By Abdullahi Lukman
The University of Sussex will launch the UK’s first undergraduate degree focused on climate justice, set to begin in 2026.
The new BA course, titled “Climate Justice, Sustainability and Development,” will offer students expertise in climate politics, activism, and environmental human rights, alongside practical green skills necessary for driving change.
The course will also incorporate hands-on learning through projects such as utilizing the university’s campus forest food garden.
Will Lock, a lecturer in international development and anthropology, and co-convener of the course, emphasized the practical approach to environmental study that will be central to the degree.
Lock’s own third-year module on political ecology and environmental justice encourages students to engage with real-world challenges, including creating podcasts to communicate complex climate justice topics.
This initiative follows a Future Forum survey revealing that 72 percent of 14-18-year-olds want more comprehensive climate change education, particularly within the humanities and social sciences.
Lock noted that today’s students are already deeply engaged with climate justice, driven by the urgent changes they have witnessed in the world.