In the midst of New York Climate Week, a group of faculty and students from Columbia, Yale, and Tsinghua universities met online to consider “The Role of Universities in Solving Our Climate Crisis.” New Bwogger Mason Cannon reports.

Opened with a discussion of the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2050 and spearheaded by Dr. Alex Halliday (Founding Dean of the Columbia Climate School and Director of The Earth Institute,) Dr. Daniel Esty (Director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy) and Dr. Zheng Li (Secretary-General of the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate and Executive Vice President of the Institute of Climate Change & Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University,) several groups of panelists convened to discuss the positions of universities and students as actors in the fight for climate justice in a warming and divided world.

As initial discussion among faculty speakers moved from the customary declarations of the importance of the university as an institution, here in preventing and solving climate issues, to answering questions on actionable methods for enacting change, panelists consistently returned to emphasizing the importance of both the education of students and research innovation. At moments the discussion felt as if it revealed the inherent idiosyncrasy of the university, as representatives of multi-billion dollar research institutions repeatedly returned to students as the main actors in the mitigation of climate crises while avoiding much direct mention of the universities’ immense political, financial or cultural power. 

As panelists encouraged students to involve themselves in participation with institutional solutions, look at problems with nuance, and consider “viable” options for solving the issues of climate change, I was left wondering why so many of the calls to action were directed at students rather than the universities themselves. Although it is undeniable that students must quickly build the skills necessary to fight climate change, the implicit assumption that students, rather than the universities, should be the notable agents of change in climate policy felt, at times, disingenuous–and as speakers called for students to see problems with nuance before calling for upheaval and change, I was again left wanting more. Even if it is vital that students (as rising leaders) see problems with nuance, it is similarly vital for universities to understand the sense of urgency and will for immediate action that students possess when approaching climate change as the inheritors of a broken planet.

After a round of discussion with faculty members, attention was turned to a panel of students, offering a markedly different take on the role of the university in climate action. Students discussed the necessity of solving problems from a legal, societal, and health perspective while honing in on the importance of diversity in education. 

Most notably, panelists directly called upon universities to wield their power with a purpose, calling attention to the ability of universities to align the investments of endowments with their progressive stances on climate change. The tonal difference between students, calling on universities, and faculty, calling on students, at times felt stark but seemed to reflect the natural push and pull of intergenerational interaction in America, as elders encourage moderation and cleave to institutions while problem-solving, while younger speakers called upon the proprietors of power to use it forcefully for the betterment of the world.

Although the discussion was stimulating and the convening of leaders in climate research was impressive to witness, in hindsight it almost felt that over the course of more than an hour, little of import was said. Ambiguous calls for innovation and education sound impotent and lackluster when offered in response to dire reports of irreversible damage to the environment, and calls for universities to mobilize endowments for good seem to consistently fall upon deaf ears. Nobody disagrees with the fact that universities will be critical in fighting climate change, and nobody will deny that education and innovation are massive parts of that fight, but somehow I was left deeply dissatisfied. 

Universities have been educating and innovating for decades, and yet the problem only gets worse. I’m not looking for hot takes or phony promises, but it has been made clear, in the past few months especially, that our way of life must be dramatically altered if humanity is to save itself. Although the basic principles of the university seem as if they should be acting for the benefit of the earth, hearing faculty and administrators subtly pass the buck to students rather than face problems their generation has perpetuated with the power of multi-billion dollar endowments was disheartening, and although I believe that universities have a role to play in solving the climate crisis, the role must be far more active and decisive than a simple continuation of the status quo in education and research.

Image via Bwog Archives