Tackling the climate emergency has been recognised as one of the most important issues of the day and is the key concern of young people.
Many universities have been at the forefront of climate research and addressing climate change over many decades and I am proud of the role that GuildHE and its members have played in addressing these issues. There is, however, much more that can be done – both to tackle the climate crisis but also wider questions of creating a sustainable world in which we can live.
GuildHE is launching a new report today ‘Tackling the Climate Crisis’ which provides an in depth insight into how smaller and specialist universities and colleges within the UK are engaging with the issue at an institutional level. The report considers five critical elements of university activity: Leadership and Governance, Teaching, Research and Knowledge Exchange, Community Engagement, and Campus Management.
The report suggests that there has been an acceleration in activities amongst universities and colleges over the last 18 months. Activities to tackle the climate crisis have become further embedded across institutions and at a more strategic level, with more institutions integrating environmental sustainable development in their curriculum, working with their local communities and developing research activities in addition to considering how they make their estate more sustainable.
