Accelerating School Bus Electrification in Ontario

Pollution Probe, The Delphi Group and Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE), with the generous support of the Trottier Family Foundation, have released a new white paper on opportunities for accelerating school bus electrification in Ontario.

There is an important opportunity for the Government of Ontario to transition to an electric school bus fleet across the province, and to stop the use of diesel-fueled buses. School bus electrification would help to combat climate change while protecting the health of Ontario’s children and other vulnerable residents by improving air quality. It also promises to generate substantial economic development opportunities for Ontario’s manufacturing and electricity sectors.

Approximately 20,000 diesel school buses operate in Ontario, travelling 1.8 million kilometres every school day. Air pollution from these buses affects the most vulnerable to chronic and acute health impacts: our children.

Diesel exhaust has not only been linked to cognitive development disorders in children, but is carcinogenic, contributes to cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and leads to many other adverse health effects. It also contributes to smog and acid rain, and is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gases in the province.

The project team urges the Government of Ontario to immediately catalyze the transition to electric school buses in the province. The health of our children and the threat of the climate emergency demand this action. The time to get dirty diesel school buses off the road is now.