Tackling climate change from within

Rachael has taken it upon herself to lead the charge against climate change by establishing a local StuCAN group, a network of student-led societies and groups across the UK dedicated to tackling climate change from within universities. There are over 14 StuCAN branches dotted across universities in the UK, and they are looking to increase climate literacy throughout all levels of higher education in the built environment. 

Set on making a difference, starting with inside the University of Dundee, Rachael decided to take up the mantle and established a StuCAN group on campus herself- where there had previously been a lack of interest.

The group is new and building. Rachael sees the group as an investment into something that will last longer than her stay at the university and something that will hopefully have a rippling effect on future students too.

Rachael says: “Architecture is not linear. There's just so many aspects and it's so diverse and I feel like it's just our curriculum has not been able to change yet to keep up with this, so it's not following everything that is happening currently in the climate emergency.” 

She continues: “we are the designers. But I do feel that we as designers have to really understand when we're specifying materials, why we should spec this material, why we shouldn't spec this material. When I've got an answer to one of these questions - I've asked a tutor rather than looked at my coursebook. And they really go into depth about the pros and cons of everything.”  

As a Built Environment Change Maker for organisation ES-ST, Rachael is committed to taking proactive measures rather than reactive measures, and her story is a testament to the power of proactiveness and how one person can make a difference.