities that are ripe for expansion to additional communities. Take SUNY’s Timbuctoo Climate Science and Careers Summer Institute, which provides a two-week experiential learning program for high schoolers from systemically marginalized communities. Students have an opportunity to focus on environmental and social justice issues through the lens of climate science, traveling from Brooklyn to Kingston to Syracuse to the Adirondacks for a mix of classroom and nature-based education.

The governor’s proposed $1.25 million for the program in the 2025-26 executive budget is important for maintaining access for New York City students. Bumping funding up to $2.1 million – a miniscule fraction of a $252 billion state budget – would allow students from other marginalized neighborhoods across the city and in upstate communities like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse to access impactful summer education through expanded community-based programming from the Timbuctoo Institute.

It's just one example of the kind of work New York needs to be doing more of with proper funding behind it.

For years now, New York has presented itself as being at the vanguard of addressing the existential climate threats we face. Doing so requires us to continue pursuing every possible avenue to achieve meaningful change in all corners of the state – starting with foundational education that shines a bright light on inequities and empowers communities to drive action.