On January 21, during the 2025 World Economic Forum, GAUC successfully held its 2024-2025 Board Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, marking the beginning of its second five-year development phase.

The hybrid meeting was attended in person by Professor LI Luming, Chair of GAUC’s Board and President of Tsinghua University; Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of GAUC’s Academic Committee and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE; Deborah Prentice, President of the University of Cambridge; Govindan Rangarajan, Director of the Indian Institute of Science; Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London; Irene Tracey, President of the University of Oxford; and CHEN Deliang, Distinguished Chair Professor at Tsinghua University and Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Meanwhile, over a dozen high-level representatives from member universities joined the meeting online, including Wim de Villiers, Rector of Stellenbosch University, as well as members of GAUC’s Academic Committee, Executive Committee, and Organizing Committee from the Australian National University, Columbia University, Stellenbosch University, the University of Tokyo, and Yale University.

Li Luming reviewed the achievements the alliance has made since its establishment. He stated that the alliance has contributed the unique strengths of higher education to global climate governance through joint research, talent cultivation, and international cooperation. He emphasized that global climate governance requires long-term efforts and called on GAUC members to deepen exchanges and cooperation, working together to address global challenges such as climate change.

In his opening remarks, Lord Nicholas Stern revisited the vision behind GAUC’s establishment and reflected on its progress over the past five years. 'I think if you look at the way in which the students have come together, that's probably the most striking part of the work of the GAUC,' Lord Stern said. He then outlined the future strategic focus for the alliance: first, to view climate change not only as a story about cutting emissions but also as a growth story of the 21st century; second, to uphold universities’ role as the intersection of science, technology, and education; third, to exchange experiences and best practices regarding dedicated schools for climate and sustainability; and fourth, to prepare students for new opportunities and changing circumstances. Lord Stern also emphasized the importance of joint research for GAUC’s future development.

Professor CHEN Deliang delivered a keynote speech titled Navigating the Climate Horizon: Insights Beyond IPCC AR6. According to Professor CHEN, the IPCC AR6 provides, for the first time, clear evidence that climate change is anthropogenic.

ZHANG Jian, Deputy Secretary-General of GAUC, moderated the keynote speech session and presented GAUC’s work plan for 2024-2025 to the Board.

Lord Nicholas Stern facilitated the discussion session, during which GAUC Board members, including President Brady, President Tracey, Director Rangarajan, and President Prentice, as well as high-level representatives from GAUC member universities, engaged in a warm and productive discussion on the alliance’s future development.

The discussion provided invaluable insights and strategic advice for GAUC’s climate communication, climate education, and key thematic areas of focus. It was suggested that over the next five years, GAUC should further exchange climate education practices among member universities to jointly develop a curriculum that benefits students across disciplines and form stronger partnerships with other academic networks. Considering the current challenges facing global climate governance, GAUC could create a counter-narrative to address the downturn and foster a growth narrative to drive meaningful action. Regarding thematic focus, adaptation was advised as a key priority and should be communicated as a job and growth opportunity.

Professor LI Zheng, the Secretary General of GAUC, delivered the closing remarks, expressing gratitude for the guidance and suggestions from Board members. He reaffirmed his commitment to developing a strategic plan that addresses the needs of GAUC’s member universities, reflects the urgency of the climate change challenge, and effectively conveys the collective strength of the GAUC community in contributing to global climate governance. 'It is only by working together that we can win the fight against climate change,' he said.

In 2024, the ‘Climate x’ Leadership Training Program enrolled over 880 students from 500 universities across 79 countries. Following the training, 29 outstanding students from China, the UK, Germany, India, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Spain, and Lebanon were selected to form the 2024 GAUC COP29 Youth Delegation. By the final day of the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), scholars from GAUC member universities, youth delegates from GAUC Youth Delegation, and global partners had hosted nearly 40 side events at the GAUC Pavilion.

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