New Blog Post from Iain Patton

9th December 2016

"In 2017 as part of a new forward thinking and far-reaching strategic plan, the EAUC will launch an Advocacy Programme to give the EAUC Community a greater voice at the sector and societal policy levels.

 In advance of this yesterday, I met with Mary Creagh Chair of the UK Parliaments Environmental Audit Select Committee (EAC) and Nick Molho Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group. The EAC is the Governments environmental 'watchdog' and Aldersgate Group is an alliance of leaders from business, politics and society that drives action for a sustainable economy, so we are delighted that as part of our new advocacy role EAUC has been invited to join the Aldersgate Group and Mary has agreed to speak at the 2017 EAUC Conference.

On many fronts, both sector and environmental policy are in a state of flux. Be it the profound reorientation of sector funding and its marketisation, the possible loss of European Environmental Policy through Brexit, the previous lamentable closure of the Sustainable Development Commission which called policy makers to account, not to mention of course a President Trump on the Climate Agreement horizon.

EAUC will support, educate and inform leaders of institutions, industry and Governments about the value of sustainability and we will advocate for a sustainable future. We will harness our longevity and reputation alongside that of our membership base to provide us with a credible and knowledgeable voice which we will use to raise the profile of post-16 education’s role in achieving sustainability. And by doing so we aim not just to contribute to better policy development but to elevate the profile and value of our members as agents of change.

 Arguably this is needed now more than ever before and with quite a sense of urgency."