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Birkbeck Climate Festival 2025 – Leading the Charge Towards a Greener, More Inclusive Future

What happens when the world reaches a point where the climate crisis can no longer be ignored? What happens when we are at that point, but people still look away? Dr Steve Willey, Academic Co-Director of Environmental Education Projects at Birkbeck, University of London explores these pertinent questions.

The Birkbeck Climate Festival takes place at a critical juncture in the climate conversation. As 2024 marked the first time that global temperatures surpassed the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels (Reuters), extreme weather events have become the new norm. Wildfires, floods, and heatwaves have claimed lives and displaced communities, with the recent fires in Los Angeles serving as one stark example of the harsh realities of a world with 1.5°C of warming (Time). This stark reality of our warming planet can feel overwhelming, and the urgency for comprehensive adaptation and mitigation strategies is at an all-time high. However, amidst these challenges, there is a growing movement towards solutions.

While the economic system has often been seen as part of the problem, there are signs of change. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) noted just last month that the green sector in the UK is experiencing rapid growth, generating billions of pounds and creating thousands of jobs (The Guardian). The transformation to a net-zero economy is not just an urgent necessity; it also represents an opportunity to foster resilience and innovation. By embracing these opportunities, there is potential to reshape the climate crisis into a platform for equitable transformation, ensuring that economic growth and innovation in the green sector do not come at the expense of vulnerable communities or exacerbate global inequalities.

Birkbeck Climate Festival 2025 seeks to engage with both the challenges and the solutions that will shape the future, and by participating, we can all contribute to a more sustainable and resilient world. The festival is open to everyone who cares about the future of the planet—whether you’re a student, professional, researcher, or simply someone interested in learning more about climate action. If you’re ready to think with us about how we can contribute to a more sustainable and resilient world, we warmly invite you to join us.

This is also why the festival begins by exploring the transformative role of data and technology in reshaping the energy landscape. A key event is the evening session, Disrupting the Energy Industry: Building a More Sustainable and Inclusive Future. This session brings together experts from the energy sector to discuss how technological innovation can disrupt traditional energy systems and promote renewable energy and inclusive access. Keynote speaker Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, will reflect on the company’s mission to create cleaner, more affordable, and accessible energy solutions for all. Learn more, join in the conversation, and register here.

Earlier in the day, the Data, Technology & Sustainability: Birkbeck’s Role in Driving Inclusive Energy Solutions workshop will explore how data and technology are essential for a sustainable future. Using Birkbeck as a case study, the session will highlight how higher education institutions can address the global climate crisis through research, education, and operations aligned with net-zero emissions goals. Register for the workshop here.

The Climate Festival builds on Birkbeck’s commitment to embedding sustainable practices in everything we do, from research and teaching to campus operations. We believe that through interdisciplinary research and teaching, we can contribute to solving some of the world’s most pressing climate issues. The festival showcases a range of events that will invite you to think differently about the world we live in. You can see all the events here.

Throughout these discussions, Birkbeck reaffirms its commitment to tackling climate change with practical, research-driven, and community-centered solutions. From addressing the emotional toll of climate change to exploring innovative approaches to sustainable living, and even revisiting ancient philosophical perspectives on humanity’s relationship with nature, Birkbeck’s interdisciplinary approach is central to driving positive change. This festival exemplifies how Birkbeck unites experts, students, and the broader community to confront the critical challenges of our time, making sustainability an integral part of our academic and operational framework.

For further details about the festival and to register for events, visit the Birkbeck Climate Festival 2025 page.

Get Involved: Don’t miss out on this transformative week of discussions, workshops, and insights. Explore Birkbeck’s teaching, research, and innovative solutions that will help address the climate challenges of our time.

Undoing shame at the Shameless! Festival

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On Saturday 27 November, Birkbeck’s Sexual Harms and Medical Encounters project team hosted the Shameless! Festival with The Women of the World (WOW) Foundation. In this blog, Rebekah Bonaparte, a Communications Officer at Birkbeck shares her experience of attending the event.

