QBACC Founding
In October of 2008, a group of Queen`s undergraduate and graduate students came together with the goal of voicing to the Queen`s University administration that the Queen`s community wanted a public commitment to climate action from the University. The goal was not only to ensure accountability to the student body, but also to act as a polictical act to pressure other universities, buisness and politicts to commit to climate action.
First Campaign
QBACC launched its first campaign by engaging students, staff, faculty, and alumni to express their support the Queen`s administration for a public commitment to climate action.
The QBACC team got over 2,000 students to sign their pledge, and the majority of elected student leaders.
Partially as a result of QBACC`s campaigning, in the Januarry AMS election, both AMS teams running put having the University President`s Climate Commitment a priority in their election platforms.
Board of Trustees Action
In an effort to lobby the board of trustees, almost 30 QBACC members demonstrasted outside the board meeting.
The action sparked meetings with the admin and campus media attention
To pressure Queen's into committing to a public commitment to climate action, QBACC held a rally infront of the principal's office. Over 150 students, staff and faculty attended. A mock wedding was held beween the principal and the UPCC
The Principal (Tom Williams) spoke at the rally, promising a commitment by early summer.
In the April 2nd Journal Edition, QBACC recieved a Laurel in recogition of their campus activism.
The Laurel reads -
"Queens Backing Action on Climate Change (QBACC): Unlike other activist groups that are all talk and no action, QBACC organized a die-in and other events to lobby the University to put climate change on its agenda."
