UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN) is an organisation made up of primarily under 18s fighting for climate justice.
#YS4C – Youth Strike 4 Climate – is an event faciliatated by UKSCN (alongside our partner movements), with regular UK-wide school strikes protesting the lack of government action to combat our current climate crisis.
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, we are on course for at least 3℃ of heating by 2100. Scientists say that this would be catastrophic: they give 1.5℃ as the boundary of disaster. Already now, extreme weather is becoming more frequent and severe, biodiversity is at risk, floods and droughts are having increasing impacts on farming and food security, some crop yields are falling, rising sea levels are threatening coastal communities, wildfires are becoming more common, tropical diseases have growing ranges, and heatwaves are more lethal. Moreover, it is the Global South that will bear most of the impact of our emissions. But this is not inevitable: we can implement a green new deal and halt this disaster. Yet our government is not treating this emergency with the urgency it requires, so we are left with no other choice than to protest to ensure our planet remains liveable.
We feel that, facing a lethal ecological crisis, we as a generation must take direct action where the older generation has failed. As Greta Thunberg said, “You don’t have to school strike, it’s your own choice. But why should we be studying for a future that soon may be no more?”. Protesting and striking is our best way to force the government to take action. You can click here for a further detailed list of 10 reasons we need to fight for climate justice.
To join, find your nearest upcoming strike or organise your own!
UKSCN is an organisation led by and for students, who’ve been forced to take direct action to fight for a future that has been stolen as a consequence of the actions of previous generations. Our Mission Statement further details why and how we’re doing this. To learn what we are urging the government to do, read our Demands.
Since the first climate strike in the UK at the start of 2019, the strikes have been instrumental in pushing the climate emergency into the spotlight. Polls showed rising public concern, the UK set a target of net-zero emissions by 2050, declared a climate emergency, and the first ever election climate debate was held in December. However, we recognise that to avoid the most dangerous effects of climate breakdown and to achieve justice for the groups who are both the lowest emitters and the most vulnerable, much more is needed.
If you are under 21 and want to get involved, you can find your local group on this map, or set one up yourself if there’s none near you – we’ve got loads of resources to help! You can also volunteer with the UKSCN National Team.
There are many ways you can show support and solidarity: see the guide for adult allies.
Both the coronavirus and climate crisis are causing suffering and loss of life, so we support measures to tackle both: read more here. Meanwhile, we are using the time to build up our systems and strategy, work on campaigns, and develop educational resources so that we can return stronger as soon as we can. However, that does not mean you can’t participate in climate activism! From digital climate strikes, to writing to your MP to inform them how you would like the government to respond to this dire situation, to communicating the crisis to others, there is plenty to be done.
Our organisation is run mostly on volunteer power but we want to massively expand and develop the network. To pay for costs such as digital campaigning tools, resources for strikes, and staff capacity we rely upon donations and grants from everyday people that want to push for urgent and ambitious climate action. To these donors we are enormously grateful. For UKSCN, even a few pounds makes a huge difference.
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