Before attending the Shameless! Festival of Activism Against Sexual Violence I was not sure how I would leave feeling. With such an urgent and grave subject matter I wondered if I could really leave the festival feeling a sense of hope for a future free of sexual violence. Hosted by The WOW Foundation and Birkbeck’s Sexual Harm’s and Medical Encounters (SHaME) project, the festival combines arts, activism, and academia to confront and change attitudes towards sexual violence.

The festival took place in the Battersea Arts Centre on a bitterly cold and windy Saturday morning. Thankfully, once inside the atmosphere and building inspired a sort of warmth that was desperately needed on gloomy day in November. At the top of the grand staircase in the foyer I was greeted by the word, “Hope”, which was fitting as much of the day’s talks and activities inspired just that.

The panel at The Rape Myths talk

I first attended a talk titled ‘Power’ which delved into the power dynamics that exist in communities where sexual violence occurs, using both the experiences of the panellists and the government policies that exclude certain groups from reporting and getting justice for such crimes. I was struck by how, as a result of the hostile environment in Britain, migrant women were unable to access rape services for fear that they would be detained, demonstrating how wider policies have negative knock-on effects for all. The talk concluded with a powerful performance by Lady Unchained, poet Brenda Birungi.

Next was ‘The Rape Myths’, a panel discussion chaired by Birkbeck’s Professor Joanna Bourke with Rachel Thompson, Sarah Ozo-Irabor and Mary Morgan, where they highlighted and dispelled the rape myths that have entered public imagination and how this effects society. Set in the raw grandeur of the Grand Hall, the talk was candid and insightful, as academic research and experience was weaved together seamlessly, and ended with the advice that in order to counter rape myths, we can all start by educating ourselves and advocating in spaces that are safe for us to do so.

Following an hour of mandatory ‘Radical Rest’ where attendees and those running the festival were invited to take time for themselves, SHaME investigator George Severs led a panel discussion that discussed ‘Male Survivors and Masculinity’, with insights on how male victims deal with and process their trauma, as well as performances from fellow panellists, Tanaka Mhishi, poet and performer, and Beyond Equality representative Ben Hurst.

Aside from the talks, you could buy literature and tote bags from the Feminist Bookshop, hear from the researchers at the SHaME project, and speak to member of the survivors’ support organisation, The Survivors Trust. In between talks poets took centre stage on the ‘Hope’ box, where these artists performed to an intimate audience, lending to the collaborative and open nature of the festival.

Professor Joanna Bourke standing on stage with a microphone, Jude Kelly sitting opposite Emily Ratajkowski.

Model and author Emily Ratajkowski closed the day with a talk discussion about her debut book.

In her final talk of the day Professor Joanna Bourke delivered her talk rather optimistically titled ‘How to deliver a rape free world’, in which she presented a solution that celebrated individual differences and moving beyond individual identities to unify under one goal: ending sexual violence.

At the beginning of the day, I was reminded of the quote by American writer and poet, Audre Lorde, who said “When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So, it is better to speak.” And that played on my mind throughout the day, how shame is often what keeps people silent, so to hear such candid and informed conversations discussed in what felt like a safe space, I felt, invited people to not feel shame or shamed about the realities of what they have faced. This ultimately, gave me hope that moving forward, we can one day see a rape free world.

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Celebrating the winter solstice at Birkbeck

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This month, Birkbeck’s International experience committee and Chinese Students and Scholars Association (BBK CSSA), hosted a networking event to mark “Dongzhi”, the winter solstice. The event gave Chinese students from the broader community the opportunity to share their experiences of studying in London.

In this blog, Di Luo, Chair of BBK CSSA, discusses the importance of the festival to Chinese people and how attendees marked the occasion.

In Chinese, the winter solstice is called “Dongzhi”, which literally means “the arrival of winter”. The Dongzhi Festival is one of the most important celebrated by the Chinese – as important as Chinese New Year, in fact. It is a time families come together and bond over the preparation of a symbolic dish.

The winter solstice occurs when either of Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). In the Northern region of China, to celebrate Dongzhi, people eat fatty dumplings that contain meat and high Yang warming herbs such as ginger and garlic. In the Southern region of China, people gather together to make and tangyuan, a Chinese dessert made with glutinous rice flour, which symbolizes family unity and prosperity.

