Check out my piece for the Daily Cal!
In January 2024, for the first time ever recorded, global warming exceeded the 1.5°C climate benchmark.
Many of us have already heard about the big “1.5°C” global temperature limit set by the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, which was a climate pledge made by 195 nations. The goal of setting the 1.5°C limit was to prevent serious, irreversible consequences for climate change.
Over the last two decades, communities across the globe have been increasingly subject to the consequences of rising global warming, from intense heat in California to recent tropical storms in Malawi that have sparked a cholera outbreak, impacting thousands due to compromised water quality. Now that we’ve breached the 1.5°C threshold, it is likely that climate change effects will only heighten in the years to come if swift action to divest from fossil fuels is not taken immediately.
College students are in a unique position to catalyze that transformative environmental change. At UC Berkeley, students are in a unique position to do so as a result of our proximity to the technology industry and the Bay Area’s rich history of activism. While we may not yet have a seat at the negotiation table, our voices have significant power to shape public discourse and influence policy changes.
The urgency of the current situation cannot be overstated. At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, in November, representatives from nearly 200 nations gathered, raising concerns over the lack of progress in meeting the ambitious targets set by the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Despite setting net-zero targets, which are initiatives to balance the amount of greenhouse gas taken out of the atmosphere to the amount emitted, to cover close to 90% of global emissions, our collective emission is still on the rise. Globally, the top 10% of emitters contribute to almost half of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, whereas the bottom 10% contributes to 0.2%. The United States alone was responsible for 5.06 billion tons of CO2 emissions in 2022, contributing to 13.61% of global CO2 emissions that year. The disproportionate contribution of wealthier nations to the climate crisis exacerbates the challenges faced by developing nations, especially small islands that are disproportionately affected. This gap between ambition and action underscores the urgent need for global collaboration.
In the United States, student activism — especially among college students — has already been instrumental in raising awareness and advocating for climate action. Student activism in the United States has long been prevalent at UC Berkeley since the Free Speech Movement of the 1960s started on campus and has gone on to impact the proliferation of college activism to this day. Today, college students across the country (and the world at large) have gained traction for relentlessly urging universities to divest from the fossil fuel industry, holding their institutions accountable.
In May 2020, after years of student protests, the UC system, with more than 280 000 students, announced a $1-billion divestment from fossil fuels. This money is said to be redirected toward clean energy initiatives, such as replacing 20% of fossil gas with zero-carbon biomethane by 2025, making the UC system the largest university coalition to take such a significant step. Several other institutions, such as Harvard, Yale and Stanford, have also divested from fossil fuels.
However, these institutions have not yet committed to a full divestment from the fossil field industry, so there is more work that needs to be done.
At UC Berkeley, students have a unique opportunity to harness the Bay Area’s innovation ecosystem and proximity to the tech industry to influence the global community and create tangible change. For instance, we could design a startup using the latest technologies and support from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund to actively prioritize climate action. Alternatively, we could perhaps even create our own divestment organization inspired by clubs at other schools such as Yale and Harvard to encourage the UC system to fully cease investments in companies whose practices harm the environment.
UC Berkeley Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management and student organizations such as The California Public Interest Research Group are already educating and empowering Berkeley students to take climate action. We should also prioritize working in coalition with initiatives such as the Green New Deal movement launched by UC San Diego, which unites students across UC campuses, alumni and faculty to advocate for transparency and a commitment from their universities.
Globally, the most effective way to reduce emissions involves changes to food, transport and energy systems. On a local scale, it requires collaborative efforts within our communities to implement targeted, innovative actions, such as those that can be done within our campus community.
Moving forward, we must align actions with our common UC Berkeley values to inspire others and start a ripple effect of positive impact. Ultimately, our fight against climate change transcends mere policy discussions; it represents a global movement with students positioned at the forefront, ready to lead the charge.
Meiya Gujjalu 
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