The Birkbeck Climate Action Network is a group of passionate staff and students who believe in social and climate justice.
We feel, as a university, we could do more to battle climate injustice, reduce our impact and push forward progressive changes for a greener, fairer future.
We work in collaboration with the College’s trades unions, Students’ Union, and People and Planet (the largest student network in the UK campaigning for social and environmental justice.).
Our campaigns so far have focused on a Green New Deal for Birkbeck (divestment from fossil fuels, decarbonisation, waste plan, plastic reduction, lower carbon food, climate education and climate justice culture), the cost of living crisis, and demands for better ‘green’ governance by the senior leadership and key stakeholders across the College.
We’ve recently succeeded in getting fossil fuel recruiters banned from our careers service.
Our priorities for 2023-24
Our members voted for our top three priorities for the coming year:
- The new vice-chancellor: working to make climate justice a top priority when Sally Wheeler takes office in January 2024.
- Divestment: getting Birkbeck to finally agree not to renew their investment contracts with oil and gas companies when they expire.
- Climate education: ensuring that all students, regardless of subject area or level of study, leave Birkbeck with an understanding of environmental literacy so they can become climate leaders whatever they go on to do next.
Join us
The Network is open to all students and staff at Birkbeck, for anyone who believes the university can and should do everything in its power to promote climate justice.
If you have more time to give, we’d love for you to join our Working Group. We meet regularly throughout term-time (and less regularly outside of term) to plan our strategies and put them into action. If you want to take part in the key decisions and organisation of the Climate Action Network, this is the place for you.
Get in touch
Contact us at birkbeckgnd@bbk.ac.uk.
Birkbeck Climate Action Network 