CLIMATE FORUM

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The Global University Climate Forum brings student activists together to share ideas, learn, connect, and act on the global imperative of addressing climate change. Around the world, college and university students have become increasingly concerned and vocal about climate action. This is a powerful and growing movement that has the potential to change the course of history, yet it is unclear that climate demonstrations or divestment protests will have the desired outcome of comprehensive systemic change to avoid climate disaster.

Launched during the week of November 9, 2020, the Forum is a one-year program that is inclusive, inspiring, and impact-oriented.

How it Works

134 multidisciplinary teams of students from 44 countries were accepted to participate based on their proposals for actionable projects in one of four tracks:

  • Inspiration and Empowerment: Develop a creative approach to raising awareness on climate change and influencing others using tactics such as video, art, writing, or social media.
  • Ideas into Action: Propose a student-led climate-related project on campus or in the community that will affect measurable change over the course of six months.
  • Governance and Policy Innovation: Select a local, national, or global climate policy or governance mechanism and conduct an analysis either on how it can be improved or how your college or university can contribute to its implementation.
  • Innovation and Imagination: For projects that do not fit into the other tracks, ideas in this category can be revolutionary, entrepreneurial, and creative. However, they must be actionable and should be designed to yield measurable results over the course of six months.

The nearly 500 accepted students participated in a series of workshops during the week of November 9, 2020. Now that the workshops are done, students will execute and report on their ideas for six months. Successfully completed projects will be included in a publication to be issued during the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow, Scotland.

Important Dates:

  • November 9th to 13th 2020 – Workshops took place
  • December 2020– Students launch their projects…monthly reporting is required
  • May 2021 – Final reports due
  • November 2021 – Issue final publication

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