Passed: November 2021 (23rd)

What do you want? / Why do you want it? 

This policy is a resubmission of an existing policy to lobby the university to declare a climate emergency. We feel it is important that this policy is resubmitted to continue to encourage the university to reflect the values of students and to follow the work LUU is championing. LUU will be launching the sustainability strategy this semester which follows 3 key themes:

• Campaigning - Ensuring accountability, challenging ourselves and others, and lobbying for change.

• Operations - Keeping our house in order and creating best practice and positive change every day.

• Communications - Working collaboratively with stakeholders to inform, educate and consult.

 It is our belief that in order to remain inline with the strategy, LUU must continue to hold the university to account on matters involving the climate crisis. This policy also ensures LUU continues to support student climate activist groups in their climate crisis campaigns.

Included below is the previous policy submission description which accurately describes the urgency of the situation and the scientific information it is founded on:

Evidence from our own Priestley Centre researchers, who helped write the IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, shows that in order to avoid catastrophic climate change we must drastically reduce carbon emissions by 2030.

Following the report’s release, Sir David Attenborough said: "If we don't take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon."

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C is still possible but will require rapid, far-reaching, “transformational” changes without historical precedent in their scale. If we do not act now, the world as we know it will not be fit for us to work, study or live in.

Young people across the world, including our own students, understand the severity of the situation. They are rising up and striking for the climate in their thousands. Hundreds of Leeds students and staff have joined the Leeds Youth Strike for Climate, most recently on Friday 12th April, part of the Global Climate Strike for Future.

There is no better time to show leadership as an institution that prides itself on sustainability.