March 24, 2023
International climate conference comes to campus
Climate change is one of the most pressing and complex challenges facing contemporary society. As a research-intensive institution located in a province with deep roots in the energy industry, the 91快色 is positioned to play a pivotal role in addressing this challenge. Collectively we have the multi-disciplinary expertise and transdisciplinary thinking capacities to elevate climate change conversations and mobilize agency toward transformative knowledge development, policy, and practices.
鈥淭he U91快色 community as a whole is engaging in the challenge,鈥 says , professor (teaching), mechanical and manufacturing engineering and interim associate dean sustainability in the Schulich School of Engineering.
鈥淓very faculty has experts whose research and teaching focuses on aspects of climate change, with interdisciplinary teams and external partnerships leveraging that expertise.鈥
Teaching and learning innovations position students well
Innovations in teaching and learning position U91快色 graduates to participate in the global transition toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and sustainable future, including the new Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Systems Engineering, the Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development, and the Certificate in Sustainability Studies.
Innovative experiential learning initiatives such as the Hunter Hub Solutions Lab, Campus as a Learning Lab, and Mobilizing Alberta are expanding partnerships among students, faculty, staff, and community to advance climate action. The university, through its Climate Action Plan, has also achieved over a 35 per cent reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions with innovation in green buildings written across the campus. Yet there is much more to do.
Every year, through the international Conference of the Parties (COP) and the (CMA), global leaders gather to advance the (UNFCCC). The convention, which aims to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations, drives environmental, economic, and social system transformation to support a low-carbon and climate resilient world. This includes societal capacity-building, the research agenda, policy directions and more. These COPs serve as an important opportunity to observe negotiations, participate in side events, and build connections.
鈥淓ven from afar, these COPs have the potential to serve as a focal point around which to organize climate change teaching and research discussions, community engagement, and new collaborations within the 91快色 community,鈥 explains , professor in the Faculty of Law, and U91快色 contact point for the UNFCCC.
Solar panels were installed on U91快色's Social Sciences building in 2023.
Sharon Mascher
Join the climate COP discussion on campus
To maximize this opportunity members of the 91快色 engaging with climate change issues are invited to join a conversation on April 25 from 9:30 a.m. to noon to discuss how to bring the climate COP to our U91快色 campus and how we might work together on climate change all year-round.