We start again with training to face the environmental emergency. This is the goal a new course on the climate crisis presented by the University of BarcelonaWas born at the request of End Fossil Barcelona, ​​an anti-fossil fuel organization, and resulted in a unique project in the world. Launched from the belly of 14,000 university students who staged a sit-in led by the association, the initiative has been welcomed by faculty members who are committing to introduce climate change hours into the academic calendar with a cross-cutting curriculum for all degree programs from 2024 .

“Recognizing that we all need to learn, this marks a paradigm shift in university education,” explains The keeper Federico Demaria, professor of economics at the university and one of 200 faculty members who supported student requests. “The student profession was the trigger, but it is indicative of a general cultural shift. Ten or fifteen years ago the university would have sent the police. But now you cannot kick them out because you know they are right and society supports them.“This is not just another sustainability course,” says Lucía Muñoz Sueiro, End Fossil activist and graduate student at the university. “It combines the social and environmental aspects of the crisis, which are interrelated.”

To ensure optimal student preparation, a committee of experts and scientists will be convened, which will include, among others, Jofre Carniker, member of the International Panel on Climate Change. Pdevelop a program that takes into account environmental issues and social and economic impacts for 6,000 academic staff. The End Fossil organization has proposed the names of professors of recognized repute to conduct the course, which will consist of five credits. Each credit will be equivalent to 25 hours of instruction: 15 at home and 10 in the classroom. The university said in a statement that it is “fully committed to working to address the causes of the climate emergency and mitigate its effects.” And this initiative represents an important first step.