Model and activist, Lily Cole, is urging universities across the UK to show how they are working to fight climate change.
According to a report by Universities UK, most parents don’t believe unis are equipping students with enough knowledge about climate change so Cole is urging UK universities to do more by backing the MadeAtUni climate action campaign.
MadeAtUni Campaign
MadeAtUni’s climate action campaign aims to show the ‘remarkable breadth of ways that universities are actively tackling the climate emergency through their research, business and community interaction’, as well as efforts to equip every graduate with a level of ‘climate literacy’, regardless of subject they study.
Many universities are playing their part in the campaign and have made significant jumps forward for the environment.
For example, at the University of Winchester they are cutting waste by using recycled chewing gum to create reusable coffee cups. And, at the University of Portsmouth they’re looking into a new enzyme to help plastic bottles break down faster.
Parents Want To See More
However, the visibility of the work and education isn’t as optimum as it needs to be as, according to research from Universities UK who are backing the campaign, just four in 10 (44%) parents of 16–18-year-olds believe UK universities are equipping students with knowledge about climate change.
And although many unis up and down the UK are making efforts and have published a sustainability strategy, less than half of parents (49%) recognise they are researching solutions to climate change, with only a quarter (24%) thinking they communicate to the public about their efforts.
The research also showed 58% of parents are worried that future generations will not be equipped to deal with climate change, 61% of parents would like to see more from universities on researching the solutions to climate change and 59% would like to see them working with schools and local communities more.
Lily Cole Urges Unis
With this in mind the actor, model and activist, Cole, has spoke out to set the record straight on the work being done and urge more work on visibility of the universities research and work.
The 34-year-old said: ‘With scientists issuing a ‘now or never’ plea in the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the need for bold and urgent climate action has never been clearer.
‘Universities across the UK play an important role in tackling the climate emergency – educating and inspiring the next generation of climate activists, and carrying out research and innovation on a global scale.
‘I’m proud to support this campaign and by association the ground-breaking work being delivered by our universities. They give me hope that together we can make the changes necessary to secure a sustainable future for generations to come.’