Students will once again march through the city tomorrow (Friday 14 February) and join the third climate strike organised by the Students’ Union this academic year.
The rally will start on the concourse from 10-10.45am and will then continue onto Devonshire Green, where students will meet other Youth Strikers for 11.15am.
SU Development Officer Harry Carling, who organised the rally, said: “These strikes won’t go away until world leaders wake up to the reality of what is happening. Year on year, our Students’ Union will be welcoming more and more climate activists from Youth Striker movements, and I am sure these events will continue until something is done.
“School students have been leading the fight for climate justice, and it is crucial that university students join the fold and call for a systemic change. Perpetual growth is eating away at our environment, world leaders have consistently put profit over people and this existential crisis has failed to have been addressed.
“We’re running out of time and call for drastic structural changes necessary to combat the climate crisis.
“In the face of climate catastrophe, we need to take drastic action. Join us on the concourse on Friday 10.00am to strike again for the future of the planet.”
This is the third time student leaders will have joined in the climate strikes in Sheffield, and in September even went as far as to close down the Students’ Union for an hour to show solidarity with those striking for the climate around the world.
Student strikers from schools in Sheffield have been welcomed at rallies with open arms, showing the importance being placed on this issue at the SU.
Development Officer Harry Carling has made environmental and climate issues a central part of his tenure in office, and has inspired the SU to take a number of measures to limit their impact on the climate, including the three climate strikes this year.
The most recent climate strike organised by the SU took place on Friday 29 November last year and followed a similar route down to Devonshire Green for the Global Youth Climate Strike.
In October, the Students’ Union also launched a steering group, led by students, in order to aid the SU’s policy on climate issues and how, as an organisation, they aim to tackle them.
Harry Carling launched this group alongside Charlie Porter, Education Officer, and Rosa Tully, Women’s Officer.
At the time, Charlie told Forge Press: “At the SU we recognise that the climate crisis is not only one of the most pressing issues humanity faces, but supercharges every other fight for justice.
“With only 10 years to radically transform our economy, practices and relationships with one another, at the SU we cannot stress the importance of action enough.
“The climate crisis is systematic. This means that it cannot be challenged by individual responses alone and necessitates collectivity. Further, when faced with a problem on the magnitude of the climate crisis, it is easy to feel despair.
“The increase in climate anxiety shows this clearly. Collective action offers a hope that individualism cannot and avoids the isolating effects of the climate crisis.”