We are delighted to introduce Uniclima as a member of the student organisation, based in Brazil. Uniclima was founded in 2020 by a group of international relations students at PUC Minas University, Belo Horizonte, to advocate for a just and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, brought about by a critical lack of systemic climate education in higher education in the state of Minas Gerais. The initial aim was to advocate for a just and sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic, brought about by a critical lack of systemic climate education in higher educationbrought about by a critical lack of systemic climate education in highereducation. The movement has since grown into a platform that bridges academia, youth engagement and policy dialogue.
Uniclima’s mission:
Uniclima seeks to encourage higher education institutions to effectively apply the scientific knowledge they produce in their curricula, recognising their crucial role in training young people capable of tackling the climate emergency in every professional niche.
Uniclima recognizes higher education as a privilege that comes with the responsibility of delivering young people to the job market with mitigation skills and a systemic view of the climate crisis. Requirements are increasingly demanded by the labor market in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Recent activities and achievements:
The team recently published an article in Revista Jacarandá, critically examining the inclusion of climate education in Brazilian universities, framing it as not only a legal requirement but also a political issue. Uniclima are also developing a national-level project to map the actors, policies, programs, and initiatives that shape and influence the climate education agenda in Brazil. This project aims to generate a clearer understanding of the landscape of climate education and strengthen the role of higher education institutions in addressing the climate emergency.
The team are also actively engaged in national, regional and global events, congress and policy spaces around climate justice and education:
1. The facilitation of an interactive workshop at ENERI, engaging undergraduate students nationwide in discussions on green jobs and multilateral climate processes.
2. Representing youth voices at the Y20 Summit (2024) and hosting a side event on community, youth climate action, and higher education.
SOS International members will remember the interactive workshop led by Victor Nascimento at the SOS International summit in Ghent, ‘Global South perspectives on environmental justice’. This engaged students and young professionals in dialogue about the intersections between higher education, climate action and justice.
We look forward to starting our journey of collaboration with Uniclima, especially with the spotlight on Brazil and the Amazon region in 2025, ahead of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP30 in Belém this November.
