UK’s first climate justice degree launched in Sussex

‘Rather than having a 5,000-word essay at the end of the module, we have a podcast that students are working on in groups and think about how they would convey the complexity of the case studies and examples to a wider audience,’ revealed Will Lock, a coordinator of the course and lecturer in anthropology.

If you’ll pardon the pun, the course sounds like a breath of fresh air – and it has been long in the making. A survey from Future Forum found that 72% of 14-18-year-olds want more relevant and rigorous climate change education including humanities and social sciences.

78% of kids under 12 are worried about climate change – can you blame them? They’re growing up in a world of wildfires, floods, and hurricanes while adults fumble solutions. Ignoring their fears won’t help. We owe them real action, not just reassurances. https://t.co/DvT8855tQv

— Climate Reality (@ClimateReality) February 13, 2025

Similarly, in June last year, we covered a report from LinkedIn that stated just one in 20 Gen Z workers have acquired the specific skills needed for green jobs, with even fewer knowing how or where to get them. If other UK institutions pick up the mantle from the University of Sussex, however, this disparity may not be so stark come future analyses.

Lock reiterated that Gen Z students are coming into lectures already engaged with climate justice, and why wouldn’t they be? Our generational predecessors either look to us for solutions or deny the crisis exists entirely.

‘Now the world is changing around them, and it feels urgent, and they feel like they want to be involved,’ Lock said. ‘Climate change is at the centre of so much of politics today… people are naturally keen to learn about it in more depth.’

It’s reassuring that Gen Z feels an innate sense of responsibility to contribute positively to the climate crisis. That said, we shouldn’t divert our gaze from the corporations and governments truly responsible.