Monday 05-12-2022 - 10:45

Meet Poppy Jopson, a second-year Geography student and the co-head facilitator of Eco DU. A climate justice action group, Eco DU is a Durham student group trying to hold the University accountable on climate justice issues. It's a group that takes delight in its ability to initiate change and make a positive impact with respect to environmental issues and concerns. 

As a part of its focus on environmental justice, Eco DU adopted the 'Fossil Free Careers' campaign earlier this term. The campaign is a national climate crisis campaign run by the organisation 'People and Planet'. With the Durham SU having passed the motion for Fossil Free Careers at Assembly,  Eco DU has garnered its unwavering support. Furthermore,  Eco DU will advance its projects to the environmental sustainability strategic planning group. 

The campaign aims to enforce a sustainable approach to careers wherein the University actively stops promoting employment opportunities in fossil fuel industries. Through this campaign, the group seeks to ban the promotion of around 250 companies that aggressively contribute to environmental degradation and climate crises. The campaign advocates for the careers department to disengage from the publicity of such extractive companies and alternatively execute an ethical careers policy. It endeavours to transform career services to function as fossil-free recruitment channels. However, one must note that this does not impede students from receiving impartial advice from the careers department concerning such companies. 

As a University upholding its green energy commitment and sustainability pledges, Durham University must necessitate an ecological recruitment process. This divestment in hiring relationships with fossil fuel industries would strengthen the university's climate commitments. Moreover, it would kindle an environmentally proactive spirit among the students, discouraging them from investing their careers in environmentally hazardous companies. This campaign indeed serves as a significant step in mitigating the climate crisis. 

Eco DU needs your support in this fight, sign this petition now to further the campaign. Students can also learn more by attending the group's weekly Monday meetings, and it's upcoming social on 5 December.