On the 29th November 2019, Warwick SU supported the Global Climate Strike by hosting a Climate Emergency briefing and Q&A panel led by University of Warwick academics. This preceded a march and mass sit-in at University house, in protest of the University's 'inaction' in its response to the climate crisis. The day then ended with a screening of 'Heading For Extinction (and what to do about it)' in The Graduate, with a discussion led by an academic from the University.
On the 29th November 2019, Warwick SU supported the Global Climate Strike by hosting a Climate Emergency briefing and Q&A panel led by University of Warwick academics from various departments, all of whom are keen climate activists and advocates in the Warwick community. The session was largely a Q&A opportunity for both informed and uninformed students, who were eager to gain a greater understanding of the climate emergency, to ask experts in the area their questions surrounding the climate crisis as a whole and the University's role in solving this. We had some interesting discussions surrounding climate change, colonialism and structural racism as deeply interwoven issues, from which we are now looking to host another panel specifically focusing on these issues in the new year.
This preceded the student-led march to University House at 2pm, that culminated with a mass sit-in to protest the University's 'inaction' in its response to the climate crisis. The peaceful protest was staged as a means of applying pressure to the University to adhere to three significant demands relating to the climate emergency, which are that the University must commit to:
1. Absolute Carbon Neutrality by 2025
2. Democratic Governance
3. Education Over Business
The University has since responded with a letter to XR Warwick inviting the students to collaborate with the University on achieving the points raised, overall outlining the University's own willingness to combat climate change.
The day then ended with a screening of 'Heading For Extinction (and what to do about it)' in The Graduate, with a discussion led by an academic from the University.