I got the following email the other day from EAUC:
"We have partnered with Association of Colleges, GuildHE and Universities UK to establish a Climate Commission for UK Higher and Further Education Leaders. Your university/college Vice Chancellor or Principal would have been invited by one of the partner organisations mentioned above to the launch of the Climate Commission (13th November 2019 at Ravensbourne University London) and to be part of the resulting Climate Council. The event will be attended by sector agencies who will act as Expert Witnesses and Government bodies as Observers. The purpose of this newly created Commission will be to develop an Action Plan in response to the government’s stated climate emergency and draw together a strategic sector-wide Climate Framework.
This Commission is particularly relevant as sustainability professionals will input into the Climate Commission through the Climate Emergency Framework and Think Tank work that EAUC is already undertaking on behalf of the sector, having members at the forefront of it. We are and will continue to work closely with EAUC institution representatives to ensure our members are at the very heart of the Climate Commission and have the necessary information and resources available to them. More information on the launch of the Climate Commission including the Terms of Reference and Agenda for the launch event that was sent to your Vice Chancellor or Principal can be found here.
As is often the case with EAUC's explanations, I found myself struggling to make sense of what's going on. In particular, I found it hard to see the relationships between the: Climate Commission / Climate Commission Council / Climate Commission Secretariat / Climate Framework / [Climate] Think Tank / the Action Plan – and where the Office for Students fits in – if it does.
Looking at the prolix (and as poorly proof-read as is the EAUC norm: why does no one care?) terms of reference helps a bit, but, having looked at them, my main questions are [i] what is this going to achieve? and [ii] why on Earth should a busy institutional leader take any notice of it, particularly as the Association of Colleges, GuildHE and Universities UK haven't exactly covered themselves in glory in their approach to our carbon and climate problems?
I fear the answers are already clear.
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