Between recent revelations published in this newspaper that College failed to divest its endowment fund from fossil fuel companies despite claiming otherwise and Provost Linda Doyle’s refusal to endorse a pledge to go carbon neutral by 2030 in the provost elections this year, Trinity’s response to climate change has been sluggish to say the least.
Trinity’s inaugural Vice President for Biodiversity and Climate Action Yvonne Buckley’s op-ed in The University Times this week indicates a similar lack of urgency.
Trinity has a responsibility to take a central role in the fight against climate change – and leading by example is therefore essential.
Buckley’s background as a zoologist should equip her well for the role, but she needs to let people know, from the start, that the climate crisis – even handled well – will be more difficult on everyone than the height of the pandemic.
The Trinity community will have to make sacrifices to play their part, because society at large is going to have to make sacrifices. College know that research and renewable energy alone is not proper climate action. Insulating buildings and energy upgrades, true-zero emissions, minimising carbon offsets, limiting cars on campus, promising public transport and cutting needless international travel: all of its this will be financially costly and potentially unpopular.
Implementing change in Trinity can be painfully slow. But Buckley – and Doyle – must make it clear now action on climate change will be a priority in Trinity and the sustainability office won’t just be window dressing.
Buckley wants Trinity to be a leader in climate action, but College must get over its ability to hamper positive change in the name of procedure.
Not only does Buckley need to be ready to stand by this in the face of backlash and criticism, but College needs to start to take action. It’s not about rhetoric anymore. It’s about progressive action.
While it is impossible to assess Buckley’s performance – she won’t actually start her job until January – there is to be hope for Trinity guiding us towards a better future, Buckley needs to start her term in office with a much stronger vision that the one she expressed in this newspaper.
