I am running out of ways to communicate the terrifying lack of action on the climate crisis. The global UN climate conference, COP29, has begun, yet the chief executive for the conference was filmed signing fossil fuel deals in Baku early this week. Over 200 were confirmed dead in early November due to catastrophic floods in Valencia, but we are yet to see urgent policies and actions from our world leaders. Fossil fuel companies are causing this global crisis; a crisis which is causing loss of human life. Nonetheless, fossil fuels continue to be extracted and burnt, and even here, at UEA, they are promoted.  

UEA Career Central promote oil, gas and mining jobs. They advertise them on their website, put posters around the central campus and schools of study, and invite them to career fairs. They are also suggested in placement and internship workshops, and students are encouraged to apply. With so much of your time and energy going towards your job in your overall lifetime, it’s one of the most important ethical decisions we make. When previously challenged on this issue, Career Central stated that they continue to advertise these companies due to their “impartiality policies”.  By advertising these companies, however, they are not being impartial, but very opposite, and actually supporting these organisations, while turning a blind eye to the climate crimes they commit.  

I am president of the Biodiversity and Climate Action Network student society, and one of our main campaigns is to achieve fossil-free careers, meaning that UEA and career central cut ties with the fossil fuel industry and stop promoting them. This campaign has been going on for several years at UEA, and actions in previous years have involved a march around the UEA campus to hand in a petition to Career Central.  

As well as generally raising awareness of our campaign this semester, we have passed a fossil-free careers SU motion. This means the SU now publicly support the idea of a fossil-free careers service, and they will help promote this and raise awareness.  They will also facilitate communications between us and Career Central, as well as ensuring that no oil, gas or mining companies ever appear at SU-organised events. During the Union Council meeting, a concern was raised about this reducing employability prospects for students. To be clear, if a student wanted to work in these industries and asked about opportunities in a one-to-one careers meeting, the advisor would still be able to inform and advise the student. The key thing is that these industries will no longer be publicly promoted around UEA. It is also true that secure long-term careers will increasingly be found in greener sectors as the era of fossil fuels comes to an end, and jobs in the industry become less tenable and available.   

The climate crisis is already affecting so many and will affect every single one of us in our lifetime. Promoting fossil fuel jobs isn’t just staying silent, it’s being actively complicit in the damage they do. The fossil-free careers campaign ensures our university will no longer support industries which have caused a threat to civilisation, as well as the habitability of large stretches of the planet for humans and other life. 

In response to this article, Evan Hancock, Associate Director of Graduate Success, said:

“CareerCentral is here to support students in their decision making, not in making decisions for them, and our directory of jobs [..] is based on what students are searching for and where they are working. CareerCentral are always considering the best fit for our students, and we remain open to further dialogue.

We vet and check all of the employment vacancies we have on the platform to make sure they are paying adequately and properly employing our students, however we believe that our students themselves should be able to choose which companies and opportunities are right for them and the impact they want to be making.

CareerCentral actively seeks ways to contribute to UEA’s Sustainability Strategy and encourage sustainable practice, including signposting students to subject matter in courses that relate to sustainability issues. We promote National Green Careers Week to proactively support sustainability-related opportunities and careers.”

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