AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is leading an initiative to replace the U.S. diesel school bus fleet with electric alternatives to improve student health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative focuses on supporting low-income communities and communities of color, collaborating with manufacturers and utilities, and engaging policymakers to remove barriers to electrification. Full fleet electrification by 2030 could reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 9 million metric tons.

• Diesel school buses pose significant health risks to students, including asthma, cancer, and respiratory illnesses, with younger students and those in low-income or Black communities being disproportionately affected. Communities of color experience on-road fine particulate matter pollution 61% to 75% higher than white residents.
• Electrifying the entire U.S. school bus fleet by 2030 would result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 9 million metric tons annually, which is equivalent to removing 2 million cars from the road.
• Electric school buses are currently viable across various climates and communities, with commitments for over 5,900 buses across 49 states. Modern models offer a nameplate range between 75 and 210 miles, which is sufficient for most operational routes.
• WRI's Electric School Bus Initiative employs a five-pronged strategy: providing technical assistance to disadvantaged school districts, addressing supply chain bottlenecks and costs with manufacturers, working with utilities on charging infrastructure and V2G/V2X technologies, advocating for policy and funding, 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} }