How do you address climate change? What can you do to make a difference?

Last weekend I participated in the Student Sustainability Summit at Handels, Gothenburg. A Get-together for student groups in Sweden engaged in sustainability, because as the invitation said "Magic things use to happen in the meeting between people."

And it was magic. It has now been four days since we departed and I have so many subjects to bring about that I do not know where to start, or when to stop. It is crazy that everything had time to happen in-between Friday 5.00 pm to Sunday 2.30 pm.

In total eighteen student groups was represented, from Fenix environmental association and Act Local in Malmö to students from Mittuniversitetet in Östersund. I myself was representing SciSS together with Christopher. We are a newborn association assembling the students at the science faculty at the University of Gothenburg, inspired by the organizations existing on Chalmers, Sahlgrenska and Handels.

The purpose of the weekend was that we would meet, to get to know each other and to get to know about one another’s organizations and activities. The weekend started with a “fruit rescue party” organized in cooperation with Allwin – a company here in Gothenburg who gather food waste from grocery stores which otherwise would have been thrown away, and instead hand it out to people who need it. This time we got fruits handed to us and managed to make the biggest fruit salad I’ve ever seen. And so, in the middle of the chopping of (perfectly eatable!) pineapples, bananas, pears and persimmons the summit had begun.

Together we have listened to lectures, performed workshops, shared experiences, brainstormed, shared tips, planned and eaten EXTREAMLY good food (thank you Resursrestaurangen, Hoppet, Frilagret, Brämhults, Tre Indier and Lisa & Sandra for baking!).

As you might be familiar with, COP21 (the meeting in Paris) is before our doorstep and therefore climate change was a self-picked topic. Led by Chalmers Students for

Sustainability, CSS, we shared what our different student groups and cities are planning to do and out of this created collaborations. If you want to marchsh with us 29/11 PLEASE DO.

Another large part of the weekend have been about the challenges a student group is facing when it comes to the organization, questions like how to keep the knowledge in the association when the board is replaced, how to reach out to students, etc. have been

addressed. For a small and new association as SciSS all this sort of knowledge is valuable beyond words and something I treasure and have use of every active day in the association.

Does this text inform how amazingly great this weekend was?

It has given me energy, enthusiasm, new friends, new ideas and has made me a part of a bigger network. Which hopefully will keep on growing and keep inspiring. The transition towards a sustainable world is happening now, it's happening here in Gothenburg and it is happening all over Sweden.

How do you address climate change? What can you do to make a difference?

One thing is for sure, it is much easier when you do it together.

A huge thanks to the organizers, Moa Persson, Miljöbron, Birgitta Påhlsson, volunteers from the student organizations and VGR-region who made this summit possible.

Frida

Science Students for Sustainability

Link to Klimatsamling