The latest IPCC report leaves no room for doubt or delay. Only with a dramatic, concerted effort will we be able to avert the worst of the climate and ecological crisis. This is the backdrop against which universities educate the generations that will have to deal with a fundamentally disrupted world. Failing to understand the scale and urgency of the problem will leave them vulnerable to misrepresentations by politicians and media outlets. Higher education institutions have a duty to educate and prepare their students to face the challenges posed by the climate and ecological crisis and to foster their development as responsible members of society, who not only understand these issues but are also equipped to lead and effect change.
A mandatory climate course across all higher education institutions should be the first step. The course, to be implemented within a very short time frame, should offer a comprehensive overview of the systemic causes and consequences of the climate and ecological crisis and potential solutions. The complex nature of the problem requires action and leadership from individuals and organizations across all sectors of society. It is therefore critical for students of all academic disciplines to be educated through such a course.
Universities in France and Spain have already taken the necessary steps to introduce such a course, and Dutch higher education should not fall behind. Students in the Netherlands and around the world are demanding change and it is time for a bold response.
The climate and ecological crisis is the elephant in the lecture hall. We owe it to our students, our communities, and future generations to take decisive action now.