Student Council’s President Address: Students and environmental matters
Translation: Colin Fisher
In recent years, the climate crisis has been one of the largest causes of concern for young people. Steps to address the climate crisis are not only about the behavior of individuals: rather, comprehensive action needs to reach throughout society. Debate over the most helpful ways to address the crisis are intertwined with debate over effective democracy and equal access to education. The university is thus an essential part of a path to a better world.
Students have long concerned themselves with current affairs, as all social issues affect students in one way or another. For example, students held a meeting about the issue of military bases in 1945. In 1972, students protested against American ambassador William Rogers’ planned visit to Árnagarður, ultimately preventing it. On December first of the same year, students held a celebration of sovereignty at Háskólabío under the slogan Against war - against capitalism. To thunderous applause, a resolution was passed to break off the military agreement with the United States, withdraw from NATO, and expand fishing rights in territorial waters to fifty nautical miles. In March of 1974 the medical student Arnlín Ólafsdóttir was elected as the first female leader of the Student Council. For the first time, women’s rights became a key issue for the Student Council. These events shine a light on how effective student protests can be. Along similar lines, students have strongly advocated for climate action, either inside or outside the university.
In February of 2019, the Student Council, in cooperation with the National Organization of Students and the Icelandic Upper Secondary Student Union, held a climate strike on Fridays. The strikes demanded that the government declare a state of emergency due to the climate crisis and that the state, alongside businesses, take action to decrease the effects of climate change. The strikes were inspired by the Friday for the Future strikes organized by Greta Thunberg. The strikers received recognition from the City of Reykjavík and were chosen as Person of the Year by the Stöð 2 news agency.
The Student Council believes that Háskóli Íslands has to be a leader in both the debate and fight against climate change, and that it is the university’s responsibility to emphasize the seriousness of the issue, point towards the science, and demand that parties that are involved take their suggestions and climate change seriously, with all necessary measures. At the Student Council meeting on October 25, 2022, a statement was proposed, and then ratified, to the effect that the Student Council should challenge Háskóli Íslands to declare an emergency due to the climate crisis and to follow this declaration by preparing an action plan for the university. This is the second time that the Student Council put forward this appeal, but it was considered necessary to present it again, in light of the fact that, three years after the first time the Student Council set this challenge, Háskóli Íslands has neither declared a state of emergency due to the climate nor begun to work on an action plan.
On November second of the same year, the president of the Student Council brought this appeal to the rektor, and the head of the Environmental and Transportation Committee followed up the matter in the planning committee of the university council.
The student representative pressed for work on the creation of an action plan that would be included in the committee’s executive plan, but this has not happened at the time of this writing.
The Student Council will continue to pressure the university to take action and bring the issue to the university administration’s agenda. By declaring a state of emergency, Háskóli Íslands would be taking a clear step and putting pressure on its own operations, as well as those of other institutions and businesses. There is nothing that stands in the way of HÍ’s taking serious action to combat the climate crisis, except for the decisions of the school’s leaders.