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UCC Climate Assembly 2022

4 Apr 2022

On 1st April, UCC ran its second Climate Assembly event. Organised by UCC Green Campus and UCCSU Environmental & Sustainability Rep Alicia O’Sullivan, staff and students from a variety of disciplines came together to voice their concerns and identify what UCC can do to create a more sustainable campus.

The assembly aims to identify sustainability-related gaps and changes that should be implemented if UCC wants to continue being a climate leader, both nationally and internationally.

The first climate assembly ‘Build Back Better’ took place in February 2021. Mark Falvey, who was chairperson of UCC Environmental Society at the time, was responsible for founding this initiative. This event was the first of its kind to take place in a university in Ireland. Build Back Better was inspired by Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change, which involved bringing together randomly selected individuals to deliberate public policy questions related to climate change.

The 1st climate assembly consisted of 8 workshops (run over two weeks) which were co-facilitated by students and staff. The final report was presented to the UCC President and included a range of recommendations for the university to adopt. You can read the first report here.

The second assembly built on what was achieved at Build Back Better and adopted a World Cafe-style workshop. This allowed us to create an inclusive and engaging format for assembly participants where every voice could be heard. 6 key themes were covered at the assembly: Climate Action, Commuting, Teaching and Learning & Citizenship, Waste Reduction & Circular Economy, Biodiversity, Green Spaces and Well-being, and Research.

 

 

Alicia O’Sullivan opened the event and introduced the opening session panel. The panel consisted of 3 speakers: Dr. Sinead Walsh (Climate Direct at the Department of Foreign Affairs), Éanna Hyland (Chairperson of UCC Environmental Society), and Amy O’Brien (climate youth activist). Following the panel, participants were divided into 3 different groups. Each group spent 15 minutes discussing each theme. All ideas and comments were recorded by the facilitators and will be used to create a comprehensive assembly report. The report will summarise the findings and recommendations of the assembly. This will be published online and shared with the UCC community in the coming weeks. 

The key takeaway from the event was the need for UCC to adopt progressively ambitious climate targets. We have achieved a lot as a community, but we must keep pushing for radical change within the university and beyond. UCC has considerable influence on the local community, and we must continue to foster community links and support collaborative solutions to climate issues.

Sustainability must be a key factor in all teaching, learning, and research activities on campus, and we must include every voice equally when developing climate actions at UCC. Students are key stakeholders in our university, and by working with students as equal partners, we can build on what has been achieved, and help create a more fair and sustainable world for all.

 

 

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