Efforts to lower emissions are on track at Iowa City (Iowa) district
Schools in the Iowa City (Iowa) district appear on track to reduce carbon emissions by more than 45% by 2030, according to a consultant's report.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that the reduction trends are in line with the goals that student climate activists have pushed for in Iowa City schools.
But reducing carbon emissions to a net zero by 2050, another goal pushed for by climate activists, will require the district to take additional steps, the consultants say.
School district officials have incorporated energy-saving projects for more than a decade, including installing geothermal HVACs and energy-efficient lighting. The board hired consultants from the University of Northern Iowa to escalate efforts in response to weekly protests by student climate activists.
Student activists pushed the school board to commit to a goal outlined by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. According to the panel, human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide need to decrease by 45% by 2030 compared with 2010 levels of emissions and reach "net zero" around 2050.
Over the summer, the school board agreed in a resolution to adopt a plan "in line with" the UN panel's targets.
Iowa City's commitment to reducing carbon emissions is unusual for a school district in Iowa, says Eric Giddens, Energy Education & Outreach coordinator at the University of Northern Iowa.
The Iowa City school board paid Gidden's team at the university's Center for Energy & Environmental Education (CEEE) $10,000 to project the district's expected energy use and provide board members with ideas for reducing remissions. He's hopeful his team's work in Iowa City can be used as a model for school districts across the state and nation.
In the school year ending in 2018, the district generated about 16,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Northern Iowa team.
The bulk of these emissions — nearly 90% — come from the electricity used to power buildings and facilities, which the district buys from energy providers. District officials anticipate seeing the biggest drop in emissions over the coming years from building efficiencies and improvements made by energy suppliers.
According to the CEEE report, emissions are expected to drop to around 6,000 tons annually over the next four to five years.
The drop is partly because of the district's decision to outfit every school with a geothermal HVAC. Consultants estimate that the addition of geothermal HVAC systems at four schools in 2020 and another three schools in 2021 will drop emissions by around 1,500 tons.
Carbon emission reductions also can be achieved by converting the district's diesel buses to electric. Consultants say this could reduce emissions by 1,250 tons and would cost the district $18.5 million over 11 years.
