UndauntedK12 on the Draft 2050 Clean Energy and Climate Plan

October 21, 2022

Bethany Card
Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 1020
Boston, MA 02114

Subject: UndauntedK12 comments on the Draft 2050 Clean Energy and Climate Plan

Dear Secretary Card, Undersecretary Chang, and the 2050 Clean Energy and Climate Plan Team:

Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the draft Massachusetts 2050 Clean Energy and Climate Plan. We appreciate the work to create this plan which stretches over decades and implicates all facets of the Commonwealth.

UndauntedK12 is a non-profit organization with a mission to support America's K-12 public schools to make an equitable transition to zero carbon emissions while preparing youth to build a sustainable future in a rapidly changing climate. We work with district, state, and federal leaders to animate climate action in the K-12 sector. We believe deeply that the education sector has a transformational and underappreciated role in fostering climate action. We also see the opportunity for climate action in public schools to support a more equitable future. Lastly, we believe that given the grave generational injustice inherent in climate change that we have a moral responsibility to provide young people with every opportunity to learn about and benefit from the climate solutions that are the key to their livable future.

We offer the following comments as you refine this plan.

Manifest an all-of-state response with support for capacity-building & collaboration.

While it is crucial to craft a plan that is based on a solid accounting of emissions sources and pathways to reduction, this technical detail is simply the foundation. In order for the Commonwealth to achieve its goals, leadership, mobilization, and coordination are crucial. Specifically, we need to mount an all-of-state response in which we activate all parts of our state government. The 2050 plan should make explicit the state agencies that are critical to achieving the state’s goal. For example, the Massachusetts School Building Authority which oversees investment in our largest form of public infrastructure - our K-12 schools - should be mentioned as a key actor to achieving a decarbonized future. Because the work to achieve our 2050 goals must be urgently underway, we cannot waste any time in ensuring that the leaders and staff in these agencies understand the important role they must embrace in leading the state’s transformation to an equitable zero-carbon future. The 2050 plan can and must make clear that achieving net zero by 2050 requires a collaborative whole-of-state response and that the state will make investments in capacity-building to support this work.

Adjust for a new landscape created by The Inflation Reduction Act

Since Massachusetts issued its last Clean Energy and Climate Plan, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act. The Act represents a dramatic shift in the landscape and creates massive opportunity for both the public and private sectors. The new plan should incorporate strategies and tactics to maximize the extent to which the Commonwealth is able to fully leverage the tools and resources available through the Inflation Reduction Act as well as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. For example, Massachusetts schools could claim billions in incentives as we replace and upgrade HVAC systems to address IAQ, heating, cooling, and ventilation needs.

Recognize the transformative and essential role of education

Sustaining decades of climate action, transforming mindsets, and preparing a workforce to ensure Massachusetts leads in a new clean economy are decades-long undertakings that must begin today. Beginning today means beginning in our schools. Our education system has an essential role to play in climate action that includes showcasing climate solutions, enhancing community resilience, and preparing young people to meet the challenges of the future. The 2050 plan should acknowledge the powerful role of our education systems and call education leaders into this work as valuable and needed partners.

Thank you again for your leadership and commitment to devising a plan that will guide the Commonwealth’s climate action and serve as a model for other states across the country. For questions about these comments, I can be reached at sara@undauntedk12.org.

Sincerely,

Sara Ross
Co-founder
UndauntedK12