Following approval at Student Council in 3rd week, the new “Environmental Affairs Campaign” is set to join the existing eight student-led SU campaigns.
The focus of the campaign is to “serve as a platform for students to engage in dialogue, advocacy, and action regarding social and environmental justice”.
On Tuesday 24th October a motion was passed at the Student Council meeting for the creation of an “environmental affairs campaign for social and environmental justice”.
This would work alongside various other SU campaigns such as the Women*s Campaign and Class Act.
The motion outlines that this will come into effect in 7th week, with the constitution being presented at the next Student Council meeting.
The motion was introduced by Mia Clement, current SU VP for Activities and Community, and outlines that the campaign aims to “foster student engagement” in environmental justice and action.
It goes on to say that the objectives of the campaign will be “organising educational events on environmental and ethical issues”, as well as “spearheading sustainability initiatives within the university”.
The campaign aims to “provide a platform for engagement and networking with individuals sharing similar ethical concerns”.
Potential questions around funding were also raised in the meeting, with one participant inquiring about “managing potential funding crises for other campaigns” given the proposal of a new campaign.
From this, ring-fenced funds and “exploring proactive methods for financial resources” were both discussed, as well as noting the “sizable budget surplus available for this initiative”.
It was also mentioned that the campaign will “predominantly focus on environmental aspects of social justice”, which will give it a “unique focus” existing alongside campaigns for other issues of fairness and equality.
There are multiple groups currently in Oxford focusing on climate activism, such as the Oxford Climate Justice Campaign and Just Stop Oil, who recently made headlines by throwing orange paint on the Radcliffe Camera.
The motion passed with 33 votes for and 1 against, and now has a page set up on the SU website.
Image Credit: Lawrence OP via flickr
Image Description: geese grazing in Port Meadow
