The Climate Justice Project

NEWS RELEASE

Oxford Students Launch National Campaign to Tackle Climate Change

8^th February 2007

- BEGINS -

Today, Oxford students put aside their books to concentrate on what they believe is the only real solution to global warming. The national “Climate Justice Project” went online today at www.climatejusticeproject.org.uk, representing the first step of a groundbreaking new student campaign. It is rallying student support for “Contraction and Convergence”, the world-famous model for international agreement on greenhouse gas emissions which was formulated by the Global Commons Institute. The framework has already received the support of 5 of Britain’s 7 major political parties not to mention the European Parliament, India, China and the African Group of Nations.[1]

Quite simply, “C&C” rests on the principles that every person on the planet has an equal right to emit carbon dioxide, but a safe limit needs to be set. Thus, an equal CO2 allocation is assigned to each person, with allowance for trading, and over time this allocation reduces so CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is kept to a safe level. The “Climate Justice Project” will unite pan-university support with the aim of gaining NUS endorsement and pressure on students’ MPs to pass C&C legislation. “It seems that Contraction and Convergence is the best possible response to climate change, in a way that is equitable and practical for all parties involved. We’re uniting student voices into a clear message to which the government will have to listen,” said Vrinda Manglik, a campaign co-ordinator.

Oxford University is already a world pioneer of climate change research and runs off green electricity, whilst Oxford city leads the way in climate change activism, so the students hope that their campaign will be a pace-setter in the same way, And it’s already happening. It was a group of Cardiff students that created the impressive website (www.climatejusticeproject.org) and on 2nd February the LSE student union passed a motion supporting C&C; meanwhile, groups are springing up in Edinburgh and Durham. The UK itself has set the global agenda on climate change and sustainable development, and the example of students in the UK will surely ripple outwards as the world searches for a ‘post-Kyoto’ solution.

Given that the worst effects of climate change will fall on the next generation, the student voice is fundamental to finding the solution. These students say they’ve already found it: now they’ve going to make it a reality.

- ENDS -

- CONTACT -

Email: coordinator@climatejustice.org.uk

Phone: 07794 420 140

- EDITORS NOTES -

For more information, see: www.climatejusticeproject.org.uk

Contraction and Convergence is a registered trademark of the Global Commons Institute.

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[1] Meyer, Aubrey. (2005). “The United States has it right on climate change—in theory.” Open Democracy: 28 April. Online. http://www.opendemocracy.net/debates/article-6-129-2462.jsp]