Well, Good Luck With That: U Florida Students Pass Resolution To Cut Campus Energy Use, FF Divestment

The University of Florida student senate voted in favour of a “green new deal” late on Tuesday, becoming the first public university to adopt such a resolution through student government. The mandate – which was unanimously passed – calls for sweeping campus-wide measures to tackle the climate crisis that include just transition, total divestment from fossil fuels, disclosure of the university’s financial ties within the private sector and a ban on receiving research funding from the fossil fuel industry.

This win by Florida students comes amid ongoing climate denialism in the state. Governor Ron DeSantis has cracked down on free speech at universities and shown support for the burning of fossil fuels. Additionally, the Florida legislature is advancing an energy resources bill that would delete mentions of climate change in the state law.

Cameron Driggers, a first-year University of Florida business administration student and the executive director of Youth Action Fund, called the vote “a stunning rebuke of the ideology of climate denialism that DeSantis has championed”. “Seeing a huge campus in a red state adopt a ‘green new deal’ is hopefully a sign that this movement is spreading to other universities around the country, and start treating this climate crisis like a crisis that it is,” said Driggers.

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The “green new deal” will now go to the University of Florida’s governing body, the board of trustees, which will meet on 7 March and have a final say in approving the financial portion of the mandate. The resolution also calls for an immediate implementation of the university’s updated climate action plan, which involves curbing emissions from buildings and reduced traffic emissions on campus. Drafted by the university’s office of sustainability, the plan’s approval has been stalled for nearly a year.

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/21/university-of-florida-student-senate-passes-green-new-deal