Equity framework to guide the electric school bus initiative

The WRI’s Electric School Bus (ESB) Initiative is supporting an equitable transition of the U.S. school bus fleet to electric by 2030 by partnering with interested communities, advocacy groups, and stakeholders. To ensure underserved communities are the first to experience the health and societal benefits of ESBs and are involved in transition decision making, the project has committed to centering equity and developing an equity framework to outline the approach project staff will use to achieve the project’s equity objectives. This paper explains the ESB Initiatives’ equity framework including key concepts and definitions and relevant equity intersections. It outlines the process the ESB Initiative used to develop the initial framework and plans for future iterations based on ongoing foundational equity research. The paper also summarizes how the ESB Initiative is translating the framework into action to achieve our equity objectives. This includes articulating overarching equity goals and strategies to guide project activities.