University launches cutting-edge degree to equip students for global challenges: 'The world is changing around them'

It started with a survey. Conducted by Future Forum, the survey found that 72% of 14- to 18-year-olds in the U.K. desired more thorough climate education.

The University of Sussex was quick to respond. Starting in 2026, it will be offering the United Kingdom's first bachelor's degree for climate justice. It aims to educate students on "climate politics, activism, and environmental human rights," per the Guardian.

Formally named the Bachelor of Arts in Climate Justice, Sustainability, and Development, the degree aligns with the university's existing values. It has a forest food garden on campus, which, according to the Students' Union, "mimics a young forest with a number of edible plants" and will be incorporated into prospective students' coursework.

Tending to the garden is just one portion of the program's more practical education.

Will Lock, an anthropology lecturer and degree co-convenor, teaches an environmental justice module focused on public communication. He told the Guardian, "Rather than having a 5,000-word essay at the end of the module, we have a podcast that students are working on in groups … "

The goal is to help students explain complex case studies to wider audiences outside the climate sphere. This module will also be incorporated into the new degree.

The University of Sussex is taking notes from Future Forum's survey. Students criticized current climate education in U.K. secondary schools, claiming that the general stats and science they learned seemed too far removed from their own lives. They wanted more hands-on courses that showed climate education's relevance in their day-to-day.

Lock saw where they were coming from. "Now the world is changing around them, and it feels urgent … " he told the Guardian. "They feel like they want to be involved."

In a world where extreme weather events are rapidly intensifying and endangered species are near total collapse, it's easy to feel hopeless. The University of Sussex isn't the only institution using climate education as a solution.

In an interview with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Professor Fernando Reimers, author of the book "Education and Climate Change," said, "Too many of our youth experience unproductive and debilitating anxiety about climate change." He cited climate education as a necessary component of cultivating hope.

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On a more practical level, it will also train students for the changing job market. The University of Sussex's renowned Development Studies Association found that those with "green skills" were more likely to find jobs than those without. It calls this education "crucial for policymakers, NGOs, activists, and businesses."

The University of Sussex is proud to be at the forefront of this growing field. One proud alumnus, upon learning about the new degree, said he wasn't surprised. "This is awesome!"

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