The Climate Action Letter, written and circulated by the Carleton Climate Commons, requests that the university act on a five-point climate plan.
First, it asks the university to join over 7,000 other universities around the world and declare a climate emergency. Doing so would commit the university to a widely-endorsed three-point action plan.
The letter also makes two additional requests. It asks the university to divest from fossil fuels to bring Carleton into line with many of the most prominent universities across Canada. And, finally, it asks the university to establish an inquiry into the structural and systemic institutional practices that impede climate action at Carleton. To date the letter has been signed by over 440 Carleton faculty, staff, and students.
The letter outlines five key actions including, declaring a climate emergency, committing to going carbon neutral by 2030 or 2050 at the very latest; mobilizing more resources for action-oriented climate change research and skills creation; and increasing the delivery of environmental and sustainability education across curricula, campus, and community outreach programs.
The plan also calls for the University to divest its funds from all fossil-fuel industries by 2025.
The Carleton Climate Commons Working Group brings together faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students at Carleton University to discuss climate change issues in relation to the humanities and social sciences, to share academic work, and to share ideas and articles.