Seeking Sustainability: Climate Action Society

Last month, we received yet another stark warning about the climate and ecological crisis.

In a paper titled Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future, a team of 17 scientists tell us that we are doing nowhere enough to create a sustainable planet. They write: “That we are already on the path of a sixth major extinction is now scientifically undeniable.” This may be shocking to you; if not, it certainly should be. In one way or another, the climate crisis is going to shape our future. We can let our natural world collapse into uncertainty, or we can listen to the warnings while we still have time and use this opportunity to create a better world.

The government, whilst they have at least prepared a plan for how to get to net zero by 2050, have not conveyed to people the scale of the challenge ahead and how we can only meet this challenge with the full cooperation of everyone in society. According to the scientists who wrote the paper, “the gravity of the situation requires fundamental changes to global capitalism, education, and equality.” These changes are only possible if we all play our part. So as Climate Action Society, we want to provide an avenue for students to come together and take action. Some of the things we have done as a society include getting the University to declare a climate emergency, putting on a variety of talks and events including a series of staff/student "assemblies on the climate crisis", and travelling into London to take part in protests together.

We now want to build on the University’s declaration of a climate emergency and work with them to ensure Royal Holloway has a concrete plan to become sustainable. The University really listens to students so the more of us there are making a noise, the more likely they are to take sustainability seriously. If you want to get involved with Climate Action Society, click here to find more details and become a member.