The King's Climate Action Network is a beautiful model of what is needed to address the climate crisis: leveraging the power of unity across diverse disciplines and occupations to brainstorm fresh ideas and take collective action. Together, we can turn the tides of change, one idea, one action and one member at a time.
Jone De Roode Jauregi, KCS Senior Climate & Sustainability Officer
31 October 2023
Climate Action Network relaunch sees King's community ready to dive into sustainability
Students and staff from across King’s came together to tackle sustainability and maximise positive impact
In October, staff and students from the King’s community were invited to the relaunch of the King’s Climate Action Network (CAN).
The CAN is a growing forum, now nearing 500 members, and is open to anyone within the King’s community. CAN takes a collaborative, inclusive approach to find effective solutions to the challenge of the climate crisis.
Within its first few years, the CAN developed and implemented over 50 actions to boost King’s climate commitment, focusing on several key streams of decarbonisation, reducing waste, engaging the community, investing responsibly, and sustainable education.
Among the most successful actions were the Energy & Water Champions team, who undertook an audit of energy and water use across King’s campuses, using their findings to educate staff and students on how to achieve the university’s target of reducing consumption and waste.
Similarly, a CAN team were able to implement the hugely beneficial King’s Cycle Bank, which works to make cycling more accessible by collecting and redistributing bicycles left at our campuses and residences to the King’s community and local charities.
The network also developed the King’s Climate & Sustainability Action Plan, which has become a key strategy for reducing emissions across the university.
A main aspect of the CAN’s development moving forwards is to place the diverse range of voices and perspectives from across the community at the centre of sustainability.
Taking inspiration from global initiatives and approaches, the 2023-24 CAN relaunch saw the network design a range of innovative interdisciplinary measures that will tackle education, operations, research, and policies.
Proposals focused on embedding climate and sustainability at the heart of education throughout King’s, with ideas ranging from carbon literacy training for students to reframing dialogue on climate within course modules, inspiring students to take action through more interactive opportunities, and forming industry partnerships with sustainable organisations.
Ways to cut King’s carbon footprint were also popular, with ideas exploring ways of decarbonising food options across King’s campuses, reducing waste and improving recycling, developing sustainable research, and improving energy efficiency.
Ideas were then distilled into actionable projects that will help enhance effective sustainability across the University and beyond.
Jone De Roode Jauregi, from the King’s Climate & Sustainability Engagement team and leader of the CAN, said:
Following the relaunch, the CAN will host a range of forums, events, consultations, and funding initiatives over the course of the year to support its members in carrying out the identified proposals.