To all Vice Chancellors

Dear Vice Chancellor,

INFORMATION ON PLANNED ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE CLIMATE ACTION

I am writing to you following media coverage today of plans by Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan to significantly undermine democratic rights in the coming week (1). This appears to involve asking universities to discourage students from taking action against climate change. We are, of course, extremely concerned by the way the government continues to treat the climate crisis as 'business as usual'. We wanted to make sure you were aware as early as possible, to enable you to educate students on their rights and responsibilities as global citizens.

You will be aware of the destructive, and at times illegal, methods of large corporations who profit from fossil fuels. These include lobbying for tax cuts, media propaganda, failure to clean up environmental disasters, insufficient safety precautions to prevent such disasters, falsifying emissions tests and overriding local democracies. As we have seen from the continued rise of greenhouse gases, these have real and significant detrimental consequences for people of all nations, both socially and economically. The cost in human life is estimated to be one death per 4,434 metric tons of carbon dioxide (2). The social cost of carbon is estimated between $37 and $50 per metric ton (3). Climate change is not only disrupting people's everyday lives and the operation of universities, but also impacts on our emergency and healthcare services, infrastructure, poverty-related crime and public safety.

I would like to emphasise that the government's commitment to the environment has repeatedly been called into question, and plans to fight climate change are nowhere near ambitious enough. In June of 2023, the government’s own advisors said that progress towards nearly every target has stalled (4)(5).

We strongly encourage you to ensure that students are aware of the consequences climate change could have on their future. If current trends continue, young people today face increased risks to the supply of food, goods and vital services, failure of the power system, risks to health, wellbeing and productivity due to excess heat, and multiple risks from climate change effects overseas (6). And of course, the severity of the situation will increase throughout their lives.

I know that you have good systems and structures for educating, innovating and researching to identify risks and provide solutions for both the public and individual students. I hope it is helpful to be made aware of the desire of your students, staff and local communities for you to take decisive action to respond to the climate emergency. Students are increasingly aware of risks and we would encourage you to engage directly with them to give advice and support on any climate action they wish to take.

Yours sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP

Secretary of State for Education

Sanctuary Buildings 20 Great Smith Street Westminster London SW1P 3BT tel: 0370 000 2288 www.education.gov.uk/contactus/dfe

15th September 2023

To all Vice Chancellors

Dear Vice Chancellor,

INFORMATION ON PLANNED JUST STOP OIL ACTIVITY ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES

I am writing to you following media coverage today of plans by the campaign group Just Stop Oil to significantly escalate activity on university campuses starting in the coming week. These appear to involve mobilising students to take action, beginning in late September and culminating in mid-November. This information is not fully verified, but I am, of course, extremely concerned about the possibility of illegal activity. I wanted to make sure you were aware as early as possible, to enable you to prepare for any heightened risk of unlawful activity taking place on your campus.

You will be aware of the disruptive, and at times illegal, tactics of Just Stop Oil. These have included slow marches, swarming, blocking roads, throwing paint, occupying buildings and graffiti. As we have seen from previous protests, these have real and significant detrimental consequences for the people of this country and the economy. The cost to the police and the public from Just Stop Oil is in the millions. Their recent 13-week ‘slow march’ campaign in London cost the Metropolitan Police Service alone over £7.7 million, led to 271 arrests, and required over 23,500 officer shifts — taking police away from supporting their local communities. Just Stop Oil's plans this autumn could not only disrupt people’s everyday lives and the operation of universities, but also impact on our emergency services, policing, the wider criminal justice system and public safety.

I would like to emphasise the government’s commitment to reaching our net zero targets and our determination to be global leaders in the fight against climate change. In the first quarter of 2023, renewables generated a record 48% of our electricity, all making strong progress towards our targets to deliver a decarbonised power sector by 2035 and net zero by 2050.

I strongly encourage you to ensure that students are aware of the consequences that engaging in any criminal activity could have for their futures. If convicted, students could face fines, community service or even imprisonment. And of course, a criminal record would follow them through their lives.

I know that you will have good systems and structures in place to identify risks, protect students from becoming involved in criminal activity, and ensure that your campuses remain safe, given both the risks to the public and to individual students. I hope it is helpful to be made aware of the potential escalation of this risk. The Home Office and the National Policing Co-ordination Centre are aware of the increased risk of activity among students, and we would encourage you to engage directly with local police if you need help, who can provide advice and support.

Yours sincerely,

The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP

Secretary of State for Education