AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is leading an initiative to transition the U.S. school bus fleet to electric by 2030 to eliminate carcinogenic diesel exhaust and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 9 million metric tons annually. The initiative focuses on equitable deployment in low-income communities and communities of color, while collaborating with manufacturers, utilities, and policymakers to overcome infrastructure and funding barriers.

• Diesel school buses pose significant health risks to students, particularly younger children and those in marginalized communities. Diesel exhaust is a known carcinogen linked to asthma, cancer, respiratory illnesses, and cognitive development impacts. Low-income and Black students are more likely to use school buses, and communities of color experience on-road fine particulate matter pollution 61% to 75% higher than white residents.
• Transitioning the entire U.S. school bus fleet to electric by 2030 would reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 9 million metric tons, which is equivalent to removing 2 million cars from the road.
• Electric school buses are currently viable across various climates and communities, with commitments exceeding 5,900 buses across 49 states. Current models offer a nameplate range between 75 and 210 miles, which is sufficient for most operational routes.
• The World Resources Institute's (WRI) Electric School Bus Initiative, established with the Bezos Earth Fund, focuses on five strategic areas to achieve a full U.S. fleet transition by 2030: providing technical assistance to school districts (especially in low-income areas), collaborating with manufacturers to resolve supply chain bottlenecks, working with utilities on charging infrastructure and V2G/V2X technologies, engaging policymakers for funding and demand, and partnering with community organizations.

APA

World Resources Institute (2023). AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-03/esb-initiative-2-pager.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES. 2023. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-03/esb-initiative-2-pager.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES |date=September 2023 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-03/esb-initiative-2-pager.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2023equitable, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-03/esb-initiative-2-pager.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }