World first Bachelor of Climate Change launches at Waikato University
Climate change cannot be solved by scientists alone. Thats the revelation University of Waikato Dean of Science professor Margaret Barbour had many years ago after finishing several research projects on the impact of climate change on plants without seeing much change. While feeling like it was an existential crisis in her career at the time, Barbour says, that one thought seeded a concept to create a degree centred around collaboration and mediation between experts in different fields. Her idea has now turned into a world first a Bachelor of Climate Change degree at Waikato University . READ MORE: * Glass half full: The climate activist who is an optimist * Japan's Kyoto cherry blossoms peak on earliest date in 1200 years, a sign of climate change * Waikato climate summit speakers call for new thinking, brave action Many scientists have conducted research on climate change for decades and theyve found solutions, but none have shown any significant change, Barbour said. Instead we need to be training scientists to be able to speak with economists, social scientists and vice versa using a shared language and common understanding of what climate change is to come up with new thinking and solutions. Having people with these skills in councils, factories and community groups will lead to future climate change solutions, as Aotearoa and the world works towards a target of net zero emissions by 2050, she said. The Governments commitment to zero emissions by 2050 shows climate change is something business cannot ignore. While climate change is an incredibly complex problem, the solution is very simple globally, we need to stop emitting greenhouse gases. This requires a fundamental shift in the way we do business and go about our lives, with careful consideration of inequalities in impacts. The three-year degrees core will be based around scientific knowledge, but it will also have a focus on economic, social and political systems and Maori and Pacific responses to climate change. Seven core papers form the basis of the degree which culminates in a third-year group project, where students will come together to work with a company, iwi or community group to solve a real climate change problem. Barbour said Maori and indigenous views and principals were particularly important and have a strong thread throughout the degree. Indigenous world views are quite different to dominant Western world views. The Western world often places humans above nature in an extractive and exploitive sense whereas indigenous world views see humans as a part of nature and thats a valuable way to look at the world when were thinking about climate change. Professor Lynda Johnston, assistant vice-chancellor of sustainability a new position created from the degree said to show Waikato Universitys commitment it has benchmarked itself against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This will ensure the institute reduces energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal to work towards a carbon-neutral university by 2030, she said. The Bachelor of Climate Change was launched at an online event on Friday attended by Minister for Climate Change James Shaw and other dignitaries. Students with university entrance can enrol directly into year one of the Bachelor of Climate Change, with the first official intake starting in 2022.