Climate justice and sustainability 

We’re delighted to announce that we have partnered up with the university’s sustainability team to bring sustainability and climate justice to the heart of campus! This UCB Guild campaign will focus on working with the University directly to help inform and challenge the University’s sustainability strategy and to support initiatives that tackle climate degradation, both locally, nationally, and internationally. 

What is sustainability?

According to the 1987 UN Burndtland Commission, sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. As a Students’ Union, we believe that the real challenge is to address the unevenness of the pursuit of needs and its discrepancies in a global world. This means tackling the consumption, waste, and general pollution that our education systems produce on a day-to-day basis. 

Why should I get involved?

This is an exciting opportunity to get involved and shape the Guild’s climate justice campaign in tackling and holding the University accountable for its sustainability strategy. Not only that, we would love to hear from you on some of your ideas, projects, and initiatives that you would like to bring to the Students Union and the type of work you would like us to focus on. Think BIG!

This year, in collaboration with the University, we will provide additional funding for projects around sustainability, climate justice and the environment. Find out how to apply for project funding here.

If you would like to get involved with the Students Union and help shape a climate justice campaign please fill in this form.
 Alternatively, if you have ideas and campaigns, please contact our staff lead at hamza@ucbguild.co.uk.

Finally…

If you would like to stay up to date with the University and receive information on events and activities on sustainability, please join the FE and HE canvas pages below

FE Sustainability Canvas Page Sustainability Engagement FE (instructure.com) 

HE Sustainability Canvas Page Sustainability Engagement HE (instructure.com) 

UPDATE ON THE CAMPAIGN 19/04/2024

The Equalities officer, Natasha had successfully submitted a motion that demands that the University go Fossil Free at UCB. We have now teamed up with People & Planet who have helped us launch a petition demanding the University to do the following

  1. Make a public commitment to exclude all fossil fuel companies from their investment portfolio(s)
  2. Introduce a publicly accessible ethical investment policy that explicitly excludes all fossil fuel companies
  3. Fully divest from all fossil fuels within 3 years

Please sign the petition as we continue to work with the University to divest from Fossil industries and the full exclusion of these companies through an Ethical Investment policy. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW!

University College Birmingham Divest from fossil Fuels! | People & Planet (peopleandplanet.org)