Reflections on COP15: What we can do to green UCL

Richard Dent was part of a UCL student 'dream team' who travelled to Denmark last month at the time of  the Copenhagen summit on climate change ? otherwise known as COP15. Richard, who is studying for an MSc in Environment, Science and Society, and his fellow students attended a workshop on campus sustainability organised by Yale University. "Before the UCL team left we took part in a Geography department Q&A session with government minister Hillary Benn. Mr Benn, Secretary of State for Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the  highlighted the importance of a legally binding deal based on the scientific consensus on climate change. "He said a deal at Copenhagen 'must be reached' in order to protect the UK and world from the effects of climate change. Responding to a question from a UCL team member, he also said that it was not the government's role to educate the UK public on climate science, suggesting that scientists should take the lead. "Hosted at the University of Copenhagen, the two-day Yale event centred on producing a poster on ways to green our universities.