News / UWE Bristol
Students demand mandatory climate change education at university
Students have launched a petition demanding UWE Bristol implements compulsory climate change education across all courses.
Climate modules are generally limited to courses like environmental sciences, geography, politics, wildlife ecology and conservation science, similar in other UK universities.
But Adam Edwards, one of two spearheading the campaign, said many students leave the university with “no understanding of the climate crisis, how it will impact them and what to do about it”.
is needed now More than ever
“Although some great work has been done at UWE Bristol over the last few years to embed education for sustainable development into courses, many of these courses are still optional and therefore only attract students who are already interested in these issues,” he wrote.
Edwards added that UWE has “a responsibility to equip students and staff with the knowledge and skills to understand and combat the climate crisis”.
The campaign is asking for a mandatory course which covers:
- climate justice and the social and economic consequences of climate breakdown;
- how it is relevant to their chosen subject and career
- and a breakdown on the magnitude of the crisis.
The petition also calls for all staff to receive mandatory climate education and the creation of a task and finish group to regularly meet and reinforce the above by the 2023/24 academic year.
Speaking about his experience, Edwards said: ‘“I have studied at UWE since 2019, specifically in the business school and I have received no education on climate change. After learning about these things independently I was angry that I was not told sooner and scared for my future”
“Ultimately, this is an issue where everything is on the line, so how could we not give everything to solve it?”
The petition cites a similar campaign, thought to be the first of its kind, at the University of Barcelona that resulted in a plan to roll out of mandatory climate crisis module across the university by 2024.
UWE announced an end to its investment in fossil fuels in January, the culmination of years of student campaigning.
“All students at the University of Barcelona will have to take a mandatory course on the climate crisis after the establishment agreed to meet the demands of activists conducting a sit-in occupation.”https://t.co/kHPgYMoEmx
— Full Fabric (@fullfabric) November 25, 2022
The petition, now it its fourth week, has collected 202 signatures. You can sign it here.
Main photo: Dave Pratt
Read next:
- UWE staff strike for first time in nine years
- Bristol City honoured for climate action work
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