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Ongoing

Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance

Accelerating the adoption of electric school buses in Canada

The challenge

70%

In its Plan for a Green Economy 2030, Quebec has set a goal of replacing 65% of diesel school buses on the road with electric models by 2030.

Quebec Ministry of Transportation, School Transportation Electrification Program, 2021

With road transportation responsible for 25% of Canada's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the electrification of school transportation has the potential to make a significant contribution to improving Canada's climate record. It could also improve air quality and reduce noise pollution for youth using the school transportation system.

By comparison, the United States is already well on its way to electrifying school transportation with a goal of converting all 500,000 school buses to zero-emission vehicles by 2030. With a fleet of just over 40,000 school buses, the time has come for the rest of Canada to emulate the ambitious targets set by Quebec and the United States and to move quickly from diesel to electric vehicles.

 The famous yellow North American school bus has been transporting children to school since the 1930s, fuelled almost exclusively by fossil fuels. Now, more than 80 years later and faced with a global climate crisis, the time has come for Canada to transition its fleet of 51,000 school buses from diesel to electricity. 

Anne-Catherine Pilon

Our work

Building on its expertise in transportation electrification and public policy, notably through its My Electric Bus campaign, Équiterre will work in collaboration with Green Communities Canada to rally stakeholders in the school and electrification sectors across the country to pool their knowledge, develop mobilization strategies and formulate recommendations for government bodies in order to accelerate the implementation of practical measures that will advance the electrification of school buses in Canada.

Équiterre will also ensure, with the support of Propulsion Québec, the successful implementation of the School Bus Electrification Program in Québec through the sharing of experience and recommendations which will then guide the introduction of similar programs in other Canadian provinces

Accelerating adoption of electric school buses in Canada

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Objectifs

  1. Bâtir un réseau d’organisations impliquées dans l’électrification du transport scolaire à travers le Canada et l’Amérique du Nord;
  2. Favoriser le partage de connaissances et de meilleures pratiques en matière d’électrification des autobus scolaires;

  3. Sensibiliser les parties prenantes du transport scolaire aux questions de justice sociale et environnementale liées à la transition vers les autobus scolaires électriques;

  4. Faire progresser les mesures politiques en matière d’électrification du transport scolaire au niveau fédéral et provincial.

Notre impact

Depuis son lancement en 2022, l’Alliance canadienne pour l’électrification des autobus scolaires a permis de mobiliser de nombreuses organisations de différents secteurs d’activité à travers ses événements et ses activités de recherche.

+40 membres


7 webinaires


3 rapports publiés


+30 mentions médiatiques


2022

Juin

Nouveau site web et centre de ressources

Un nouveau site web voit le jour et comprend une bibliothèque de ressources liées aux autobus scolaires électriques.

Avril

Lancement de la coalition

Équiterre et Green Communities Canada dévoilent l’Alliance canadienne pour l’électrification des autobus scolaires.

Témoignages

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Project managers

Partners

Made possible by the support of the Trottier Family Foundation and its partners the Consecon Foundation and the Echo Foundation, this project is coordinated and implemented by Équiterre in collaboration with Green Communities Canada.

  • Fondation Familiale Trottier
  • Fondation Balsam
  • Fondation McConnell