Due to COVID-19, this year’s celebration at Birkbeck had to be adapted. Nevertheless, we were pleased to see over 25 students from Birkbeck, SOAS, Queen Mary University and Goldsmiths University, who enjoyed the wonderful event. Attendees were served traditional British snacks and Bubble Teas, courtesy of guest Xiaoyu Chang, from Ying Tuan.

The afternoon included a question-and-answer session with an introduction to the College’s facilities. There was also a session on how to study more efficiently, and fun things to do in London, as well as games and quizzes, such as the “who is undercover” game, and a talent show. Zoe Stephens, an MSc International Security and Global Governance student at Birkbeck, introduced herself in SIX different languages, including; English, Mandarin, Korea, Japanese, German and Dutch! It was very entertaining, and congratulations to Zoe on winning one of the prizes. The event was filled with laughs and the sharing of good wishes for 2022 from attendees.

BBK Chinese students and scholars’ association, hereby, on behalf of all Chinese students studying at Birkbeck and our alumni, wishes everyone a happy and warm winter this year, and the very best of the new year of 2022, which will soon be upon us!

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“Don’t call me El Chapo!”

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Azucena Garcia Gutierrez has made it her mission to represent the very best of Mexican culture to the rest of the world. This is her #BBK Grad story.

Growing up in Toluca, a city close to Mexico City with parents who didn’t graduate but who still provided for their small family has given Azucena a perspective on life which has her always returning to her humble beginnings.

With just one sibling, the two had spent practically all their lives side by side so when Azucena decided to leave Mexico to study MA Applied Linguistics and Communication at Birkbeck, it left her stunned and a little lost. Not surprisingly, her sister would go on to also study languages.

Seeing first-hand the misconceptions that prevail about Mexico was part of Azucena’s culture shock throughout her international travel: “People would shout out ‘El Chapo!’ They had a view of Mexico which concerned me. When I was growing up as a teenager, it was very safe. But I realise the situation with crime is bad now; but that is not the only thing we have to share with the world.”

At Birkbeck, she would make every effort to explain the best parts about Mexico: the diversity and richness of the country, wanting to show others “what Mexicans are made of.” She applauds Birkbeck for its encouragement of international community and the support of students who comprise that. Azucena is both a Chevening scholar and the winner of the Michel Blanc prize for best MA dissertation and credits both with supporting students, like her, from around the globe.

Whilst lamenting the fact that indigenous languages are dying out in Mexico, Azucena also recognises the value in being able to speak English, seeing this “open doors for so many, including myself.” It was just fifteen years ago, at the age of 18 years, that she made the decision to be an English language teacher. She had previously learnt English at secondary school and found it hard at first, especially since her first teacher was American and spoke very fast.

It’s that experience and understanding which now crosses over into her own teaching of English. She witnesses students who are challenged with learning English as their second language but is fervent in her teaching and reinforces the message that the hurdles of learning another language, especially English, must be overcome in order to reach one’s aspirations.

For her beloved home country of Mexico, this is a matter which is even more paramount. With the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently citing Mexico as the second most unequal country, education reform is a critical matter Azucena wishes to address. She says, “Education means hope for Mexico. When the people of a country are well educated, things will improve, it will shape better citizens and give them a thirst for knowledge which will contribute to a better country.”

Azucena returned to Mexico in February and is working on progressing her career in Education, using learnings from her time spent at Birkbeck and the contact with people of different mindsets to apply to her homeland in a meaningful way. She sees it as her duty to contribute to the education and social landscape in Mexico to improve the country’s academic and economic standing and in turn its international reputation.

Find out more about the Department of Applied Linguistics and Communication.

Birkbeck Events Blog

Reflections by Birkbeck experts and students on a wide range of events held throughout the year.

Tag Archives: Birkbeck

Birkbeck Climate Festival 2025 – Leading the Charge Towards a Greener, More Inclusive Future

Celebrating the winter solstice at Birkbeck