April 25, 2022
Is The Global Climate Crisis Impacting International Education?
T The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s sixth report describes how human-induced climate change has caused adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people across the globe. The impact is so severe, it has not spared International Education.
International education has been deeply implicated in the global climate crisis. This, according to sector stakeholders at the launch of a new initiative, the CANIE Accord that envisions a sector that is net zero by 2030.
Launching the CANIE Accord, Adrienne Fusek, director of Faculty-Led Study Abroad Global Affairs at San Diego State University and CANIE global board member said that the program was designed to align international education with the Paris Agreement and the ambition of limiting global temperature rise and the consequences of climate change, she further stated, “The CANIE Accord is our key program to move us forward.”
The purpose of the non-binding memorandum of understanding is “to strengthen and accelerate the response of the international education sector to the climate crisis”.
…the CANIE Accord is our key program to move us forward…
The organisation’s Glasgow Paper that offers guidelines and best practices for international educators have spelt out three guiding principles of the CANIE Accord program. These are:
- First, signatories should take immediate action in the context of their own operations and environment.
- Secondly, collaboration and innovation as a global sector will reduce emissions while supporting students' global learning and their capacity for climate action, the document contends.
- The third principle seeks to develop climate solutions by committing signatories to actions that aim to advance individual and collective well-being and reduce inequalities and deprivations.
The volunteer organisation, with chapters across the world, six working groups, and around 130 active participants is also urging institutions, associations, organisations, and departments to sign the document. They believe that the need for the CANIE Accord could not be stronger at this point of time. They believe that the commitment of organisations ensures a greater level of buy-in than if individuals signed.
Professor of Education at Bristol University Robin Shields is of the opinion that all types of international education organisations should be represented in the signatories. “Where relevant we encourage signing at the institutional level if that’s possible, i.e. the whole university rather than the international office. This will help to mobilise support across the institution, for example, by getting the International Office, Sustainability Office and perhaps academic departments all on board and involved. However, we recognise that signing at the institutional level is not possible in all cases.” he stated.
Organisations such as FPP, EAIE and the University of Canterbury in New Zealand have already signed the Accord.
Posted in News and tagged News, International Education, Global Climate Crisis, Higher Education
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