The UMSU Environment Department is a collective of climate activists, anti-capitalists, and socialists on campus. We organise activism around environmental and social justice, and discuss the root causes of these issues – a system run for the profits of a few. From fires to floods to drought, the climate crisis is here. But despite their rhetoric about emissions targets, the Federal government is making things worse. The Albanese government is green-lighting over 100 fossil fuel projects in one of the biggest expansions of the fossil fuel industry in Australian history.
The University of Melbourne postures progressive on the issue of climate change, boasting about its contributions to sustainability. Yet the university partners with the biggest climate criminals on the planet, investing millions of dollars in fossil fuel corporations and weapons manufacturers like Rio Tinto, BHP and Lockheed Martin. We think that in order to take on the climate crisis we have to take on the companies that are profiting off of the destruction of the planet, as well as the Labor government and the University who help them. We need to stand up for – like Indigenous rights and freedom for refugees – because the rights of everyone are bound up together and linked to the fight for environmental justice.
We want to build an activist climate movement that can fight for real action on climate change and social justice. If you agree with what we have to say, then get involved!