Climate justice: what does it mean and why does it matter?
- caitlinduquemin
- Apr 14
- 2 min read
In exciting news, the University of Sussex will be introducing what it says is the UK's first undergraduate degree focused on climate justice. Climate justice refers to the idea of 'ensuring that collectively and individually we have the ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from climate change impacts – and the policies to mitigate or adapt to them – by considering existing vulnerabilities, resources and capabilities.' (N. et al, 2014)
The BA course 'climate justice, sustainability and development' will cover climate politics, activism and environmental human rights, combined with practical green skills needed to drive change. New forms of assessment will be implemented to engage students in real-world issues - for example, instead of the traditional essay format, students instead are creating podcasts and engaging with their assessed material in that format. The development of the course comes on the back of surveys showing that almost 3/4 of 14-18 year olds want more intensive and detailed education on climate change. University professors say that this is reflected in the university students they 're teaching, who want to learn, be involved and be part of the global fight.
Reponses to this new course have been mixed: some praise its introduction, and consider it important to educate young people who want to learn about climate change and develop skills in the sustainability sector. Others see little point in it, and consider practical experience in this realm as more worthwhile. Either way, more education, knowledge and discussion about this issue can hardly be a bad thing.
If you're feeling inspired to bolster your education around climate change and sustainability, and keen to learn more about topics like climate justice, then UN1TY's Carbon Literacy Training is a great place to start. Our May cohort is now open to book, so get in touch for more information, or book through the link here: Carbon Literacy Project - Guernsey Tickets, Tue 20 May 2025 at 09:00 | Eventbrite
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