The YUFA Executive Committee is pleased to announce the establishment of a new YUFA Ad Hoc Committee on Climate Emergency, the YUFA Climate Emergency Committee (YCEC). The purpose of this advisory committee is to support YUFA and YUFA’s Executive Committee in response to this urgent challenge.

It will help: 

• to educate and mobilize faculty for a climate-crisis-ready university; 
• to shape our demands, in collaboration with partners in the York Cross-Campus Alliance (CCA), for climate action from the York administration; 
• to ensure that York University’s resource use and investments support the limits and goals outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;
• to shape YUFA’s public position and network for climate action with other organizations, including the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), the Ontario Federation of Labour, the Climate Action Network - Canada, and others; 
• to decarbonize YUFA’s internal operations.

This is a call-out for members to volunteer for a three-year term, starting in Fall 2019. The Chairperson will be appointed by the Executive Committee (see call for volunteers for this position below) and ratified by Stewards’ Council.

The YCEC is open to all members, including retirees. The Executive Committee will appoint one or more of its own members as a liaison with the YCEC. Final decision-making on YUFA positions, actions, and resources remains with Executive Committee.

Nomination guideline: Please write a brief outline of your interest to serve in the YCEC and email it to [email protected] by Wednesday, October 2 at 5:00 p.m. Please use subject line: YCEC nomination.

If you wish to be considered for the position of Chairperson of YCEC, please also explain in your outline your interest in this leadership role, including your organizational experience and your vision for this Committee.

“We’ve now got an emergency…. Amplifying impacts and feedback loops will accelerate the changes…. It will happen faster than you think.”
- Dr. James E. Hansen
Climate Science, Columbia University, and former NASA scientist

“Canadians have an ethical responsibility to take immediate steps to help safeguard the climate system to protect the natural environment that sustains people, plants and wildlife... The world must urgently phase out the use of oil, coal and gas and phase in a 100 percent renewable energy system with access to sustainable energy for all.”
- Canada Climate Action Network

“As institutions and networks of higher and further education from across the world, we collectively declare a Climate Emergency in recognition of the need for a drastic societal shift to combat the growing threat of climate change.”
- Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) and other networks