Green Gown Awards 2021: Student Engagement - University of Oxford - Highly Commended

Oxford Climate Society  

The Oxford Climate Society is an ambitious and impactful student-run society at the University of Oxford dedicated to developing and connecting informed climate leaders. Our membership extends from students to professionals and the general public, welcoming all levels of interest and experience. We connect like-minded individuals, inspire, and educate the next generation of climate leaders, take action and lead campaigns for ambitious emission reductions in Oxford, and provide platforms for academic, artistic, and social engagement with climate change.

We host weekly events with speakers such as Bill McKibben, Fatih Birol, and George Monbiot. These explore diverse interdisciplinary perspectives on climate change, ranging from feminism to international development, politics to psychology, science to social issues and much more. We also organise and run the Oxford School of Climate Change, providing participants with a comprehensive education in the core issues underlying climate change, as well as the most promising solutions.

Top 3 learnings:

1. Aim high. Our shift to online events led to a massive growth in our reach worldwide.
2. Grassroots initiatives are a successful model which we plan to adopt for future campaigns.
3. Discussion and collaboration are important. Our initiatives are successful because of the community we have built.